Telehealth Initiative Offers Support to Parents With Autistic Children
“Autism Advisor” Lends a Helping Hand on Demand
Getting reliable information about autism spectrum disorder can be daunting to parents seeking answers online. In an effort to cut through the clutter with clear, practical insights and advice is AutismAdvisor.org produced by Florida Tech’s Scott Center for Autism Treatment.
The telehealth initiative offers expert guidance on numerous subjects ranging from what autism is to how to teach ASD children everyday skills. More than 100 videos feature experts from The Scott Center and Florida Tech’s Applied Behavior Analysis Program, as well as parents discussing challenges, experiences and successes with ASD family members.
One of the missions of The Scott Center is to offer assistance and beyond its facility the Melbourne campus by offering expert staff, cutting-edge research and training programs to people in need far beyond Florida though digital technology.
Eventually, AutismAdvisor.org will include an interactive portal that can facilitate ongoing interactions between therapists and families and clinical support.
To develop AutismAdvisor.org, Scott Center officials conducted in-depth focus groups with more than 100 parents and caregivers. Participants said that while the internet could serve as a useful source of information, they often found themselves overwhelmed with the amount of content available and how technical it was, and wondering about whether it was trustworthy.
To address these concerns, AutismAdvisor.org. created highly-focused videos (often under 10 minutes) organized by broad topics such as, “Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Treatment Options for Autism” and “Living Skills for People with Autism.”
Scott Center Executive Director Michael Kelley said, “Making our experts available through this online resource will enable the Scott Center to reach and serve more people. We’re in a unique position to provide increased access to care and hopefully improve how quickly children can get care in their own community.”
%CODE1DISCOVERYMAGVOL13%
