Author Eleftheria Binicu, psychologist, scientific director of the Department of Children and Adolescents of the Children and Adolescents Center / autismap.gr via nevronas.gr

Over the past decade, there has been increased interest in distance special education and mental health treatment due to increased awareness as well as the reduction of technological barriers. Remote therapeutic interventions have been used in clinical care for children and adolescents with developmental and behavioral disorders for several years. One of the original goals of remote service was to meet the needs of families who lived in areas far from urban centers or in areas where they could not access special education services with specialized staff who could meet the multiple needs of children. Disorder (RAS).

Due to the extreme special circumstances to prevent the spread of the Corona virus and recognizing the need to continue rehabilitation programs for children who need it, therapists have been quick to be flexible and have adapted special education classes to take place online where and for as long as possible, under certain conditions and conditions. At the same time, previous experience and knowledge from the applications to date provide an ambitious perspective for further development of special education distance therapy to enable access to specialized services for all families, even for those who do not have the same accessibility for further education and rehabilitation. the difficulties of its members.

Initial research into the implementation of distance education for children with ASD shows encouraging results. Some studies note that while distance education may not be the ideal work environment, it can be used effectively to enhance personal learning and bridge the gap between intervention resources needed to help children and those available in the local community.

A recent systematic review concluded that “services provided remotely are equivalent to those provided face-to-face and even outperform comparison groups that did not benefit from televised sessions.”

A meta-analysis of existing studies shows promising results in terms of clinical efficacy data.

The researchers also point to some additional important benefits of remote treatment, including cost and time savings due to less travel and stress.

Creating a remote program allows the therapist to work more closely with the family and document care provided, videotape sessions, record progress, and adjust or modify the treatment plan as needed.

What are the potential benefits and limitations of using technology and remote services to diagnose, treat and coordinate care for children diagnosed with ASD?