STARRY FOUNDATION_12_SRPMIC_APPLICATION_PART 2.PDF
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Organization History: We have recently started an Arizona based non-profit corporation, “Starry Foundation.” Starry Foundation’s mission is to support families and children who are impacted with sensory processing disorder (“SPD”) and are on the autism spectrum. Our goal is to provide these children with the access to a multi disciplinary team of the best medical providers in the state of Arizona to address their children’s medical and academic challenges. Our team consists of Licensed Psychologists, Licensed Behavioral Analyst, Occupational and Speech therapists and Developmental Neurologists to assess each child. This will be a one step process for each family. Our priority is to assist families with financial assistance based on three focus areas 1) financial income 2) single parent 3) military families in Arizona. Description of the Project: 1. Overview of funding request -250 Purpose, Problem we are trying to address, Change we expect to see STARRY Night is requesting $7,5,00 to support the School-Based Intervention Program (SBIP), a collaborative project with schools in the Phoenix area. Through this partnership, STARRY Night will provide on-site education, training, and consultation in sensory processing and sensory processing disorder at two local elementary schools. a. With this funding, STARRY Night will provide services to students, parents, and teachers who otherwise would not have access to the resources to identify and address underlying sensory processing challenges, which often manifest in behavioral issues and academic underachievement. b. Early identification and intervention for children with sensory processing challenges will help them achieve optimal health in the future. STARRY Night will initiate the program as a one-year pilot program. Once the program is implemented successfully, STARRY intends to expand to additional schools in the state. Staff responsibilities include: • Conducting a classroom needs assessment to identify children with potential sensory processing challenges, associated problems with social participation and those students’ impact on the functioning of the entire classroom. • Educating teachers about the nature of sensory processing across the spectrum, and how patterns of responding affect learning, behavior and social interaction, as well as providing training and guidance on behavior management and modification strategies. • Providing evening educational sessions for parents about sensory processing and its relationship to peer relationships and emotions, and how they can help their child at home. • Providing on-site counsel to parents, teachers, school behavioral health staff and administrators on classroom modification and other strategies that can be implemented. 2. Goals and related strategies we will employ to achieve the outcomes-500 Goal The goal of the School-Based Intervention Program (SBIP) is to improve the access of care for students with sensory processing challenges by providing on-site education, training, and consultation. Objective #1 To improve the learning, behavior, and social interaction for students we estimate 5%of the children will present with sensor processing challenges. We will identify 12 families. Goal The goal of the School-Based Intervention Program (SBIP) is to improve the access of care for students with sensory processing challenges by providing on-site education, training, and consultation. Objective #2 To improve the classroom functioning by increasing teachers’ knowledge and competency in managing sensory processing challenges. BBS will define success as 80% increase in knowledge and competency at the end of the program. 3. Outcomes expected to be achieved and measurement what type of knowledge products will be generated – 500 Quantitative and qualitative changes will be measured in the following ways Measurement Tools Pre-post changes in child behavior will be measured using the following standardized tools: • ABA providers have had to make changes to schedules to reduce the number of people they come in contact with and have to trust that families are being safe, as tele-ABA therapy is difficult to do with 95% of our cases, so we have to be in person. • Waitlists are growing as more and more ABA practitioners are not working due to COVID. • Many parents have stopped services for their child due to the threat of COVID or having a high risk adult in the house. • Parents are having to figure out Special Education Services for their kids as schools go back to on-line learning, which is very difficult for working parents, especially when their child is more severely impacted by ASD. Measurement Tools ( Pre-post changes for teachers and parents will be measured quantitatively and qualitatively by: 1. A knowledge scale survey. 2. The Visual Analog Scale, using questions developed by STAR's Dr. Lucy J. Miller and Dr. Gentry. This scale reflects the teacher and parent observation/response to questions about the child’s social skills at school. Graphic analysis will display change over time, providing evidence of changes in teachers’ perception of improvement in social skill behaviors. 3. Qualitative data gleaned from teacher and parent interview. This pilot program will attempt to create Arizona's first Interdisciplinary Evaluation team. Integrating the knowledge and skills of psychologists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, behavior analysts, IEP specialists, and medical professionals, all working TOGETHER to formulate accurate diagnoses and best practice integrated treatment planning. The Gentry Foundation will continue to support low income families who want to apply, however, this pilot program will be open to young children with all types of different suspected developmental disabilities, including, but not limited to Autism, Developmental Delay, Down Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, Cognitive Impairment. 4. 5. Work plan –Many professionals are still not comfortable seeing patients in person, but have adapted to the change and are doing telemedicine evaluations for Autism. Many of these kids will need to be re-revaluated when safe, so more thorough evals can be completed face to face. 6. ABA providers have had to make changes to schedules to reduce the number of people they come in contact with and have to trust that families are being safe, as tele-ABA therapy is difficult to do with 95% of our cases, so we have to be in person. 7. Waitlists are growing as more and more ABA practitioners are not working due to COVID. 8. Many parents have stopped services for their child due to the threat of COVID or having a high risk adult in the house. 9. Parents are having to figure out Special Education Services for their kids as schools go back to on-line learning, which is very difficult for working parents, especially when their child is more severely impacted by ASD. 10. Key audience –A growing body of evidence suggests that high rates of sensory processing challenges are present in 5% of every kindergarten classroom (Ahn, et. al. 2004) as well as in low-income families as a result of stress and other factors related to poverty (Gourley, L. et al, 2012; Gunn TE et al, 2009, Reynolds et al, 2008), which in turn is a contributor to behavioral difficulties in the classroom. Yet, there is a lack of awareness and knowledge about sensory processing challenges and access to the occupational therapists who can screen for, identify, and provide management techniques for sensory processing challenges Furthermore, school health services, particularly mental and behavioral health support, despite the high need, is generally under-resourced in schools (Capella E. et al, 2008). Mainstream preschools and public schools are particularly challenging settings for children with sensory processing challenges, making it difficult if not impossible for these children to function and effectively learn if their difficulties are not addressed. Additionally, unaddressed sensory processing challenges put a strain on schools and teachers when these children are unable to manage their symptoms, thereby creating classroom disruptions. By partnering with Arizona schools, STAR Institute will contribute their expertise in identifying children with sensory processing challenges, provide teacher and parent education, and assist with classroom modifications in order to mitigate the effects of SPD and improve each child’s ability to learn and thrive. 11. Beyond ILF funding 250 we will work closely with Gentry Autism Foundation and also with Scottsdale Preparatory Academy to identify the right children and get the program moving forward by early November. 12. Funding secured – we will work directly with Gentry Autism Foundation and Gentry PBS to get our children and families asessments coordinated.