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WESTCHESTER INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (WIHD) ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF YEAR-LONG INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY (AT) FOR SPECIAL ED STUDENTS IN WESTCHESTER SCHOOL DISTRICTS

WIHD To Work With Mid-Westchester Consortium To Coordinate AT Loan and Evaluation Programs In Eight School Districts

The Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) and the Mid-Westchester Special Education Consortium have recently completed a year-long planning process to improve and expand assistive technology (AT) services for children in the Pleasantville, Briarcliff, Mount Pleasant, Valhalla, Pocantico Hills, Irvington, Tarrytown, and Elmsford school districts.  The final part of this initiative will be the establishment and maintenance of a school-aged Assistive Technology Loan Library.  The eight districts unanimously voted to have WIHD house this loan library and manage the devices. Through the loan program and their own funding, these school districts will have access to an array of assistive technology devices that can help children with disabilities complete a variety of everyday tasks.

Teams of professionals in the eight school districts attended training sessions at WIHD for the past year, which focused on communication, language development, written expression, writing support, computer access and universal design. The occupational therapists and speech language pathologists from the Institute are currently visiting each of the school districts to facilitate the implementation of assistive technology teams and to consult about students in the districts.

A day-long symposium, to be held at WIHD’s location in Valhalla, NY this Fall will highlight how this consortium of school districts, in collaboration with WIHD, will offer a model program ensuring that all students in kindergarten through second grade, will be able to access and use appropriate AT devices to optimize their full participation in instructional activities.

WIHD currently offers the highly successful WIHD Assistive Technology Loan Program for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers, but the program does not apply to school age children.  Therefore, a child who has been utilizing an assistive technology device in preschool, must relinquish the device before starting kindergarten. “This causes a tremendous disruption in the ability of the child to be included in the activities of the classroom at the same time that the child is undergoing a major life change moving from the pre-school to the kindergarten environment,” said Kate Franklin, Director, WIHD Assistive Technology Program.

She continued, “To compound the problem, there are few school-based professionals trained in AT evaluation and implementation, and school districts have limited access to AT devices and resources because of limited funding for special education needs.” 

An expanded School-Age Assistive Technology  (SAAT) loan program has been planned with the support of two grants of  $10,000 each from the Westchester Community Foundation (WCF) and the Carvel Foundation.   The new AT loan program will provide participating school districts with the ability to borrow devices from a central inventory. Staff from participating school districts have been trained in conducting AT evaluations, in the use of loan program devices, in data collection procedures for determining the effectiveness of devices, and in integrating the use of devices in appropriate instructional activities.

As the AT loan program is implemented, data will be collected to track student outcomes, school district outcomes, and cost effectiveness to enable this model program to be replicated in other school districts across Westchester.

There are approximately 300,000 people with developmental disabilities in New York State.  The Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) is a university-affiliated resource for clinical and support services, education and training, consultation and information, and research/dissemination in the areas of developmental disabilities and child development.  WIHD is committed to improving the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities and their families throughout the seven-county lower Hudson Valley region and beyond.

“People with developmental disabilities are like all people.  They have a right to live independently, enjoy self-determination, contribute to society and participate in mainstream American life,” said Ansley Bacon, Ph.D., Director of the Institute.  “It is our mission to nurture children and support families, promote health and wellness, foster partnerships with people with disabilities and their families, and to advocate for better public policies.”

Says Ansley Bacon, “All of us benefit when people are given a chance to contribute to society.”

Bryan, Ryan and Scott are examples of children who have benefited from appropriate AT technology. Take Bryan Conway,9, of Cross River, who has cerebral palsy and limited communication ability.  Working with WIHD for the past seven years, Brian has a knee-controlled switch attached to his wheelchair that allows him to control all the functions of a laptop computer mounted at eye level.  Using special word processing software with text-to-speech capabilities enables Bryan to communicate with those around him.  Other software programs allow him to participate fully in all instructional activities in a regular classroom setting.  To see a video of Bryan using his AT devices go to the WIHD website at www.wihd.org.

Ryan Perez was just three when an evaluation revealed a severe hearing and speech disorder. A special communication device was recommended that“speaks” for him using different overlays of symbols , each geared to a different activity.  One overlay has all of the symbols for “Old MacDonald,” allowing Ryan to sing along with the rest of his preschool class.  Using the device has increased Ryan’s interaction with family and friends and encouraged him to speak more on his own.

Scott, a 17-year old with multiple disabilities, now holds two part-time jobs that were coordinated by WIHD.  He works at B.J.’s Wholesale Club in Yorktown where he greets customers entering the store, and as a ticket taker at the movie theater at the Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown.

Who is WIHD

The Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD), located in Valhalla, New York, on the campus of the Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College, was cited as one of 67 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service in the nation. WIHD, a nonprofit with an operating budget of $15.4 million, also serves as an advocate for changes in public policy.  A large population served by WIHD includes children in foster care, their foster parents and birth parents, and children who have experienced sexual abuse.

The WIHD originally operated as a program of the Westchester Medical Center, but has operated since July 2005 as an independent non-profit organization.  The WIHD also has teaching affiliation agreements with over eight universities.

WIHD was founded in 1950 at the New York Medical College in New York City. With start-up funding from the newly formed National Association for Retarded Children, the Institute initially served as a diagnostic and evaluation clinic for children with mental retardation.  It was one of the first outpatient services in the nation focusing exclusively on mental retardation.  In 1957, the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene funded a multidisciplinary postgraduate training program, which led to considerable expansion of WIHD’s staff, faculty and services.  In 1963, when Congress passed national legislation to support the creation of University Affiliated Programs to focus on mental retardation, WIHD was named one of the first such programs.  In the late 1960s, New York Medical College affiliated with Westchester County Medical Center and WIHD moved from Manhattan to Valhalla, New York.

“Over the past 50 years, the emphasis of the Institute has changed, but its primary mission has not,” said Dr. Ansley Bacon. “WIHD continues to provide high quality health care and related services to people with disabilities, support for the families of people with disabilities, graduate and postgraduate training, technical assistance and community applied research.”

Populations Served

Annually, WIHD serves over 6,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. The individuals served have disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, neurological disorders, metabolic disorders, cognitive disabilities and significant learning disabilities.  WIHD also serves children and adults with speech, language and hearing disorders or delays.  A primary focus is on reaching unserved and vulnerable populations including children in foster care, their foster parents and birth parents and children who have experienced sexual abuse.

WIHD Child and Family Services

School and Community Outreach includes training, technical assistance, consultation, staff development, and specialized services on a contractual basis to families, schools and community agencies in areas such as assistive technology, positive behavior support, autism, and inclusion.

Assistive Technology Services features an interdisciplinary team that works with individuals and families to identify devices or adaptations to improve mobility, communication, computer access, or control over the environment. The Regional Technology Center provides information and referral services, maintains a device demonstration center, and offers a loan program of adapted toys, high-tech equipment and light-tech devices for infants and toddlers.

Early Childhood Direction Center is a free and confidential information and referral, technical assistance, and training center for parents of children from birth to age five with known or suspected special needs, as well as for professionals who provide services to children.  The ECDC serves Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties, and is part of a statewide network of ECDCs in New York partially funded by grants from the New York State Education Department.

WIHD Early Childhood Services includes Diagnostic evaluation and treatment services for children with developmental concerns, communication disorders, attention deficit disorders and learning disabilities, as well as cerebral palsy and other neuromotor disorders, spina bifida, mental retardation, and autism.

The Family Connection is a parent-staffed program which provides information, support and encouragement to families of children with developmental and special health care needs.  This program assists families with decisions about identification, access and coordination of community resources.  Specialized services include: Hudson Valley Parent to Parent, service coordination, lending library, and family-directed training for professionals.

Speech and Hearing Center offers a full range of outpatient and inpatient services are provided to adults and children.  The speech-language pathologists and audiologists specialize in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of speech-language, voice, feeding, swallowing and hearing disorders.

Child Welfare Services provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment services to children and families who receive child welfare services in Westchester County.  These include: training, in-home assessments, support and respite for foster families; developmental and clinical evaluations for children in foster care and their birth parents; in-home assessments and therapy for selected families at risk for disruption; in-home post discharge support for families reunited following foster care placement of children; in-home training for families adopting children from foster care; technical assistance and training for child welfare program staff; and health and education care coordination for children in foster care.  The Children’s Advocacy Center provides forensic medical and psychosocial assessments of children who may be victims of physical and/or sexual abuse.
 
Adult Health Services provides primary health care to individuals with severe disabilities, multiple complex health problems or behavior problems.    In addition, WIHD provides a range of medical specialty services, such as neurology, gynecology and ophthalmology.

Consumer Resource Center is a program for adults with developmental disabilities and their families that focuses on health and wellness issues.  It is staffed by consumers and parents of consumers who have knowledge about issues facing adults with developmental disabilities.

Dental Services offered include Comprehensive general dental services, minor oral surgery, oral pre-medication for anxiety and referrals for various dental specialties, along with referrals for IV Sedation and General Anesthesia are provided for children and adults with disabilities in our facility-based dental clinic and on our mobile dental van.

Behavioral Health Programs offered: behavioral consultation, psychopharmacology and counseling services for children and adults with developmental disabilities who have challenging behaviors and/or mental health problems.

Education and Training are core aspects of the WIHD mission and formal professional training programs, graduate education in development and disability, community training, and consultation and technical assistance are offered.  WIHD offers technical assistance and training to community agencies; an intensive yearlong fellowship in developmental disabilities; certificate programs in specific areas such as assistive technology; seminars and workshops for professionals; and, The New York Medical College Program in Disability and Human Development, which  provides a sequence of courses leading to the Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree. WIHD staff also produce book chapters, articles, research projects, videos and other materials on best practices.

The LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Program provides intensive fellowship training for advanced graduate students and post-doctoral fellows interested in pursuing careers in the field of neurodevelopmental and related disabilities.

WIHD’s Vision

Supported by federal law and the vision of the founders of WIHD, thousands of people in the lower Hudson region and their families are leading higher quality lives by integrating into the fabric of society as productive members. WIHD envisions a future where all people, including children and adults living with disabilities, fully participate in society, live healthy and productive lives and have access to culturally appropriate services and supports, emerging technologies, and competent professionals.

WIHD’s wide range of services and supports, as well as professional training and education programs have been recognized by Westchester County through its financial support to the Institute, by state and federal agencies that have awarded multiple competitive grants to WIHD, as well as funding by donations from clients and community agencies.

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