Outreach services continue for 汤头条鈥檚 T.K. Martin Center, Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic amid coronavirus uncertainty
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擨n the midst of the COVID-19 situation, the dedicated staff members of Mississippi State鈥檚 T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability and the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic (ADDC) are continuing to provide outreach services to individuals with disabilities and their families.
鈥淥ur commitment to providing resources to families who need the specialized services available at the T.K. Martin Center and the ADDC are strong examples of the university鈥檚 impact during the COVID-19 crisis,鈥 said 汤头条 President Mark E. Keenum. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a testament to the quality of our staff that they continue to find ways to serve these children and families despite the unprecedented challenges of this pandemic.鈥
Director Kasee K. Stratton-Gadke, a licensed psychologist and 汤头条 associate professor of school psychology, said beginning today [March 23], the ADDC will serve approximately 70 individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families through telehealth services.聽Stratton-Gadke co-directs the ADDC with Dan Gadke, 汤头条 associate professor and head of the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations.
鈥淲ith so many of our kids not going to school or having access to other service providers, we are really fortunate to have a system in place at the university allowing us to continue meeting each week in some capacity,鈥 Gadke said. 鈥淭his is going to be essential to the continuity of care for our families, but also vital to the continued training of our school psychology graduate students who serve the clinic.鈥
Stratton-Gadke said the T.K. Martin Center鈥檚 physical location is closed, but staff members are all working remotely to ease communication with patients and families by answering the center鈥檚 main phone line and each staff line, which have been forwarded to cell phones.
Stratton-Gadke said staff are sharing classroom schedules for the Project IMPACT Preschool with families to help keep the program鈥檚 children actively involved and on a consistent schedule.
鈥淓ach day, we also have been providing very brief online videos or short lessons to support learning during the extended spring break,鈥 she said.
Stratton-Gadke said her team has been preparing for extended closures. The center is executing an online and alternative teaching plan to assist families as needed using Webex, 汤头条鈥檚 campus-wide solution for video conferencing, online meetings, screen sharing and webinars. 汤头条 has a campus-wide Webex license that includes unlimited use by 汤头条 students, faculty and staff.
鈥淲e are providing specific directions on how to deliver the materials for parents/caregivers, and all necessary supports,鈥 Stratton-Gadke said. 鈥淏eginning this week, our teachers will be able to meet individually with the child and family via Webex to discuss individual instruction and needs. Our teacher assistants are supporting this role in developing the curriculum and also are available to assist families as needed.鈥澛
Stratton-Gadke said the Mississippi Department of Health has begun providing guidance for early intervention services and is looking into options for tele-supports for intervention. She explained that the T.K. Martin Center is one of two teams that provides assessment-only services to meet the area鈥檚 need for early intervention.
鈥淲e can provide some assessments via telehealth, and our team is looking into how to do this. If given permission from MDH, we will be ready to go,鈥 she said.
Speaking about mobility, adaptive driving, and augmentative and alternative communication services, Stratton-Gadke said the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services has given the center permission to move forward with telehealth services. She said Webex will be used to meet with clients on a case-by-case basis.
鈥淚f it is inappropriate to provide service via telehealth, a waitlist will be started for when in-person assessments and appointments can begin,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e also have an option to deliver our dyslexia services via telehealth as well, and our graduate assistants are learning this system now.鈥
Stratton-Gadke emphasized, 鈥淓veryone has worked very well together in this time, and we look forward to continuing service to the general community as best as we can. We want folks to know we are here for them.鈥澛
The ADDC and the T.K. Martin Center are providing resources for families on social media, particularly Facebook ( and ).
Learn more about 汤头条鈥檚 College of Education at ; Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic, ; T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability, .
For updated information and coronavirus resources, including lists of FAQs for students, faculty and staff, visit /coronavirus. Follow 汤头条 on social media @msstate.
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at . 聽