Orion's Service Providers Resume

(Part One on the topic of Service Providers)

When I think of "Team Orion", I'm thinking of family (unfortunately we live far from family), friends (far and near), teachers, consultants, outreach and service providers.  I have yet to follow through on respite care providers.  Service providers have been part of Orion's life since he had his first IFSP intake meeting at 2 months old!

Orion's Service Providers

Here's a little service provider resume of Orion's.  Orion "graduated" from  Austin ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) and IFSP on his 3rd birthday back in July.  He now has an IEP and is one-hundred percent a Texas School for the Deaf student!  With this change, all of Orion's service providers are at TSD.  All of them!  (Audiology, speech-language, physical therapy, occupational therapy, orientation & mobility, Deaf and Hard of Hearing teacher, vision consultant and finally, an intervener!

When he was under Austin ECI (Fall 2012-Summer 2013), his service providers were through ECI (OT, PT, SLP) and TSD (D/HH teacher, O&M, and vision consultant).  I was thrilled that Orion could receive O&M when we moved to Austin because we didn't have that before!  I didn't even think about asking for it back in Maryland, all of this still was new to us then.

From his intake in Maryland in September 2010 through to July 2012, Orion had a wonderful team of caring service providers via Prince George's County. He had a D/HH teacher, TVI (Teacher of the Visually Impaired), PT and OT. All came to our home.

During that time, we also happened to live 25 minutes away from Kendall School (for Deaf/HH children), on Gallaudet University's campus in Washington, DC.  Through Kendall's PIP program he was seen by D/HH teachers, OT, PT, SLP and Audiology.  All the visits were at Kendall.

Service Providers from two sources, only in the Metro DC area!

Getting service providers through two different agencies is what is unique about the Metro DC area, with Gallaudet in Washington, DC and all these county Infants and Toddlers Programs in Maryland and Virginia.  You wouldn't have this perk anywhere else!

What was awesome was that one time Orion's Prince George's County service providers visited him at Kendall School and met their Kendall counterparts.  Also Orion's D/HH teacher came to our home during one of his home visits by Prince George's County service providers.

Random Photo: Orion takes a moment to figure out which way he will eat his Oreo.
August 15, 2012.

Next Blog Post: Different Combinations of Service Provider Home Visits- Pros and Cons