During a routine facility monitoring visit, dLCV discovered that David, a young man with an intellectual disability, was subjected to disproportionate amounts of mechanical restraint by facility staff. Upon meeting with his interdisciplinary team, dLCV learned that David was able to self-regulate and deescalate by selecting and watching videos on a tablet. However, officials at David’s state-operated Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) were reluctant to give him access to Wi-Fi, which he needed to select and watch his preferred online videos.
dLCV successfully advocated for unrestricted Wi-Fi and tablet access as an alternative to restraint. In addition, dLCV staff attended meetings with facility staff and school officials to ensure everyone was on the same page about David’s positive behavior support plan.
Following dLCV’s advocacy, David’s restraint rates decreased dramatically and by case closing, he had been restraint free for six months!
Assistive Technology (AT) is any equipment that can help people with disabilities overcome their limitations to be able to participate in activities of daily living (ADLs). Examples include adapted eating utensils, picture communication boards, screen readers, wheelchairs, electric van lifts, software programs, and communication devices.
Individuals receiving Medicaid Waiver services under the cluster of Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waivers (e.g. Building Independence (BI) Waiver, Family and Individual Support (FIS) Waiver, and Community Living (CL) Waiver), or under the Commonwealth Coordinated Care (CCC) Plus Waiver, may be able to have AT paid for through the waiver.
Our services are free of charge. Advocates are available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. You can reach us at (800) 552-3962 or submit an online request.