Brighton remains committed to continuing to serve children with special needs in San Antonio even during this time of crisis and uncertainty by launching a new online therapy program to provide telehealth therapy services.
When the recent CDC and local government passed ordinances requiring social distancing and for non-essential workers to stay at home, Brighton Center, San Antonio’s largest non-profit organization providing direct services to children with disabilities and delays, immediately begin brainstorming new ways they could continue providing therapy to children so that they don’t miss out on critical developmental services. The result was the launching of a Online Therapy Program where Brighton’s team of more than 65 early intervention specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists host telehealth therapy services appointments with their families via webcam.
Meeting the need today with Telehealth Therapy Services
“Not knowing how long we will be on lock down in San Antonio is overwhelming for everyone, but especially for families who have children with special needs. We wanted to step up and ensure that our families still had access to our team of experts and would feel confident in knowing that while the outside world is at a bit of a standstill their child’s developmental progress could continue moving forward.” Kim Jefferies, Brighton Center’s Chief Executive Officer
During a Telehealth Therapy appointment, members of Brighton’s therapy team engage with the caregiver or parent, who is with the child, on how to conduct and implement various strategies to help the individual child work towards their developmental goals and build new skills. While in-person visits are always preferred, providing a Telehealth option for families will ensure that children don’t miss out on services during their most critical stages of development and will also “coach” the parents in how to incorporate therapy and specialized skills throughout their daily routines.
An Online Therapy Program for San Antonio Children
“Research shows that children learn best from their parents. This Telehealth Program will be a great way for children to stay on top of their development and for parents to take an active role in working with their child to reach their goals. We anticipate that those who take advantage of this option will stay on track to meet their milestones “ Julie Yocham, Brighton’s Director of Early Childhood Intervention
Brighton has been a staple in San Antonio for children with disabilities and delays in San Antonio for more than 50 years. If you have a concern about your child’s development, ages 0 up to 3rd birthday, you can contact them at (210) 826-4492 or info@brightonsa.org to schedule a no-cost online evaluation from a member of their therapy team. In addition, if you have a school-aged child in Special Education, you can contact Brighton’s Special Education Advocacy Team to see how they can help to ensure your child is getting the resources they need through the new distance learning schools are offering across the city.
