RDI continues to provide pediatric OT, PT and Speech Therapy for our families with some in-person services, as well as via telehealth. New evaluations will be begun via telehealth and then determinations will be made regarding how services can be provided in the safest manner. Families are asked to discuss their preferences with the therapist during the evaluation. Due to the limited in-person spots some services may been to be started via telehealth until an in-clinic spot becomes available. All in-person services will be subject to the latest guidelines from the Ohio Department of Health.
IN-PERSON SERVICES: A pre-screening questionnaire of individuals who come to the clinic must be completed upon arrival. This is given to make sure they have not been exposed to COVID-19 and do not currently have any symptoms that could lead to a diagnosis. A copy of this questionnaire can be found here. Please review this and make sure that you can accurately answer all the questions. (If you have a question about whether it is safe to come for in-person services please do not hesitate to call and discuss it with us. Telehealth services could be provided on a temporary basis if necessary.)
All staff and the parents who accompany their children are required to wear masks, and children are asked to if they are able to do so. We are continuing to limit the number of people, including the number of therapists at one time, in the building. One adult may accompany the child to the therapy session. It is helpful to have an adult participate so that they can coordinate with the therapist on strategies to use at home. If the adult cannot stay during the session it is important to chat with the therapist after the session to hear about the activities done and what can be done at home to help work on the goals.
Therapy sessions are generally carried out in individual treatment spaces that have been thoroughly disinfected before each patient. Other precautions that continue to be in place for in-person services are as follows:
Families are asked to text us on the posted number when they arrive and when met by the therapist will complete a temperature check, Covid-19 screening questionnaire, and hand sanitizing.
All therapists will be wearing N-95 masks which provide the highest level of protection.
A professional cleaning company cleans and sanitizes the clinic regularly. They also supply us with the appropriate cleaning supplies that are necessary to disinfect between patients.
An I-Wave filter to purify the air and reduce pathogens, allergens, particles was added to the HVAC system.
UV Light Sanitizers are used in each room on a daily basis to reduce harmful bacteria, germs, viruses or allergens.
All individuals in the building will maintain social distancing.
Traffic flow patterns have been established.
Outdoor areas for treatment sessions are used when weather permits.
Feeding sessions are done with the family’s foods or pre-packaged items.
Gowns, gloves, and eye protection is available if necessary.
TELEHEALTH SESSIONS: For those who need therapy services and desire to avoid any additional risk, or cannot come to the clinic safely, we are continuing to provide telehealth services. These can be set up for OT, PT and/or Speech Therapy. This can be provided on a regular weekly schedule, or other variations depending on what the child and family needs. Once the evaluation is completed the therapist will discuss recommendations regarding therapy and make a plan with the family.
Families are asked to work with the therapist during sessions to help their child participate and have materials required available. Your therapist will discuss with you with what you will need before the session if and when possible. These may include items such as balls, blankets, paper and pencils etc. If specialized materials are required, they will work to help the parents obtain them, or make arrangements to obtain materials needed.
For Telehealth to be successful, parents need to be an integral part of the sessions in most cases to help with the Zoom set-up, support the child in doing what the therapist asks, and in many cases actually do some of the activities with the child. The therapist may be able to direct the child to do certain activities, but other times they will serve as more of a coach helping the parents learn strategies to help their child succeed in order to meet the goals. Parents have found that many times teletherapy has helped them be more active in their child’s therapy and get more ideas of what they can do in between therapy sessions.
For children that are old enough to do most of it on their own, it is still important to be available to help with set up of the computer and the connection. It also helps to connect with the therapist during the session to see examples of what things to work on before the next session. The child’s progress on goals is dependent on doing the same type of activities on a regular basis during the week, and working together to give the therapist feedback on what works and does not work.
In summary, we want to be able to safely provide needed services and to keep everyone involved healthy. We will work with you to figure out how to best meet your child’s needs within this very challenging time. Let your therapists know your goals and coordinate with them to make a plan that works for both of you.
Additional in-person times will be added as soon as the numbers in Ohio are more stable. We continue to follow the guidelines from the State of Ohio and the CDC are continually updating based on their recommendations.
Please feel free to contact us to ask any questions or discuss a concern. Thank you for working with us during these challenges.
Maureen Kane-Wineland and Ann Nagle
