Welcome to the final post in our first “Expansion Pilot Update” series, which shares stories from five Easterseals affiliates who are taking monthly classes on using our App Search Tool. Today’s material was contributed by Valerie Coles, Director of Program Development at Easterseals PORT Health in Virginia/North Carolina. (“PORT” for “Potential, Opportunities, Resilience, and Thriving.”)
A special thanks to Comcast NBCUniversal, for providing the grant that funds the Expansion program.
Q: What BridgingApps digital-training sessions have you found most helpful so far?
Valerie: Much of our current work is centered around Early Childhood Outreach services, so one of the most valuable BridgingApps trainings was the one on early learners. Our service coordinators have found the recommended early-learning apps to be especially beneficial.
Q: How are you using what you’ve learned to help your clients?
Valerie: We now include information about BridgingApps in our family packets, which are provided to all families entering our Early Intervention services. Service coordinators review the packets with parents and caregivers during a family’s initial visit. Then there are monthly follow-up visits, where the coordinators share additional guidance and assist families in accessing relevant apps and other resources.
Q: What have your clients shared about how digital training has helped them?
Valerie: I especially remember when one mother in our Early Intervention program shared how early-learning and caregiver apps have helped ease her anxiety, as a new parent navigating her child’s developmental delays.
Q: Among the apps you’ve been introduced to so far, which are your favorites?
Valerie: Vroom Early Learning, If I Need Help, and Pathways.org.
Further information on apps mentioned above:
- Choiceworks is designed for preschoolers-and-up who have autism, ADHD, or other neurodivergent conditions that affect executive-function skills. The app uses picture boards and audiovisuals to guide users in managing their schedules, practicing patience, and understanding their emotions. (Comes with a download price of $24.99. All other apps on this list are free to download.)
- If I Need Help is recommended for anyone concerned about a nonverbal family member’s wandering (“eloping”) tendencies. The app works with “wearable QR codes” (stickers, patches, T-shirts, etc.) that police officers or helpful passersby can scan for a caregiver’s contact information.
- Pathways offers extensive information on the physical and intellectual development of children up to early-elementary age—including children in neonatal intensive care; premature babies; and children showing symptoms of intellectual or developmental disability. Creating an account lets the user receive personalized suggestions for their family.
- Vroom, for parents and caregivers of young children, shares hints on learning, chores, and games. Each account (or each child, if there are more than one on an account) has personalized sections for “Today,” Tips, Favorites, and Progress.
See also:
- Expansion Pilot Update: From Easterseals Crossroads
- Expansion Pilot Update: From Easterseals Southeastern Pennsylvania
- Expansion Pilot Update: From Easterseals Rio Grande Valley
- Expansion Pilot Update: From Easterseals Massachusetts
Watch for another “Expansion Pilot Update” series in the near future! The program will run through 2026.