The Laughlin Children's Center continues to grow — both in space and staffing.
Doug Florey, executive director of the center, said work is almost complete on a 950-square-foot addition for the nonprofit organization. The building previously had about 7,000 square feet.
The addition includes seven new offices for occupational therapy and the psychology department. The occupational therapist previously did not have dedicated space at the center, while the psychology department was spread out throughout the facility. The psychology department's old offices will be used for tutoring for students with dyslexia.
Florey said the new offices are designed to be adaptable to any changes in needs or services that will come in the future.
“I wanted it to be useful but still generic enough that in 10 years, it will continue to make sense for us,� Florey said.
The project cost about $450,000, with funding coming from grants, the center's board of trustees and community partners, including the Child Health Association and the Richard King Mellon Foundation. Barlett Design of Pittsburgh served as the architect. A previous remodeling, finished in 2012, cost about $750,000.
Sharon Campbell, director of the psychology department, said having everyone in the department close together makes it easier to communicate and share information.
“It has some legitimacy,� Campbell said.
Occupational therapy first was offered a year ago and previously had been done in the center's board room, Florey said. The expanded space allowed the center to hire a second therapist. Services are offered Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“We'll expand that as the demand grows,� Florey said.
The dyslexia-tutoring program will grow from four teachers to 10, Florey said. They will use the Orton-Gillingham program, a specialized program for students with dyslexia. Training for that will begin at the end of this month. The Laughlin Children's Center is one of three centers in the area using that program.
Tom McGee is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-324-1408, or tmcgee@tribweb.com.