SCOTTY Videophones help Autistic Child
A critically needed evaluation for an autistic child displaced by Hurricane Katrina was made possible via SCOTTY’s CareStation videophones.
Graz (Austria) – Boise, Idaho (USA), November 20, 2005: SCOTTY is proud having been able to contribute to a groundbreaking telehealth session, coordinated by AutismCares, a consortium of leading autism organizations spearheading a national emergency relief and recovery initiative.
The 12-year-old boy and his family, one of thousands of Gulf Coast families permanently or temporarily uprooted by Hurricanes Katrina or Rita, was evaluated in an hour-long videophone session on October 15 between sites in Plainsboro, NJ and Norcross, Georgia, the city where he and his family are now living after leaving New Orleans. His family had been unable to schedule a date for in-person evaluation before Spring 2006; absent such a formal evaluation, he was unable to be placed in an appropriate program in his new public school.
“With the evaluation completed within five days of this videophone session, the family is well on the way to again placing their child on the best path of care and development,” said Peter Bell, CEO of Cure Autism Now – a managing partner, who praised the efforts of New Jersey session coordinators Dr. Jim Ball, vice president of Autism Services for Youth Consultation Services/Sawtelle Learning Center and Laura Duncan, assistant director of the company’s Annex Program. “This illustrates how technology tools like videophones can open up fresh solutions not only for families in crisis like this, but also for those in remote rural areas with limited access to healthcare and counseling professionals.”
The session’s videophones and accompanying technology communications system were donated by the Scotty Group, part of the company’s suite of telehealth based products and technology.
Emphasising that in-person evaluations are still necessary to get a “feel” for the behaviours and qualities of children with autism, Dr Ball added, “Using videophones in this way allows us to capture a baseline of information that is still very useful, and for the family to have this none now rather than waiting in limbo for six months is important. In our child’s situation here it was especially challenging, as all of his paper records had apparently been lost or destroyed in the hurricane.”
The telehealth session, primarily sponsored by member organizations Princeton Autism Technology and Unlocking Autism of Baton Rouge, La., is one of many services initiated by AutismCares. The consortium facilitates temporary and long-term relocation for families, mobilises specialty assistance teams, and provides autism-related supplies directly to these families and the professionals caring for them.
Children with autism often require intensive biomedical and behavioural therapies and thoroughly planned routines. AutismCares has created a network to support families whose struggle with autism is intensified by natural disaster, forced relocation and scarce resources.
In its first 50 days of operation AutismCares has directly assisted nearly 100 families displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Through its partner organizations, AutismCares has raised more than $100,000 from participating autism organizations and individuals, and provided direct grants to families in addition to providing access to critical medical and therapeutic services.
“We view these new technology approaches as complementary pieces in the puzzle to help children with autism, and their families, thrive under their every-day difficult circumstances,” said Alison Singer of Autism Speaks, another managing partner. “We’re on the threshold of breaking through some walls with no guarantees of what will and won’t work, but we know that we have to just put our best ideas to the test.”
Donations to AutismCares may be made online at www.autismcares.org. The legal entity of AutismCares is housed under Boise State University Foundation – c/o Center of Health Policy Autism Programs, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The Foundation provides legal and fiscal oversight, as well as resources to ensure expedient and compliant public policy and support.
Visit www.autismcares.org for additional information about: the AutismCares relief initiative; current newsroom information; aid coordination for families living with autism; online registration forms for in-kind donations of transportation, accommodations, therapy and respite services; how to sign up to volunteer; and information on products needed for care packages. Trained therapists from The Help Group are also available at 866-966-9222 24-hours a day to provide crisis counseling to families living with autism who are affected by Katrina, Rita or Wilma.
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About Autism:
Autism is one of the fastest-growing and most prevalent childhood developmental disorders in the United States, affecting as many as one in every 166 births (source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).Autism is a neurological disorder that interferes with normal development in language, intuitive thought, social interaction and an ability to connect with surroundings. Approximately half of all children with autism are unable to communicate their needs using spoken words. Most are unable to accommodate changes in their daily routines. Associated problems include hyperactivity, self-injurious behaviour, sleeplessness, eating disorders and gastrointestinal problems.Order and consistently administered therapeutic interventions are critical to the affected child’s and family’s well-being.
About AutismCares:
AutismCares is a consortium of Autism Speaks, Boise State University, Cure Autism Now, First Signs, SARRC, TalkAutism, Unlocking Autism, The Help Group, Pathfinders for Autism, The Doug Flutie Junior Foundation, Autism Today and Princeton Autism Technology.
PR Contact:
Petra Kelz
Marketing Director
T +43 316 409 426-54
pr@scottygroup.com
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