By Kelley Filson, teli Developmental Specialist
Your child has been approved for Early Intervention and you want to get started through telesessions. A teli Developmental Specialist provides insight into what a telesession can involve.
You have a choice for your child’s Early Intervention Services. Make teli your provider of choice. Call 412-922-8322 to learn more.
What does a teli Developmental Instruction teletherapy look like?
A Developmental Specialist works with families to help parents understand their child’s behavior and recognize any challenges their child is facing.
Developmental Specialists help families work with their child on their attention to a task, responding to a directive or a speaker with the goal of increasing their child’s attention to that task while interacting with others or acting independently. Additionally, a Developmental Specialist will offer support regarding communication skills, social skills and play skills when relating to others, and help your child with objects that they may have difficulty using. For parents looking for help in coping with their child’s emotions, Developmental Specialists also help to identify and provide strategies around recognizing signs of distress and how to preemptively reduce meltdowns.
The virtual technology used in the teletherapy allows the Developmental Specialist to make observations of your child’s behaviors, just as they would in person. A key element in Early Intervention is your perspective on specific behaviors or routines you would like to see change or improve with your child.
During the session your Developmental Specialist will be able to see your child’s behavior and brainstorm with you some alternatives to the situation that you would like to address. If a child becomes extremely upset about changing from one activity to another, your Developmental Specialist may suggest other activities that might serve as a diversion for your child easing the transition and reducing both your child’s anxiety and yours about the behavior.
Throughout the hour-long session, you and your child are the focus, just as if the Developmental Specialist was in your home. That doesn’t mean you and your child need to be sitting in front of the camera the entire time. The beauty of the virtual technology of a teletherapy session is that you can set up your phone or laptop to provide a window into your world and the Developmental Specialist may be able to see things that can contribute to your child’s development without you even realizing it.
A book or a toy in the background might prompt an activity suggestion to address your child’s needs in a way you may not have realized! Embedding learning opportunities into your everyday routine such as taking a walk or helping your child stay in their yard, is the most effective way to help your child. Finally, at the end of the session you and your Developmental Specialist can talk about what worked and what didn’t, agreeing on the next routine or activities to practice in between sessions and plan for the next time.
What might an Early Intervention Developmental Instruction teletherapy address?
An Early Intervention teletherapy session with a Developmental Specialist can address “virtually” the same developmental delays that are addressed by a face-to-face in-home visit. Parents participating in teli teletherapy have expressed that the only thing missing is the ability to give their Developmental Specialist a hug at the end to let them know how much they appreciate this “lifeline” for their child.
As an example, meet Jenny, a 2-year-old who will grab Mom’s hand and pull her to where she would like to go instead of focusing on Mom’s face during a social interaction with Mom. Your Developmental Specialist can observe the “pulling” that appears to be focused on a “thing”, perhaps a toy or a drink, instead of connecting with Mom.
The first step might be to problem solve with Mom a way to get Jenny to look more at her face than her hand. She may suggest that Mom get down on Jenny’s level and make eye contact to gain her attention. From there, Mom could speak to Jenny, encouraging her to communicate and socialize with her. Jenny may want a drink or a block but not understand the “socialization step”, skipping the connection to Mom’s face.
Once a solution is identified, the Developmental Specialist and Mom are able to discuss other routines or activities that Mom can use to reinforce this strategy. These activities can become a foundation for moving forward as Jenny learns to connect with others. Mom can repeat this “socialization step” in a variety of situations with siblings or playmates.
teli Early Intervention Teletherapy
While in-person support is to what we are accustomed, this virtual alternative through teletherapy lets us continue the valuable support provided through Early Intervention. If you would like to consider teli Early Intervention teletherapy for your child, just give us a call at 412-922-8322 and we can get you started in no time to help your child reach their full potential!
You have a choice for your child’s Early Intervention Services. Make teli your provider of choice. Call 412-922-8322 to learn more.
