Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

Community consultation and coordination is done when a parent is ready and comfortable so that written permission is given. We are respectful of the need for privacy within the family’s life. Solutions to problems come from many sources and multiple voices. It takes a village to raise a child and many unexpected gifts can arrive from expanding family support.

Note:

We would look forward to consulting with the primary care, medical home with goal of helping to answer questions about the condition or concerns. We do not take on the role of primary care.

We also look forward to joining on-going teams working around the child, such as the school teams, DSPD, DCFS, or Fostering Healthy Children’s teams. Our expertise is in consulting and helping to support on-going teams.

Public health through its mission of promotion, prevention and protection collaborates with providers of health, mental health and education to render whole the needs for the development of children’s bodily growth, within mental and social-emotional states of well-being.

Other than the ABLE-differently Program which is free for phone consult and networking, referral to other private and public resources may require health insurance. We would not be responsible for these costs.

We reserve the option to prioritize limited consultative and financial resources with serving critically hard to reach special populations where barriers limit access to care or when other resources are unavailable such as within specific rural locations, certain schools, unique ethnic minority circumstances and and/or associated with marked and multiple disadvantages. Otherwise, our goals include eventually serving Salt Lake area and specific rural communities in Utah. These areas will be assessed on an individual need basis.

ABLE-differently provides community based service networking for families of special needs with school age children (preschool and early intervention included) who have tried other interventions and are still searching for solutions. The program advocates a team approach, generally guided by consultation only. Some parents will want to form their own working teams in the community for supporting their child especially when there are co-occurring social-emotional and behavioral concerns. We can guide you in that process as we also will work with your providers in a consultative relationship.

The ABLE-differently Program works in collaboration with these centers for the medically rendered services but is separate and defined under Utah non- profit charitable rules and regulations.

If you are concerned about your child’s psychological well-being or intellectual functioning, here are some helpful points:

• If your child is functioning below grade level, you can request that the school perform intelligence and achievement testing.
• If your child is performing above grade level, you can ask the school or the district to test for the Extended Learning Program (ELP).
• Some psychologists in private practice will give a complete assessment for learning and emotional well-being. Check your insurance company’s preferred provider list or the yellow pages.

ABLE-differently takes a public mental health perspective and is dedicated to promoting community access to health and wellbeing integrated with related and non medical services for special needs children and their families by supporting referral information, guidance in social-emotional-behavioral consultation and education for the local and neighborhood systems of care including medical homes, schools and community recreation. Able-differently espouses a collaborative philosophy with the family at the center and includes a child strengths and context assessment and intervention expressed in searching for adaptabilities in lived experience in all memory learning environments. We have an opportunity to help the family explore other community experiences through play and other creative arts to expand the child’s story of herself as a worthwhile, esteemed and powerful person. We use an established recognized web programming to assist in these goals.

Yes, we listen to problems and join with you for solutions and track the improvements. We have also learned that focusing on improvement in health and well-being can be done through building on existing strengths. How are strengths used? Strengths are verbally acknowledged and incorporated into daily routines, goals and activities that would help the problems be less stressful.

Use of medication is an individual decision. Each child and family is different. ABLE-differently Program can make recommendations and the family and primary care provider decides what is best for them. All medications have side effects and their use needs to be justified by observing major improvement in functioning.

These problems are beyond what one person can handle and maintain health and well-being. When a person is alone, it is hard to think of anyone who would listen and help. However, that one person to join with you may be an adult from the school/PTA, church, neighborhood, a extended family member, a parent of one of your children’s acquaintances or perhaps even a past teacher or day-care provider.

Yes. If s(he) has a disability. In addition, ABLE-differently is willing to discuss the types of support available.

Charter schools -Yes; Private schools – in some circumstances. We join in with parents in discussion of public school and community resources and their responsibilities.

The Utah State Board of Education provides standards and procedures for home-schooling. Supplementary services may be provided for which parents must request and discuss their individual situation with district representatives. You may want to consider a dual enrollment early before starting home school.

Utah Parent Center
Phone: 801.272.1051 Fax: 801.272.8907
Toll Free: 800.468.1160 Español: 801.272.1067
http://www.utahparentcenter.org/

Utah Board of Education
Phone: 801-538-7500
http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/

Disability Law Center
Phone: 1-800-662-9080 (voice) or 1-800-550-4182 (TTY)
http://www.disabilitylawcenter.org/

A range of services are offered to the school:

• Consultation for community teams
• Consultation on children’s learning and social-emotional development
• Information on chronic medical conditions impacting a child
• School phone-conferencing with staff concerning complex children

We also look forward to partnering with on-going teams working around the child, such as the school teams, DSPD, DCFS, or Fostering Healthy Children’s teams. Our expertise is in joining and helping to support on-going teams

When multiple complex issues need attention, a group can better work together over a period of time. A group with shared commitment to the child offers ongoing problem solving in an atmosphere of positive regard. When behavioral and psycho-social concerns are added to the load of what’s expressed, a multidisciplinary team sitting around the family can make a great difference.

A wrap-around group provides a process for highly individualized planning, which is family centered, community-oriented and strength-based aimed at helping a family meet their needs and achieve goals. Needs can be assessed and prioritized with attunement to the family and child. For additional readings go to the Team Building section.