A Splash of Color

By Kim Williams
Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator

How does Route 66, a wrecked pirate ship, a city skyline, Batman, and Mario end up inside each of our Cornerstone locations? Through the power of our unique one-of-a-kind murals! When designing each center co-founders, Debbie Ide and Ken Weadick wanted the facilities “to be warm and welcoming to children, parents, and caregivers.” What better way to accomplish this goal than adding fun and exciting murals based on the theme of the rooms that clients and staff get to enjoy every day. Join Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator Kim Williams as she journeys to each Cornerstone location to learn more about these pieces of art.

Edinburgh

The first stop on her adventure was at the Edinburgh location. At this center, she was amazed to find a quaint mural depicting a classic Route 66 gas station. The mural is a backdrop for all of the bikes, scooters, and mobile toys that clients can use to pretend they are cruising down Route 66! “I like that it really brightens up the decor and makes our center look fun and inviting. I think it’s a great way to encourage imaginative play!” says MA, BCBA, Arielle Lofgren.

Greenwood

Next up on her trip, Kim stops by both Greenwood centers. The Polk Street location is known for the numerous murals spread throughout its building. One of the most popular is inside the City Room. “The idea was to have a cute backdrop to all the community places that kids learn about in therapy. They go to stores and restaurants, they see fire stations and schools, and it was a fun way to add color to that big room!” said COO and Co-Founder Debbie Ide.

Much like the Polk Street center, Madison Avenue also takes the cake with its unique works of art. The Drama Room is a popular space where clients can play imaginatively with their peers. One way to inspire that imagination is through the unique mural that fills the room. If you look closely at the mural, you will notice a popular superhero overlooking the space. “Batman is such a novelty! Many of our kids and staff love the DC comic characters, as well as other superheroes and villains; this allows the kids and staff to bond together over a classic!” said Director of Quality Assurance, Angie Robbins.

Avon

Making her way west, Kim makes a stop at the newest center in Avon, Indiana. The custom mural at this location is one-of-a-kind. “I like that we have something unique to our center. It’s a super cute mural that no other location has, which is so fun. It helps spark creativity with our clients by pretending to be in another world!” said MA, BCBA, Ashley Willey. With the help of this mural, clients can use their imagination skills and pretend they are on a deserted island searching for buried treasure!

West Lafayette

To end her journey, Kim finishes at the West Lafayette location. Here she was wowed by an amusing mural that makes clients and staff feel like they are inside a classic Mario Kart game. When asked about the mural, Director of Training Phillipe Sallade said, “I think a lot of staff grew up playing the game, so it’s been fun to see something we loved as a kid foster peer interactions and independent play skills for our clients.”

Each location at Cornerstone Autism Center is special and distinct in its own way. From the size of each building to the different themed rooms scattered throughout each location. But what makes them so unique are the hand-crafted murals that add just a splash of color. When asked about the works of art, COO and Co-Founder Debbie Ide said, “I think murals make a unique statement about injecting fun and creativity into our therapy day. They serve to spark kids’ imagination as they learn to tact items or have basic conversations. So much more inspiring than a plain painted room!”

Last updated by khogan at June 28, 2021.