COVID-19 has changed the way we support clients like Emily but by embracing technology and tapping into our in-house expertise, we’re continuing to give clients the tools and support they need to achieve their potential.

1. Telepractice

RIDBC is no stranger to telepractice, or delivering services remotely online, in fact we wrote the book on it.

RIDBC Remote Services (formerly Teleschool) has been providing education and therapy services to children with hearing or vision loss in regional and remote Australia for many years now, and our cochlear implant service, SCIC, has long been at the cutting edge of telepractice research and development.

But for many other RIDBC services, remote service delivery was new.

By learning from our in–house experts, working together and quickly adapting, we continue to provide services to our clients in the best way possible whilst maintaining physical distance due to COVID-19.

2. Education

Pre-school children who are deaf or hard of hearing are harnessing their emerging Auslan language skills via telepractice with our RIDBC Roberta Reid Preschool. And teachers at RIDBC schools can still see their school children through n online teaching program.

3. Paediatric audiology

Families continue to have their children’s hearing assessed at our two paediatric audiology sites.. Our diagnostic audiologists have modified the ways they work, are practicing physical distancing and have introduced additional hygiene safety measures so they can do in-person assessments for young children. This has provided reassurance for families anxiously waiting to have their child’s hearing assessed.

4. Cochlear implant care

Despite putting a hold on our regular in-clinic mapping and assessment appointments, we have dedicated staff such as cochlear implant audiologists in our key clinics to support our clients and keep them ‘on the air’. We’re working in new ways to deliver essential services to people with a cochlear implant.

5. Allied health

Allied health services (occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, psychology) are usually delivered in person but to stay safe during the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve been providing services online. We’ve innovated by introducing 60cm dolls to demonstrate positions, stretches and exercise online, in real time to guide parents whose children need therapy, and we’re sharing tools online.

There are many more ways we’ve adapted the way we support clients during the COVID-19 crisis. COVID-19 has changed the way we all live and work but by innovating, working together and adapting, RIDBC continues to focus on outcomes for our clients like Emily.

This news article was created prior to 22 March 2021 when NextSense was Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC).