HJNO Jan/Feb 2020

DIALOGUE 18 JAN / FEB 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS   Our team is comprised of psychologists, developmental behavioral pediatricians, ABA therapists, speech therapists, occupa- tional therapists, physical therapists, social workers, and a wide range of pediatric sub- specialists such as genetics, GI, neurolo- gists, and orthopedics who participate in our multi-specialty clinics, and are avail- able for consultation as needed. Our team- based approach to care ensures that we are all communicating regularly to discuss the patient’s progress, so that the burden of hav- ing to locate multiple providers is taken off of the family. Additionally, we truly aim to design inno- vative programs that meet an unmet need in the community. For example, there is often a long wait for early intervention services. Several of the programs at the Boh Center focus on parent training to provide parents with the skills needed to take advantage of natural teaching moments in their child’s everyday lives, so that the child is receiv- ing some level of intervention while waiting for more intensive services. We also have several focus groups that we run on a vari- ety of topics, including autism, to elicit feed- back from families regarding their opinions on what is needed. We are exploring tele- medicine offerings to reach patients in rural areas across the state who may not be able to travel to New Orleans for services. Editor Do you feel that the school system is adequately prepared to provide for ASD students? Seymour The level of services available to families through the school system varies fromdistrict to district, and school to school. One of the primarymissions of the Boh Cen- ter is to collaborate with other providers in the community, including schools, to offer support and professional development in order to bridge the gap between clinical care provided inside and outside the school. If we are going to make a difference for the children in our state, we have to work together and openly communicate with each other so that children can thrive both “The Boh Center was truly designed with the needs of the entire family in mind.” Patient Therapy Rooms Patient Resource Room