Unexpected Blessings and Lessons (of telehealth and Coronavirus) by Part 3, by Candi Baca

The idea was for me to make a video of myself completing the cooking project that I was intending to do in our therapy session.  We imagined that In a pre-recorded video I could be more aware of pacing and volume.  I recorded the demonstration slowly with a calm and clear voice.  I emphasized all of the usual reminders, cues, and adaptations he required, such as showing him how to hold the utensil, and reminding him to hold the food object with his non-dominant hand.  Then I sent the video to the parent to watch and practice/follow with the child. I encouraged mom to pause the video if the child seemed to be dysregulated or if he needed to see a demonstration again.  I encouraged mom to stop and complete a regulating activity, if needed, then come back to the video at the right time. 

At the first session, both parents and a sibling were present.  A child sized table was set up for the activity. The child was seated, prepared, and ready to make his sandwich.  I sat quietly and observed the parent cue the child through each step of the recipe just as I had shown in the video.  The child engaged with his parent and proceeded to make three sandwiches; one for himself, one for his sister, and one for his dad.  He showed no signs of dysregulation and enjoyed the project. 

Following his sandwich making, the child was excused and went outside to play.  The rest of our session was spent in consultation.  We planned another "recipe" for the following week, I recorded it, and the process was repeated.

During his most recent session (we have done this three times now), mom reported that the day before our session he asked, "Miss Candi on computer?".  So, I made myself a presence at our next Zoom session and tried to lead it the way I had originally intended.  He now followed my verbal and visual directions in real time without any dysregulation. 

I share this story to encourage you if you have a student who is struggling with their computer-based session. Don't give up. Get creative and brainstorm with your colleagues or the parents.  In this case, with the right adaptations, I think the child may be performing better and staying more regulated during Zoom sessions than he was in the clinic.  He is ready for his session, in his familiar surroundings, knows what is expected of him, and looks forward to making his snacks!  His family has learned a lot about how to work with him and how to prepare him for other online learning sessions where he is struggling. 

I will carry this experience through all my future telehealth and in-person interventions.  I learned that f we listen and trust when a  child is telling us "no", that we need to change course, AND have confidence in this same child's resilience and desire to learn and engage, AND have the humility and desire to figure it out for them, we can find solutions and deliver learning experiences equal to, or even better than, what we originally planned.