Virtual Services: Looking Back & Looking Ahead

Technology has become a more integral part of I/DD services in the last decade. The most common example is switching from sluggish paper documentation to faster, more accurate services like iTherapyDocs. But with the appearance of COVID, many agencies have had to suddenly adopt technology for tasks they had never anticipated. Many vocational, educational, rehabilitative, and therapeutic service providers now find themselves diving into the world of virtual service provision, and the transition hasn’t always been easy.

Virtual Services: What’s Changed

No matter what services you offer, how you interact with your I/DD individuals has changed. Here’s a look into common strategies we’ve seen since March.

• In place of attending vocational training in a classroom setting – materials are sent directly to the participant, and vocational skills practice is able to be set up and implemented at home.

• Rather than going to a location-specific day program, individuals are participating in scheduled Zoom classes with peers – provided by staff and teachers from the day program.

• Instead of seeing a Speech and Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, or Behavioral Therapist weekly – therapists are providing oversight, training, and assessment over Zoom, Facetime, the phone, or other computer programs.

• Instead of receiving visits from a social worker, service coordinator, or case manager – individuals are connecting on screen or over the phone for regular checks and monitoring of needs.