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A big move for Jeremy
When Leanne and David Kelly moved to Alice Springs with their five-year-old twins Jeremy and Georgia last year, they were able to do so with peace of mind.
Jeremy was born with significant hearing impairment and had received support from the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) since he was three years old.
Moving to a remote part of Australia can be an overwhelming decision for any family. For Leanne and David, they were comforted in knowing that Jeremy could continue working with RIDBC.
Through the RIDBC Teleschool, Jeremy, and children like him, are in regular contact with RIDBC via videoconferencing sessions, phone calls and emails.
Jeremy’s RIDBC Therapist/Consultant, Nicole Simon, will set out a lesson plan of activities using books, games and toys that will develop his listening, speech and language skills. During a videoconferencing session these activities will be conducted together by both Nicole and Jeremy’s family and then repeated by his family offline.
“RIDBC Teleschool reaches out to children and families, like Jeremy’s, who live in rural, regional and remote locations and have special needs but cannot access the specialist services they need,” said RIDBC Teleschool Coordinator, Melissa McCarthy.
“Jeremy received a cochlear implant in 2006 while we were still in Bellingen, NSW. RIDBC was fantastic at helping us through this process and equipping us with the skills to ensure Jeremy’s language development,” Leanne said.
When Leanne and David moved to Alice Springs in 2007, RIDBC ensured that they could continue receiving this support using videoconferencing equipment in a nearby community centre.
That support is now easier and closer as RIDBC has recently installed videoconferencing equipment into the family home.
“Alice Springs is a great place for the kids. It was a big decision to move, but it was great to know that Jeremy would still be able to receive support from RIDBC,” Leanne said.
“RIDBC has also organised link-ups between us, RIDBC staff, and other professionals, such as local preschool and itinerant hearing support teachers, early intervention workers, and staff from the Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC), in order to share information about Jeremy’s progress.”
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