COVID-19 has presented many challenges in our world, our country and our community. In response to the challenges, Easterseals Crossroads has created opportunities to meet the needs for independence presented to us. We know that our community needs us now and will continue to need us more than ever as we progress through this pandemic.

Your donation creates opportunities for us to maximize the independence of over 8,856 children and adults with disabilities.

Independence through Children’s Therapy

When presented with the challenge of how to keep our pediatric therapy and autism services programs safe and available for our families, we found opportunities through telehealth appointments. 

We have grown to over 550 appointments each month and will continue to offer this option for families when possible so that their children can maximize independence as they grow, live and learn.

Learn more about pediatric therapy or autism and behavior services.

Independence through Employment

When presented with the challenge of how to keep our employment and veteran programs safe and accessible for the 3,588 people who need us, we found opportunities within our community through our creative staff.  

Our Project SEARCH collaborative program for final year high school students celebrated program completion with a remote end-of-year celebration. The program maximized independence for its interns with a remarkable employment outcome of 75% competitive employment placement in our community.

Learn more about employment services and veteran programs.

submitted by Tracy Gale, PsyD, HSPP, and Emmaleigh Badeaux, MA, LMHC, Easterseals Crossroads 

During this time of social distancing, have you found yourself missing play dates? Our children are missing them, too! Here are some strategies to satisfy their social cravings while also increasing their social skills:

• Be intentional about playing with your child. Remove technology from the area, gather two or three creative toys, such as blocks, crayons, or a farm set, and play with your child. Toys without instructions allow your child to use imagination, engage with others in the play, and turn the play into whatever they want it to be! Allow your child to lead the play and follow along with their play.
• Imitate your child’s play. If your child is drawing sea creatures, draw a whale. If she says that she is building a house out of blocks, build her a neighbor. By imitating your child’s play and language, we are playing at their developmental level and creating a social interaction that is similar to what they would be experiencing with peers.
• Be a social coach, not a social dictator. As your child is playing, guide them through interactions. If one child wants to play with the toy that their sister is holding, you may say, “It looks like your sister wants to play with the horse. I wonder if you could trade her the horse for the cow?” Provide enough help for them to appropriately maneuver the situation, while not taking over the interaction.
• Provide specific and labeled praise for appropriate behaviors, such as sharing, taking turns, letting you add to their ideas, and sitting calmly on the floor. Praising your child makes them more likely to engage in that behavior again!

Most importantly, have fun! When we are fully engaged in play with our children, it can provide us with a much-needed break from daily stresses. Focus on playing, being silly, and being present for your child. This will help your child get the social interaction they are craving while also encouraging their social development.

Crossroads Industrial Services operates as the social enterprise division of Easterseals Crossroads offering a full-range of custom solutions for businesses in our community. The enterprise employs individuals with disabilities; in fact, 75% of its workforce includes people who have disabilities. Profits generated from the division support services at Easterseals Crossroads, creating an innovative, full-circle model of sustainability in that we employ people with disabilities to support services for people with disabilities.

Document Services is the comprehensive scanning line of Crossroads Industrial Services. Our clients include those in healthcare, manufacturing, accounting, real estate, mortgage, title, legal, government, construction, education, automotive and nonprofit fields.

We scan all sizes of black/white and color documents, including large format drawings, x-rays, prints, photos, engineering/architectural plans and business cards. Our capabilities include

• High-speed production scanning 
• Large-format production scanning
• Custom indexing, data entry and OCR
• Secured environment for your information
• Insured pick up and delivery
• Page-to-image quality control
• Secure on-site shredding

Contact us today for a free quote that meets your requirements, policies, timeline and budget! Email Crista McIntosh, Manager of Document Services, or call her at 317.897.7320 x2426.

AnneMarie, our manager of community relations and events at Easterseals Crossroads, and her daughter Ali are currently utilizing telehealth appointments for pediatric physical therapy sessions.

Read on to learn about their experiences relating to physical therapy, telehealth appointments during COVID-19, family involvement, goals and future plans.

You and your daughter Ali have used Easterseals Crossroads services for a while now; can you explain what brought you to the agency and what you hope to accomplish as far as goals/outcomes?

At Ali’s 5-year well child check-up, our pediatrician recommended that we see a physical therapist so Ali could be evaluated for toe walking after noticing how tight her calf muscles were. Upon noticing Ali’s calves, our doctor asked me if she was a big runner. Eh. Not exactly. Aware that there could be a concern of toe walking, I shared that we frequently remind her to put her heels down. 

Upon evaluation, Ali was recommended for physical therapy services which she has been receiving weekly since October 2019. Now, going into June 2020, we are moving to every other week appointments to help prepare her for discharge. Our goals for Ali include overall strengthening so her body is better supported while standing with her heels down and regularly walking with a heel-strike first. We hope that she is able to achieve these goals to go off to kindergarten in the fall with the strength and confidence she needs to play and stay engaged with new friends and teachers.

You have the unique perspective of being an employee and a consumer; can you explain how that guided your decision to bring Ali here?

It made it really easy! Our staff is amazing – talented, dedicated, kind, caring and professional. Also, Ali already loved “mommy’s work” – especially the play space on the 2nd floor and the outdoor playground. What was most telling to me though, was realizing that by working here I know the ins and outs of the organization and I couldn’t think of sending my child anywhere else. I am so thankful for the team with whom I have worked with as not only a parent, but as a colleague.

What do you feel makes our agency uniquely suited to your family’s needs?

Making therapy feel like play is important to us and Easterseals Crossroads delivers that for our family – so much so that Ali’s older sister wants to be a part of Ali’s therapy. too! 

What does Ali do during a traditional in-facility appointment? What are your take-aways from those appointments (i.e., do you have “homework” or things to do at home to prepare for the next appointment)?

When we arrive, Amy, Ali’s physical therapist, greets her with a warm smile and asks if she’s ready to play. They create obstacle courses, play games and work on special balance exercises. 

Do you feel as though Ali is progressing toward her goals?

Ali has been progressing steadily since she started therapy. She has gotten so much stronger and gained more confidence in herself and her abilities. We are so proud of her and thankful for the direction.

Since Covid-19 pandemic, many things have changed. When you first learned you might not have traditional therapy appointments, what were your thoughts? Were you concerned about loss of skills or lack of progress?

My original thoughts were, I don’t know how we’re going to do this exactly, but let’s give it a try. My main concern was that she could regress, and I am so happy to say that not only did we avoid regression, we have definitely seen progression!

At this point, your family has participated in telehealth appointments. How has that been? What does a telehealth appointment look like?

There is definitely more set up on my end these days, but it’s worth it. Seeing how we can use different things around the house to aid Ali in this journey has been so fun. She’s done everything from playing hopscotch and building her own obstacle courses outside to rolling up hand towels to create a balance beam!

Does Ali enjoy this type of appointment? 

Yes! I know that she misses the pediatric gym at Easterseals Crossroads and her in-person time with Amy, but she is definitely still enjoying her sessions – albeit virtual – with Amy. 

Do you feel that telehealth can continue to be a valuable alternative? Do you see it as a complementary option – if and when we return to traditional appointments?

Yes, I definitely see telehealth as a valuable alternative solution. We will likely continue with telehealth sessions for the remainder of the summer since they’ve worked so well for us.

What are some tips/suggestions to parents/caregivers about how to make telehealth appointments meaningful?

Block your schedule ahead of time to get the “equipment” pulled together! Then, once you’re all set up, talk about the session to help get them ready just like you would an in-person session. Also, if you can, use the same area in the house for each indoor session, so the child has a sense that this is where I do therapy sessions and I know what is expected of me.

Any funny stories about inviting a therapist into your home in this manner?

Henry, our dog, makes many appearances in Ali’s therapy sessions now. She has also had a chance to meet Amy’s dogs as well because of this experience.

What is the very best thing to note about Easterseals Crossroads as far as it has made your family feel valued, respected and “heard?”

I know that the staff at Easterseals Crossroads care about my child and her future. And it’s not because I work there. It is because they genuinely care about all of the children and adults they see and I get see if first-hand as a parent.

What would you tell a new-to-therapy parent about Easterseals Crossroads?

The therapists use tons of games, equipment and sensory tools throughout the therapy sessions. It will amaze you how much therapy can look and feel like play. With consistency and dedication, you will be amazed by the growth and development that your child will experience through their therapy sessions at Easterseals Crossroads. 

Any comments you want to add?

Once my suspicions were confirmed and we learned that Ali would benefit from therapy services, I knew we were going to be fine. I was able to come to this conclusion with ease because I knew that Easterseals Crossroads would be there for us. 

Submitted by Alex Buchman, Employment Consultant

Alex is one of our employment consultants at Easterseals Crossroads; his specialty is working with individuals who have traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The individuals with whom he works have varied experiences as to how they acquired their brain injury either through events such as a car accident, seizure disorder or a blow to the head.

Ken acquired his TBI from a stroke in 2006, which resulted in right side paralysis and severe aphasia. He has a significant barrier with his speech and now has a limited vocabulary. Ken is a big car enthusiast and has worked on cars his entire life; his dream job was to continue to work on cars with the challenge of learning to do so with only one side of his body.

To see how Ken learned to accommodate challenges in order to find an employment opportunity, Alex spent time with Ken in his home and garage to see how he worked. Ken was able to demonstrate his new-found methods, which helped Alex understand how best to approach an employer.

After brainstorming potential employment fits, Alex found an opportunity at O’Reilly Auto Parts as a delivery driver. Ken had mentioned on multiple occasions his interest in O’Reilly because he had often shopped there for his own car repairs. Together with the employer, Alex and Ken worked to create effective communication strategies for successful employment, where Ken has now been working since May 2017.

As with Ken’s story, Alex often needs to determine if an individual has the capability to return to the industry where he/she was once employed. Individuals with traumatic brain injuries are not always able to return to the same type of employment they enjoyed prior to an injury. When that is the case, our employment consultants can assist people with new directions for employment.

In the employment division, our consultants work with employers in every field from kitchens to hotels to legal offices and more. After an individual gains an employment situation, our consultants take many steps to ensure that both the employer and employee are happy with the match. Our consultants stay present on the job site (if needed) to provide hands on job coaching and often act as advocates for the match. 

Even after this initial level of support, we still visit each individual on a regular basis to not only check on performance, but also to provide the opportunity to express any issues or concerns.

Potential employers who want to work with us can be assured that we consistently have a wide range of individuals with varying strengths and possibilities with whom we work. All of our program participants have the potential to be successful when given the appropriate supports to become very reliable and hard workers.

I think what helps a company trust and feel comfortable with us at Easterseals Crossroads is the fact that we partner with businesses to provide successful outcomes.  When an employer approaches us with an issue or concern, we respond with a plan of action. This genuine approach leads to a much healthier and supportive environment for everyone involved.

~ Alex Buchman, Employment Consultant

Easterseals Crossroads has partnered with JPMorgan Chase to host a free two-part Webinar Speaker Series to share the latest employment and financial services available to individuals living with disability.

The target audience for this series includes adults who are living with disability, parents/caregivers of transition-age adolescents/young adults with a disability, employment service professionals and social workers.

Join the conversation by registering and submitting your questions today. Pre-registration for each webinar is required to attend.

Employment Webinar:  Diversity and Inclusion

Hear from Easterseals Crossroads and JPMorgan Chase about the latest tools and resources available for individuals living with disability to grow, develop and advance their careers locally and worldwide.

Thursday, June 4 | 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. EST | Register today to join on June 4!

Financial Webinar:  Tools for Financial Success

Hear from Easterseals Crossroads, JPMorgan Chase and Indiana ABLE Authority to learn how to access the tools and resources needed to promote financial resilience, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thursday, June 11 | 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. EST | Register today to join on June 11!

Join us for one or both conversations; pre-registration to attend is required. Submit your questions ahead of time during the registration process for each webinar. Space is limited, so register early to hold your spot.

Easterseals Crossroads is available for you. Count on us to continue to assist you with employment services and assistive technology solutions for home, work and school. Perhaps you are even an employer looking for qualified employees; we are still providing employment and technology solutions for employers in our community.

Recently one of our assistive technology staff members was able to provide a solution to help keep someone employed. A very anxious and concerned individual worked in a group home, but was struggling to find the right technology to see her computer screen. She contacted us and one of our employees was able to provide a remote intake to gather information and ultimately provide a solution. 

Thank you so much for this call. I have much anxiety right now with all that is going on. I never expected you to reach out at this time and certainly didn’t expect you to have a possible solution that might help. I just hope you know that this conversation is the best thing that has happened since the whole world got shut down.

– Assistive Technology Consumer

Easterseals Crossroads is available for your family. Count on us to provide pediatric physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as autism and respite services.

One of our early intervention therapists had a very fun and creative telehealth session recently. Her appointment involved a young girl who is very excited about pigs; it just so happened that our therapist is a collector and equally charmed with pigs. She created a virtual scavenger hunt to find all the pigs in her house. This hunt elicited language, imitation, requesting and more. The girl’s mom used the strategies modeled in the scavenger hunt for a home activity with her daughter and reported that this was a huge success.

Easterseals Crossroads is available for our community. Our relationships with our partners, donors, friends, sponsors and volunteers allow us to strengthen our reach in providing services for individuals with disabilities. 

Project SEARCH is a collaborative transition program for final-year high school students. Along with our partners Community Health Network, MSD Lawrence Township, Indianapolis Public Schools, MSD Warren Township, Vocational Rehabilitation, and the IU Institute on Disability & Community, we provide training and employment solutions for students with significant disabilities. Students participate in a year-long training curriculum that includes intern rotations at Community Health Network hospitals.

This year’s classes were modified because of COVID-19, but interns are still participating in virtual classes with their peers and staff. During their class time they continue to work on employability skills. According to a recent class discussion, interns decided that turning a negative situation into a positive outcome could very well be the backbone that creates an individual’s character.

Employment readiness and employment are the desired outcomes of each Project SEARCH year, and this year is no different in that several interns have already achieved gainful employment as a result of their training period in Project SEARCH.

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