Inactive for 2024-2025 Training Year

 

Our Mission

The mission of LittleStar ABA Therapy is to inspire, serve, and guide all those touched by autism to achieve a better reality.

About Our Site

LittleStar ABA Therapy is a nonprofit organization founded in 2002 to serve the needs of children and families affected by autism. LittleStar provides services across the lifespan, providing diagnostic, social skills, individual applied behavior analysis (ABA), and consultation services to individuals with autism and their families.

LittleStar has locations across the state of Indiana including Carmel, Bloomington, West Lafayette, Newburgh, and Clarksville. The intern may travel to the Bloomington or West Lafayette locations during both rotations, for exposure to various assessments and to assist with social skills groups but will work primarily out of the Carmel location.

During the Assessment rotation, interns will receive training on several autism-specific assessments, cognitive assessments, and adaptive and comprehensive rating scales, as well as training on interpersonal assessment skills while working with families and young children with developmental disabilities. This includes conducting the interview and assessment, case conceptualization, report writing, communicating diagnosis information to families, and responding/supporting families throughout this process. Trainees will also learn how to write diagnostic reports that will directly inform ABA treatment plans.

During the Treatment rotation the intern will utilize ABA while working directly with children on the autism spectrum, assist in conducting functional assessments and/or functional analyses, will help develop and implement behavior intervention plans, and conduct social skills groups for children and teens. 

Training Opportunities

The Diagnostic Clinic at LittleStar currently utilizes several autism-specific assessments (e.g., ADOS, ADIR, ASQ), cognitive assessments (e.g., Mullens, RIAS, SB-5, WISC), and adaptive and comprehensive rating scales (e.g., BASC, Vineland 3) to identify the presence of autism, and/or criteria for additional, or alternative, diagnoses. Interns will receive training on these measures, and training on interpersonal assessment skills while working with families and young children with developmental disabilities. This will include conducting the interview and assessment, case conceptualization, report writing, communicating diagnosis information to families, and responding/supporting families throughout this process. Trainees will also learn how to write diagnostic reports that will directly inform ABA treatment plans.

During the Behavioral Treatment Rotation, the intern will be involved in the assessment and treatment process for children on the autism spectrum, spending time within the Child and Teen/Adolescent Behavior Intervention Programs. Specifically, the intern will assess and treat problem behavior displayed by individuals on the autism spectrum, providing consultation to treatment teams, adjusting interventions as necessary, and ultimately working toward generalization to naturalistic settings. The intern will also provide consultation to families experiencing challenging behavior in the home, as well as parent training to instill skills to better respond to a child’s specific needs. This will entail a thorough assessment and individualized parent training goals for each family. The intern will also implement social skills classes once per week, developing a curriculum based on the needs of the individuals enrolled.

LittleStar also offers research opportunities in the areas of diagnostics and ABA intervention. Weekly training opportunities exist in the form of Case Reviews, Journal Clubs, ABA Trainings, and Research Groups. Interns will have the opportunity to not only participate in these groups, but they will also be expected to present and provide training to those in attendance.

Interns will be educated on the insurance process as it applies to diagnostic and treatment services, which is a vital part of any psychologist’s repertoire.

Rotation Schedule

Diagnostic Rotation (first 6 months)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
AM Assessment Writing Assessment Supervision/Training Assessment
PM Assessment Supervision Assessment Assessment Writing
Treatment Rotation (second 6 months)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
AM Behavior Assessment/Supervision Childhood Behavior Intervention Clinic Challenging Behavior Clinic Challenging Behavior Clinic Didactic Training
PM Writing/Supervision Childhood Behavior Intervention Clinic Consultation/Supervision/Group Training Consultation/Supervision/Social Skills Research/Training

Legend: CBI – Childhood Behavior Intervention Clinic, TABI – Teen and Adolescent Behavior Intervention Clinic

Please note that not every experience is identical and site schedules are a general guideline. Interns may be required to make themselves available at other times as needed. What is provided above is an example of what the work week might look like for an intern at this site.

Placement Location

The LittleStar Diagnostic Clinic is located in Carmel, Indiana, 20 minutes north of Indianapolis. The Diagnostic Team will travel to other locations throughout the internship year (Bloomington, Clarksville, Lafayette), but the primary location will be Carmel, Indiana.

During the Treatment Rotation, the intern will work exclusively out of the Carmel location, spending time between the Childhood Behavior Intervention and Teen and Adolescent Behavior Intervention Clinics.

Filter by
TitleAddressDescriptionLinkParkingRestaurantHotelThings to doVenue

APPIC Training Experiences

Treatment Modalities

Supervised Experiences

Patient Population

Our Supervisors

Site Training Director

Jesse Logue, Ph.D., BCBA-D, HSPP

Dr. Logue began his behavior analytic work at The May Institute and then the National Autism Center, working on the National Standards Project and piquing his interest in severe/challenging behavior. Jesse later received his Ph.D. in school psychology from Illinois State University. He completed his doctoral internship and fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, continuing his work in the assessment and treatment of children displaying severe/challenging behavior. During this time, Jesse became a BCBA-D and a licensed psychologist. Jesse then spent several years expanding ABA services in North Iowa as the Clinical Director of the One Vision Children’s Autism Center, and serving as President of the Iowa Association of Behavior Analysis and co-founder of the North Iowa Autism Summit. Jesse’s research and applied interests lie in assessing and treating severe/challenging behavior, staff training, and systems development.

Primary Supervisor

Lauryn Toby, Ph.D., BCBA, HSPP

Dr. Lauryn Toby is a licensed clinical psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst at LittleStar ABA Therapy Center. Her work focuses primarily on the clinical assessment of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum and related disorders. Dr. Toby received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from Illinois State University and completed her doctoral internship and fellowship at the Neurobehavioral Unit – Outpatient Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her background and training is in the assessment and treatment of autism spectrum disorders utilizing the techniques of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Before coming to LittleStar ABA Therapy, she spent time in rural North Iowa working to establish diagnostic services in an area without many resources. Dr. Toby has previously taught courses in Applied Behavior Analysis for the Master’s in ABA program at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She has published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and has been a contributing author to multiple books on the topic of co-morbid conditions in individuals with developmental disabilities.

Life in Carmel, IN

Carmel, Indiana is a fast-growing, economically-thriving suburban edge city on the North Side of Indianapolis. Home to about 91,065 residents (2016 U.S. Census Bureau), the once sleepy suburban community has been transformed over the past 20 years by ambitious redevelopment projects that have led to the making of a vibrant city that is no longer simply a place to sleep at night.

The city of Carmel spans 47 square miles across Clay Township in Hamilton County and is just a short 20-minute drive to Indianapolis. With excellent schools, low taxes, safe neighborhoods and ease of transportation, Carmel has emerged as one of the most coveted places to live, not just in Indiana, but in the United States. In 2012, CNN Money Magazine named Carmel the No. 1 place to live in America (for cities ranging from 50,000 to 300,000 in population.

From border to border, Carmel is known for its distinct residential neighborhoods, rich in architectural diversity, including many beautiful estates that have attracted many of Indiana’s noteworthy citizens, including the owners of professional sports franchises, corporate CEO’s, professional athletes, and at one point the former Vice President of the United States.

Other Carmel Highlights Include

    • An Arts & Design District spans several city blocks and includes art galleries, restaurants, and shops, along with the Indiana Design Center. The area continues to evolve within the oldest part of the city, which had been in decline for many years.
    • A beautiful Center for the Performing Arts with the world-class, 1,600-seat Palladium concert hall; two separate theaters; and the home of Grammy Award-winning performer Michael Feinstein and his Great American Songbook Initiative.
    • A comprehensive system of multi-use trails, miles of dedicated bicycle lanes on city streets and more than 500 acres of park land – including the Monon Community Center with its outdoor water park that attracts thousands of visitors from across the state.

Note: Interns moving to Indiana will need to get their license plates switched to Indiana plates per state guidelines. Read more here.

Annual Pay, Benefits, and Support

Annual Pay for the 2024-2025 Training Year: $35,000

Benefits provided at this site include:

    • 112 hours of PTO (vacation / sick leave)
    • 24 hours of Professional Development
    • Professional liability insurance
    • Medical, Dental, Vision, Pet Insurance
    • Short and Long Term Disability
    • Life Insurance

 LittleStar ABA observes the following 9 holidays:

    • New Year’s Eve
    • New Year’s Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Independence Day
    • Labor Day
    • Thanksgiving
    • Day After Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Eve
    • Christmas Day

The intern will receive their own laptop and operate out of their own office space. They will have access to our internal Insurance/Billing, Human Resource, and finance departments and can call or chat remotely with our off-site IT company, Gadellnet.

Please note that available benefits and observed holidays are subject to change. Matched interns will receive full benefit orientations at their site which will go over all benefit information for the training year. More information about the Support and Benefits offered in each of our regions can be found here.

Employment Requirements

Interns must complete a level 1 national screen including:

  • Social Security Verification
  • Address Verification
  • National Criminal Database
  • National Sex Offender Registry
  • County Criminal Search

All employees (including interns) will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine prior to orientation. New hires are required to have received both doses (unless they received a one dose vaccination) of the COVID-19 vaccination preferably two weeks prior to Orientation. Medical or religious accommodations for vaccine requirements are not currently allowed for client-facing staff (including interns).

Intern Selection Process

  • Open to on-site visits prior to application. 
  • Review of APPIC materials submitted for consideration, including but not limited to CV, work samples, cover letter, and letters of recommendation.
  • Materials will be reviewed to determine which applicants will be extended an interview.
  • Applicants will be invited to interview on 1 of two interview days held during the month of January.
  • Interview Days will include interviews with the 2 licensed psychologists and the Chief Clinical Officer.
  • Applicants with also spend time with the CEO and COO, as well as other Clinical Directors and BCBA’s of various programs.
  • Applicants will receive a tour of the facility and attend Lunch with the Clinical and Operations teams.
  • References will be contacted following the interview process.
  • Applicants will be ranked following the review of applicant materials, their interview, and review of references.

COVID-19 Response

LittleStar follows CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety protocols. All staff are wearing masks when with patients, there are air purifiers throughout each location, hand sanitizer stations throughout the building, sites are cleaned each day, and social distancing continues to be encouraged. All staff are also required to be vaccinated and currently 99% of LittleStar staff are currently vaccinated. Interns at LittleStar provide the majority of their services in-person with some telehealth from the office. Providing telehealth from home is a possibility depending on need, but telehealth from the office is preferred.

LittleStar has adopted procedure phases that highlight the restrictions, with fewer restrictions as they move through the phases. They are currently entering Phase C (Phase D is last phase – fully open no restrictions). COVID-19 data are reviewed weekly and decisions about phase changes are made monthly (i.e., stay at same phase, move back a phase, move forward a phase). They expect to remain in Phase C for the foreseeable future, or until CDC lifts all masking recommendations.

Interview Process

The interview process consists of a 1-hour telehealth interview conducted via Microsoft Teams. Much of the interview is spent getting to know the applicant and asking questions of them, while approximately 15 minutes is allotted for the applicant to ask questions of Dr. Logue and Dr. Toby. We encourage applicants to reach out to current and former interns about their experiences and to Dr. Logue or Dr. Toby with any questions throughout the application and interview process. We are also open to on-site interviews and visits, based on the availability of the applicant.