TelAbility Update

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TelAbility Update

• The WATCH Project
• Using Technology to Promote Communication and
  Collaboration within the Early Intervention
  System
• Juliellen Simpson-Vos, M.Ed, Joshua J. Alexander,
  MD
• Dept. of PMR
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• School of Medicine

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TelAbility (http//www.telability.org)

• An Internet-Based
• Telehealth Program For
• Young Children with Disabilities

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WATCH

• Wake Area
• Telehealth Collaborative
• Helping Children
• with special needs

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Building a Community of Practice

• A group of people who share a concern, set of
  problems, or passion about a topic and who deepen
  their knowledge and expertise in this area by
  interaction on an ongoing basis.

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Inclusive Child Care Centers

• Learning Together
• Lucy Daniels Center
• Project Enlightenment
• Tammy Lynn Center
• White Plains Childrens Center

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Residential Care

• Hilltop Home
• Tammy Lynn Center

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Service Programs

• Community Partnerships for Children
• Learning Together
• Pediatric Therapy Associates
• Easter Seals UCP- Childrens Therapy Services
• Project Enlightenment
• Lucy Daniels Center
• Developmental Therapy Associates

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State Agencies

• The Raleigh Childrens Developmental Services
  Agency (ages birth-3)
• Wake County Preschool Services (ages 3-5)

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Current Programming

• Website Content /Expertise Directory
• List serv
• Newsletters
• Videoconferencing

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Website Features

• Expertise Directory
• Handouts
• Links
• Calendar
• Books
• Articles
• Videos
• More!

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Expertise Directory

• 2005 60
• 2007 280

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Electronic Newsletter

• Subscribers 375
• Website Updates
• Event Listings
• Center Descriptions
• Article Reviews
• Tips and Topics
• Project Updates

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WATCH_at_listserv.unc.edu

• 2005 29
• 2007 230

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Videoconferencing
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Videoconferencing

• In total, over the past 34 months of the WATCH
  Project
• Over 1200 people have participated in
  videoconference sessions
• The average satisfaction rating for video
  conference sessions is 4.3 (out of 5)
• The average comfort level for video conference
  sessions is 4.6 (out of 5)

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Expanding WATCH

• Partners
• Carolina Pediatric Dysphagia
• Governor Morehead Preschool
• Directories
• Wake County Services Webpage

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Wake County Services and Resources for Children
0-5 webpage
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What will the webpage do?

• The webpage will act as a searchable database
  where anyone can select specific fields to find
  the services they need.
• Agencies that match their needs will be sorted
  and listed.
• When you click the link for the agency all the
  agency data will be provided.

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Past Professional Development Sessions

• Sensory Processing Disorder
• Feeding Strategies
• Taming Temper Tantrums
• Adapting Toys for Children with Special Needs
• Osteogenesis Imperfecta
• Understanding ADHD
• Constraint Induced Therapy
• Over Active Children
• Electrical Stimulation and Brachial Plexus
  Therapy
• The Uses of Standardized Testing in EI
• Supporting the Spirited Child and Their
  Families

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Fall 2007 Professional Development Series

• Gross Motor Development Trends for Children with
  Visual Impairments
• Approaches to Autism/Intervention Strategies
• Ethical Dilemmas in Early Intervention
• The Pros and Cons to Theratogs (Discussion)
• First Flex Representative
• The Uses and Benefits of Music Therapy for
  Children with Special Needs
• Using Chiropractic Services for Children with
  Special Needs
• Red Flags for Speech and Language
  Disorders/Gesture Development

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WATCH Benefits for Providers

• Responsive to their needs and interests
• Provides increased professional development and
  education opportunities
• Offers opportunities for increased collaboration
  with other locations and professionals
• Allows sites to establish mentoring relationships
  with other therapists or teachers
• WATCH sites can schedule clinic or consultation
  time via the video conference unit
• Evaluations/assessments/meetings can be held
  between parents, therapists, CDSA staff
• Reduces travel time and costs

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WATCH Benefits for Parents

• The ability to schedule video clinic or
  consultation time with a MD, therapist, or
  specialist who has access to a video conference
  unit.
• The opportunity to schedule meetings,
  evaluations, or assessments with teachers,
  therapists, CDSA Child Service Coordinators, or
  other administrators or specialists who have
  access to a video conference unit. (ex. IFSP
  update meetings, questions, etc)
• Reduces travel time and costs. Eliminates the
  need to find parking, wait in waiting rooms, and
  navigate hospitals or service agencies.
• Increased collaboration and communication with
  everyone involved in the childs care.
• Increased learning opportunities for parents and
  teachers.

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What are people saying about WATCH?

• The best thing about WATCH is knowing that there
  are people who can provide an answer for a family
  if you dont have one. Its wonderful having one
  place you can got to ask questions, find experts,
  and find out what is going on in the local
  community for the special needs population. It
  provides a bit of one stop shopping that makes
  my job easier and things less stressful for the
  families I serve.

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• Instead of all competing or working as separate
  entities, WATCH allows for us all to come
  together for the greater good of the child and
  family.

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Future Goals
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Questions?

• Juliellen Simpson-Vos, M.Ed
• jsimpvos_at_med.unc.edu
• Joshua J. Alexander, MD
• joshua_alexander _at_med.unc.edu
• TelAbility/WATCH
• 1101 Weaver Dairy Road
• Suite 202
• Chapel Hill, NC 27514
• http//www.telability.org