Wheelchair Snow Plow

This week, a lot of the states were hit with major snow storms ranging from 25 to 30 inches. A lot of times, with massive snowfall, the streets and sidewalks become unaccessible to wheelchair users and others who rely on smooth walkways.

This video shows one man who decided to modify his wheelchair to meet his needs due to the snowy weather. This idea is definitely on my “top 10” list. I am looking for others to replicate! Justin Anderson is an accessible icon.

New Jersey: Early Intervention Services

What is Early Intervention?

Early Intervention provides services for infants and toddlers (age birth to three years of age) with developmental delays and disabilities. The goal is to provide needed services as early as possible to help individuals mature and reach their fullest potential.

Does Early Intervention differ state to state?

Yes, each state outlines their own early intervention services as well as insurance plans available for families and their children. Grants may differ state to state as well as treatments (such as applied behavior analysis) covered or not covered by insurance companies.

Who is in charge of Early Intervention? 

The Department of Health and more specifically the Division of Family Health Services. Formally (in the 90s), the Department of Education was responsible in New Jersey.

What do New Jersey Early Intervention Services look like?

New Jersey offers Early Intervention Services to New Jersey residents. Some of these services include: assistive technology services/devices; audiology services; developmental intervention; family training, counseling and home visits; health services; nursing services; nutrition services; occupational therapy; psychological services; social work services; speech and language therapy; vision services; and other early intervention services.

The goal of the state is to promote collaboration, provide a family centered approach, and reflect on the best practices for early intervention.

How does Early Intervention work?

The first step when thinking that your child is developing differently is to visit the Early Intervention System (NJEIS) website http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/eis/. Although the website is a bit hard to navigate, a parent can make a referral by calling 888-653-4463. A copy of the state flyer is here: http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/documents/schs_cmu.pdf.

Who provides the services for my child? 

While the state utilizes a lot of different providers, I wanted to highlight two found in the annual county performance report.  http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/eis/documents/county_performance_report_13_14.pdf

1. Progressive Steps is a comprehensive service provider that consists of a team of specialist that provides early intervention throughout the state of New Jersey. The team of occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language therapists, special educators, psychologists, social workers, nurses, child development associates, child development specialists, behavioral specialists, and nutritionists all work together to provide individuals and their families individualized services. These services are performed in the home/natural environment, at school, or in the community. Progressive steps can be reached at 201-525-6199 or on their website: http://www.progressivestepsnj.com/index.htm.

2. Team Hope is a speech and pediatric therapy center that prides itself in a variety of therapies including: speech/language, feeding, myofunctional therapy, PROMT, sensory integration, occupational, physical, and play therapy, social thinking groups, verbal behavior, and applied behavior analysis. The center assess, evaluates, and provides an individualized program for each person. Team Hope can be reached at 908-375-8237 or at http://teamhopetherapy.com.

Does my insurance cover these services? 

It depends. Therapy can be expensive, but New Jersey luckily passed the New Jersey’s Autism Insurance Act which requires insurers to cover the cost of screening and the diagnoses of autism and other developmental disabilities, provide the cost of occupational, speech, and physical therapy as listed in the treatment plan, and  provide behavior interventions treatments founded in applied behavior analysis principles until the age of 21.

Out of pocket expenesives for these programs depend on family income as outlined by the State: http://www.state.nj.us/health/fhs/documents/extraordinary_expenses.pdf. State expenses may not cover auditory integration, facilitated communication, cranial sacral therapy, certain medial procedures, and music therapy. Detailed insurance information can be found at: https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/images/advocacy/NJ_FAQ.pdf

In addition, grants are given annual to each county since services are organized throughout. Phone numbers for each county can be found at:  http://www.state.nj.us/njhealthlink.

I have other questions. Where do I go? 

This post is written to just get you started! Frequently asked questions about Early Interventions Services for New Jersey can be found by clicking on the blue link.

Remember that life is a journey and it is best to know your rights as a parent with a disability. Providing your child with the proper services can be hard, but with proper support, you can move in the right direction and make the best decisions for you and your child. The most important step is to learn what is available and to push through the paperwork needed to get the services promised to you by the state.

Review Games-Kahoot

Reviewing for a test or a quiz can seem like a drag for some students. To avoid students losing focus, there are fun apps that can help students review in class or at home.

My new favorite is the website kahoot. Students log into the game code and are asked questions and answers in a format that gives points for answering the question accurately and quickly. Students choose from different choices predetermined by the teacher and gain points for choosing the correct answer in the least amount of time.

Students love this game since it is colorful, engaging, and fun. The game allows students to enter their real names or nicknames and shows who has the most points after each question answered.

This website is highly recommended to anyone who can access tablets or computers in the classroom. It is appropriate for any age, any subject, and any moment when wishing to create a review that is meaningful and fun.