We began the SCERTS program in October 2020. I was not so confident about the effectiveness of the program before we started the sessions, since the mode of delivery was virtual. At the beginning, Hari was not socially connected to others (or only to a small extent), did not have any words, had very little eye contact, and was almost not responding to his name. Based on the assessment, our ErinoakKids clinician developed some goals and strategies, based on the program, for Hari, with my consultation.
The duration of the program was almost 6 months, with 2 sessions of 1 hour each in a week. With each session, our clinician coached me how to implement the strategies in eight different areas of daily routines in order to improve social interaction, active engagement, regulation etc. The strategies are very simple and easy to understand and implement! Our clinician was amazing in evaluating the progress and suggesting techniques for improvement. I believe the program was as successful as an in-person program, despite the fact that the whole program was delivered virtually, including the community sessions.
If we look at Hari now, his social interaction skills have improved significantly. Eye contact and response to his name has increased considerably. I have learned to make things more predictable and enjoyable for him. He is able to engage actively in daily routines, even though he still needs some support from others. The program has made me confident in interacting with him more and more. Together with the weekly webinars, the program is just right for kids like Hari. I consider this as the best program that I have ever been a part of and we have benefited greatly from it.
~Sree