Puddingstone Place Expands Innovative School Program With Remote Learning for Students on Autism Spectrum

MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass., August 3, 2020 (Newswire.com) - ​​​Puddingstone Place™, LLC is a service provider for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities with the goal to enhance communication, support behavioral changes, and improve overall quality of life. With an exclusive license to implement the Visual Immersion System™ (VIS™) from Boston Children’s Hospital, Puddingstone aims to form a nationwide network of centers and telehealth services centered around the VIS™ framework.

Over two decades of research and clinical implementation led by Dr. Howard Shane at Boston Children’s Hospital goes into the practical and comprehensive framework and instructional philosophy of the VIS™. It includes a strong focus on the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to help promote measurable progress in a broad range of learners. The VIS™ supports, complements, and enhances spoken language and instruction through the combined use of visuals, including videos and photographs, with technology.

During the nationwide lockdown, Puddingstone Place successfully transitioned all services that use the VIS™ framework to a telehealth model within 48 hours, including services for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), speech, occupational therapy, and school consulting. Puddingstone Place continues to thrive due to the successful rollout of the telehealth model, and is now sharing our successful experience and the solutions we have implemented to get us through this trying time.

As a part of its services, Puddingstone Place™ has a School Outreach Program, a unique instructional program focused on implementing the VIS™ in educational settings and will be extending the School Outreach Program to include consultation on the remote delivery of educational services.

One Puddingstone parent said, “I was surprised how effective this virtual visit turned out to be. He was really engaged and willing to participate.”

While Christina S. exclaimed, “[Our SLP] manages to hold our son’s attention for the entire session, and she is able to guide us effortlessly with program training. Puddingstone has made sure we have not missed a beat during this quarantine.”

Lisa Miori-Dinneen, the Assistant Superintended for Special Services in the Fayetteville-Manlius School District in New York has been using the VIS™ in her schools for several years. “It’s life-changing for both the children and their families!” she said. "Through the use of this program, the children increased their working knowledge of language and concepts as well as learned how to express their wants and needs. The VIS allowed our students to understand adult expectations both in school and at home and gave them the communication tools to ultimately become more self-sufficient and independent in academics and activities of daily living.”

To learn more about this program, please contact Kara Morrison-Smith, Director of the School Outreach Program, at 978-564-4379, or Elaine Crosby, CEO, at 774-213-2360, with any questions. 

Source: Puddingstone Place