Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hi, my name is Allyson Robinson, and I am the speech pathologist
for Oklahoma ABLE Tech.
This video is going to cover funding assistive technology
for infants and toddlers in Oklahoma
when SoonerStart is the payor.
This video is one of several installments
with the goal of informing the public on funding
options for infants and toddlers in Oklahoma.
In this segment, viewers will learn about SoonerStart Early
Intervention Services and its role
in providing assistive technology devices
and services for infants and toddlers.
Let's start with answering the question, what is SoonerStart?
Oklahoma SoonerStart Early Intervention builds upon
and provides supports and resources
to assist family members and caregivers to enhance
children's learning and development
through everyday learning opportunities.
Qualified personnel such as child development specialists,
nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists,
registered dietitians, social workers, special education
teachers, speech-language pathologists, and others
provide SoonerStart services.
Children birth to three who are participating
in the SoonerStart Early Intervention Program are
eligible to receive assistive technology devices and services
from SoonerStart when funds are not available from other
sources or when their provision cannot be obtained in a timely
manner.
So what are assistive technology or AT devices and services?
An AT device is a piece of equipment
that is used to increase, maintain, or improve
functional capabilities of children with disabilities.
AT may be purchased commercially or customized,
homemade, or be an item that has been re-purposed,
like a bath towel that is rolled up and put
beside a child in his high chair to improve his positioning.
AT is also a service that directly assists children
with a disability in the selection, acquisition,
or use of an AT device.
Evaluating for and demonstrating the use of AT,
as well as providing training, technical assistance,
et cetera, would all be considered AT services.
All infants or toddlers with disabilities
are not required to receive AT devices and services.
The need for AT devices and services
must be determined on an individual basis
by the Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP team.
The IFSP team must consider all services
that are necessary for the child to achieve his or her outcomes
and to allow participation in daily activities and routines
in the natural environment, including AT devices
and services.
IFSP teams should consider AT devices and services
for children who are unable to perform activities,
including communication exchanges,
that typical peers can.
AT devices and services may be warranted if the inability
to perform these skills is preventing participation
in activities and routines.
There is a significant difference
between AT consideration and AT assessment.
Once the team considers an AT device for a child
and it is determined that he or she may benefit from AT,
the child's IFSP team begins an ongoing process of assessment,
which takes place over a period of time
and includes observations within the child and family's
typical activities and routines, involving all relevant team
members.
It includes a focus on the child's strengths and needs,
and it also includes matching features of devices
to the child's strengths and needs.
AT devices and/or services are necessary if the child needs
them to benefit from daily routines
in their natural environment and/or to achieve outcomes
on the IFSP.
The IFSP team should consider a child's assistive technology
needs for each outcome listed on the IFSP.
Since SoonerStart is a payor of last resort,
the IFSP team needs to first identify all possible resources
to cover the cost of the recommended AT devices
and services.
Some additional AT funding sources
include Medicaid, SSI-Disabled Children's Program,
private pay, private insurance, and the Oklahoma Durable
Medical Equipment Reuse Program, or OKDMERP, to name a few.
Also, a combination of any of the above or some
other creative sources can be used that result
in the provision of AT devices and/or services.
If the team is unable to access funding for AT devices
and/or services in a timely manner,
then SoonerStart resources can be utilized.
To access funding through SoonerStart,
the team must submit the SoonerStart Assistive
Technology Request to the executive director
of SoonerStart Early Invention, Special Education Services,
at the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
That form can be obtained from the Oklahoma State Department
of Education website-- ok.gov/sde/soonerstart.
Once the form is received, the executive director
reviews the documentation of the team's AT assessment,
the need for assistive technology
to support the child's outcome or outcomes,
a letter of medical necessity or a letter of justification,
and the attempts to access other funding sources.
The executive director will do this within 10 working days.
The documentation review is to ensure
that the IFSP team has provided adequate information regarding
assessment and how it relates to the child's IFSP outcomes
and all attempts at seeking other appropriate funding
sources.
The SoonerStart team will be contacted
within 10 working days to request more information
or documentation, if necessary, or to inform the team
that the reviewed documentation is complete.
Once the documentation has been reviewed and determined
complete, acquisition of the equipment
is coordinated through the SoonerStart Program
and provided to the family in a timely manner.
In some circumstances, families may
offer to donate AT equipment to SoonerStart
that is no longer being used by their child.
All donations are subject to the Oklahoma State Department
of Education's Donation Solicition and Acceptance
Policy, which can be viewed at ok.gov/sde/sponsorshipdonation.
In other instances, AT may need to transition with the child
into the school system.
If it is determined that the AT used in early intervention
needs to transition with the child, the entities involved,
for example, the parent, SoonerStart, the school,
or local education agency, et cetera,
need to sign an agreement for the purchase, sale,
or statement declining the sale of AT devices,
which can be viewed at ok.gov/sde/assistive-technology
in the appendix of the AT Technical Assistance Guide.
For more information about the SoonerStart Early Intervention
Program and the contact information for SoonerStart
sites statewide, go to the Oklahoma State Department
of Education website-- ok.gov/sde/soonerstart.
If you have additional questions about how Oklahoma ABLE
Tech can help you access and acquire assistive technology,
please don't hesitate to call us at 800-257-1705.
Thank you so much for watching, and we look forward to hearing
from you.