Vikram Pagpatan
CAS
Assistant Professor, Admissions Coordinator, Occupational Therapist
OCT
Now that many therapy clients have been forced to transition to telehealth (or teletherapy/telepractice) many clients are finding they want to keep doing telehealth in tandem with in-person services due to how it makes their lives so much easier. There are a lot of benefits for therapists as well.
Carolina Therapy Connection is now the first Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) in Greenville North Carolina. The CAC designation is granted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) and requires staff to complete autism-specific training and professional certification.
During my travels to many autism conferences I have observed many sad cases of people with autism who have successfully completed high school or college but have been unable to make the transition into the world of work. Some have become perpetual students because they thrive on the intellectual stimulation of college. For many able people with autism college years were their happiest (Szatmari et al., 1989).
The Fort Worth Zoo has made a commitment to ensure all visitors, including those with autism and other sensory needs, have an amazing experience. As part of this commitment, the Zoo recently earned the Certified Autism Center™ designation, which is granted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) to organizations that have completed an autism-specific training and review process in order to better serve all guests.
Many therapists have had to adjust their practices significantly during the times of COVID-19 due to stay at home orders or other interruptions.
This has forced a number of therapists to start doing telehealth, with some planning on incorporating it moving forward and others planning on going back to ‘normal’ and only doing in-person services. Some practices closed during stay at home orders and didn’t offer telehealth or telepractice at all.
These therapists are missing out on a number of benefits for both the therapist and their clients, which as time goes on will leave them at a distinct disadvantage relative to the other therapists who have embraced the advantages of the medium.