Little Steps Family Wellness Blog

Community Wellness and Telemedicine News May 2009

2009-05-07T09:53:00.001-07:00

RAIN Community Wellness and Telemedicine Monthly Newsletter - May 2009

New Updates and important resources and information on the H1N1 Flu (swine flu) are available on a special Littlesteps
Web at : http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/swine_flu_09_clinic.html

The web site provides signs for to print out for use at clinics, daily updates and links to CDC, WHO, State and County Health.

===================================================================================
New Videos of the Second Developmental Screening Conference are online. There are also Podcast (mp3) files if you would like
to download the audio files to listen to on your iPod or mobile phone.

Go to: http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/developmental-screening-conference-2009.html to view the videos of the Conference or download the mp3 files.

The videos are also available on the Get Moving TV channel on You Tube at: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=getmovingtv&view=videos
====================================================================================
Web sites to visit this month:

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps - New Littlesteps web

http://www.rain-internet.blogspot.com/ - Landon Pediatric Foundation Telemedicine Blog

http://www.rain.org/pdcventura/ - Pediatric Diagnostic Center Web

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/easqq.pdf - Ages & Stages Questionnaire set and Scoring Sheets

http://www.rain.org/video-magazine - Telemedicine and Family Health Video Web

http://www.rain.org/dlt/health.html - RAIN Telemedicine Network Community Wellness Web:
http://www.rain.org/dlt/wellness/ - Rural Community Wellness Web
===================================================================================
Monthly Video Conferencing from UCSD Telemedicine Program

Contact Jackie Donaldson-Lopez at 858-246-0409 or jdonalds@ucsd.edu (space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis)

==================================================================================
Family Support Services Referral

Family Support Specialists are available to provide support to parents and families with children birth to five
Years of age who do not qualify for early intervention services.

In addition, family support specialists are available to help support and assist parents in advocating for their child's developmental needs and accessing Community resources that can help improve their child's development. Please see the Referral form on the Littlesteps website at http://www.rain.org/littlesteps
.
Call Delfina Zermeno in East County 6547632 and Shar Busch in West County 6547601 for information and referrals.
===================================================================================

Ventura County Medical Center Workshop on Autism -

Because services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are scarce, when children fail a broadband screening measure, providers need to carefully discern which children need ASD evaluations and which do not. This research considers how well a broadband screening test sorts those with and without probable ASD. The subjects were 427 children between 18 and 59 months of age with elevated risk scores on broadband screening, i.e., Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), a 10-item measure eliciting parents' concerns.

Parents also completed the Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), an autism specific screen.
The results showed that of the 427 children at risk on PEDS, 34% (N = 144) passed the M-CHAT. To determine whether these potential overreferrals could be reduced, parents' concerns on PEDS were used to predict M-CHAT results. Three or more discrete types of concerns, varying by age, characterized children who failed the M-CHAT while fewer than 3 were associated with passing.
This reduced overreferrals by 70% while maintaining high levels of sensitivity (81%).

Although compliance with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for both broadband and autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months is still recommended, viewing performance patterns on a broadband screening test can substantially reduce overreferrals to autism specialty services.

Go to the Littlesteps web site at http://rain.org/littlesteps/VCMC_autism_presentation_2008.html for all the Workshop information and materials.

==============================================================================
VCBH Interagency Screening Forms -

You can access the forms from the Littlesteps home page at http://www.rain.org/littlesteps or

Go straight to the forms at:

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/VCBH_interagency_forms.html

====================================================================================

Pre-Implementation Survey to review and fill out.

It is worth a $25 Starbuck's or your choice of gift card to fill out the survey. It will help focus your efforts and help us to
Think globally, act locally!

You can fill out the survey online, print and mail in or send by email.

Go to: http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/Pre-Imp-Survey.pdf to review and fill out the survey.

====================================================================================

New DSS Algorithm - with valuable information to use as a handout for your practitioners and assistants is available on the
Littlesteps web site. Go to: http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/DSSalgorithm.pdf

=====================================================================================
The Born Learning Web, from First 5 Ventura County and United Way of America.

Award-winning Born Learning tools were created by United Way of America, Civitas, Families and Work Institute and the Ad Council. Locally, United Way of Ventura County and First 5 Ventura County are partnering to help provide the tools to as many parents as possible.

You can get to the Born Learning web from the Littlesteps homepage at http://www.rain.org/littlesteps or go straight to http://www.vcbornlearning.org/doctors.asp

=====================================================================================

Videos are online from the FASD workshop in September. Visit the web site and hear the valuable discussions by:

* Dr. Edward Riley, (Prenatal Alcohol Exposure & Brain Development)

* Dr. Leslie Lynn Pawson, (Prenatal Screening, Assessment, Referral, and Treatment (SART)

* Dr. Paul Russell, (Prenatal Screening, Assessment, Referral, and Treatment (SART) and

* The Dependency Drug Court Team, (Systems and Supports in Ventura County)

(Susan Feldman, Carol Hughes, Susana Jegle, and Diane Emerick).

Go to : http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/FASD-september-2008.html to view the new videos.

To explore all our online Telemedicine Video resources go to: http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/

=====================================================================================
Visit the Little Steps web site to test out the new Synagis Referral Form.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the #1 cause of hospitalization in babies under a year. Our babies at developmental risk can be the most severely affected. We anticipate the need to protect high risk infants beginning with injections of Synagis in November to achieve protective levels by the start of the season and continue monthly through March.

The new Synagis Referral Forms allow you to prepare the forms online and submit them directly to the Pediatric Diagnostic Center or to print copies for use at your Office.

Go to: http://www.rain.org/Littlesteps/synagis-forms-2008.HTML to review the forms and try them out.

Be sure to check out the links on the Littlesteps web for valuable information on Synagis for Parents and Health Professionals.

===========================================================

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps - Ventura Littlesteps Web

The Little Steps web site, sponsored by a Ventura First 5 grant, provides quick access to the Ages & Stages Parents Workbook, in Spanish and English, to the Health Steps User Manual, the Physicians and Nurses Healthy Steps Workbook and the PEDS Workbook and Scoring Guide.

Materials are also available in Spanish at http://www.rain.org/los-pasitos/

Visit this web site often to check on new resources that will be of value to you throughout the year

http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/CME-videos.html

The Continuing Medical Education Video Center is a growing web site with new video units added regularly. Current videos include materials on Autism Treatment, Dental Varnish Information, Hansen Developmental Screening, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Developmental Screening, and TCRC Developmental Screening.

New materials are added all the time so check into the CME Video web often.

===============================================================

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/peds-menu.html

PEDS Materials (Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status).

Includes an Introduction to PEDS along with the complete PEDS Response Form, Scoring Form and Supplemental Measures.

==============================================================

http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/

The MedMall Video Magazine is a Telemedicine Video web site from the Landon Pediatric Foundation with a wide variety of video units. Visit this month to see the full Ventura First Five Developmental Screening and Autism Seminar on Internet Video.

The MedMall Telemedicine Video Magazine provides access to Internet Video units on many other topics and is updated on a regular basis. Visit often.

Littlesteps Physician and Clinic Blog

2009-01-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

Web sites to visit this month:

http://www.rain.org/pdcventura/ - Pediatric Diagnostic Center Web

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/easqq.pdf - Ages & Stages Questionnaire set and Scoring Sheets

http://www.rain.org/video-magazine - Telemedicine and Family Health Video Web

http://www.rain.org/dlt/health.html - RAIN Telemedicine Network Community Wellness Web.

http://www.rain.org/dlt/wellness/ - Rural Community Wellness Web

=======================================================================================

Family Support Services Referral

Family Support Specialists are available to provide support to parents and families with children birth to five
Years of age who do not qualify for early intervention services.

In addition, family support specialists are available to help support and assist parents in advocating for their child's developmental needs and accessing Community resources that can help improve their child's development. Please see the Referral form on the Littlesteps website at http://www.rain.org/littlesteps.

Call Delfina Zermeno in East County 6547632 and Shar Busch in West County 6547601 for information and referrals.
===================================================================================

Ventura County Medical Center Workshop on Autism - December 2008

Because services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are scarce, when children fail a broadband screening measure, providers need to carefully discern which children need ASD evaluations and which do not. This research considers how well a broadband screening test sorts those with and without probable ASD. The subjects were 427 children between 18 and 59 months of age with elevated risk scores on broadband screening, i.e., Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), a 10-item measure eliciting parents' concerns.

Parents also completed the Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), an autism specific screen.
The results showed that of the 427 children at risk on PEDS, 34% (N = 144) passed the M-CHAT. To determine whether these potential overreferrals could be reduced, parents' concerns on PEDS were used to predict M-CHAT results. Three or more discrete types of concerns, varying by age, characterized children who failed the M-CHAT while fewer than 3 were associated with passing.
This reduced overreferrals by 70% while maintaining high levels of sensitivity (81%).

Although compliance with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for both broadband and autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months is still recommended, viewing performance patterns on a broadband screening test can substantially reduce over referrals to autism specialty services.

Go to the Littlesteps web site at http://rain.org/littlesteps/VCMC_autism_presentation_2008.html for all the Workshop information and materials.

==============================================================================
VCBH Interagency Screening Forms -

You can access the forms from the Littlesteps home page at http://www.rain.org/littlesteps or

Go straight to the forms at:

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/VCBH_interagency_forms.html

====================================================================================

There is a Pre-Implementation Survey to review and fill out.

It is worth a $25 Starbuck's or your choice of gift card to fill out the survey. It will help focus your efforts and help us to
Think globally, act locally!

You can fill out the survey online, print and mail in or send by email.

Go to: http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/Pre-Imp-Survey.pdf to review and fill out the survey.

========================================================================================

A new DSS Algorithm - with valuable information to use as a handout for your practitioners and assistants is available on the
Littlesteps web site. Go to: http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/DSSalgorithm.pdf

========================================================================================

The Born Learning Web, from First 5 Ventura County and United Way of America.

Award-winning Born Learning tools were created by United Way of America, Civitas, Families and Work Institute and the Ad Council. Locally, United Way of Ventura County and First 5 Ventura County are partnering to help provide the tools to as many parents as possible.

You can get to the Born Learning web from the Littlesteps homepage at http://www.rain.org/littlesteps or go straight to http://www.vcbornlearning.org/doctors.asp

===============================================================================================

Videos are online from the FASD workshop in September. Visit the web site and hear the valuable discussions by:

* Dr. Edward Riley, (Prenatal Alcohol Exposure & Brain Development)

* Dr. Leslie Lynn Pawson, (Prenatal Screening, Assessment, Referral, and Treatment (SART)

* Dr. Paul Russell, (Prenatal Screening, Assessment, Referral, and Treatment (SART) and

* The Dependency Drug Court Team, (Systems and Supports in Ventura County)

(Susan Feldman, Carol Hughes, Susana Jegle, and Diane Emerick).

Go to : http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/FASD-september-2008.html to view the new videos.

To explore all our online Telemedicine Video resources go to: http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/

==========================================================================================
Brief video units from the September FASD workshop have been prepared to allow you to check out highlights from the workshop.

Click on the links below:

Dr. Edward Riley -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QifXEHD6pFs

Dr. Leslie Lynn Pawson -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz3xIJF2TSM

Dr Paul Russell -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY7pwDzf9Z4

The Dependency Drug Court Team -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVCPH1cPupk

==========================================================================================

Visit the Little Steps web site to test out the new Synagis Referral Form.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the #1 cause of hospitalization in babies under a year. Our babies at developmental risk can be the most severely affected. We anticipate the need to protect high risk infants beginning with injections of Synagis in November to achieve protective levels by the start of the season and continue monthly through March.

The new Synagis Referral Forms allow you to prepare the forms online and submit them directly to the Pediatric Diagnostic Center or to print copies for use at your Office.

Go to: http://www.rain.org/Littlesteps/synagis-forms-2008.HTML to review the forms and try them out.

Be sure to check out the links on the Littlesteps web for valuable information on Synagis for Parents and Health Professionals.

===========================================================

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps - Ventura Littlesteps Web

The Little Steps web site, sponsored by a Ventura First 5 grant, provides quick access to the Ages & Stages Parents Workbook, in Spanish and English, to the Health Steps User Manual, the Physicians and Nurses Healthy Steps Workbook and the PEDS Workbook and Scoring Guide.

Materials are also available in Spanish at http://www.rain.org/los-pasitos/

Visit this web site often to check on new resources that will be of value to you throughout the year

http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/CME-videos.html

The Continuing Medical Education Video Center is a growing web site with new video units added regularly. Current videos include materials on Autism Treatment, Dental Varnish Information, Hansen Developmental Screening, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Developmental Screening, and TCRC Developmental Screening.

New materials are added all the time so check into the CME Video web often.

===============================================================

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/peds-menu.html

PEDS Materials (Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status).

Includes an Introduction to PEDS along with the complete PEDS Response Form, Scoring Form and Supplemental Measures.

==============================================================

http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/

The MedMall Video Magazine is a Telemedicine Video web site from the Landon Pediatric Foundation with a wide variety of video units. Visit this month to see the full Ventura First Five Developmental Screening and Autism Seminar on Internet Video.

The MedMall Telemedicine Video Magazine provides access to Internet Video units on many other topics and is updated on a regular basis. Visit often.

==========================================================
Timothy Tyndall
List Manager
timothy@rain.org

Ventura First 5 and the Landon Pediatric Foundation News

2008-12-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

New Family Support Services Referral

Family Support Specialists are available to provide support to parents and families with children birth to five Years of age who do not qualify for early intervention services.

In addition, family support specialists are available to help support and assist parents in advocating for their child's developmental needs and accessing Community resources that can help improve their child's development. Please see the Referral form on the Littlesteps website at http://www.rain.org/littlesteps.

Call Delfina Zermeno in East County 6547632 and Shar Busch in West County 6547601 for information and referrals.
===================================================================================

Ventura County Medical Center Workshop on Autism - December 2008

Because services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are scarce, when children fail a broadband screening measure, providers need to carefully discern which children need ASD evaluations and which do not. This research considers how well a broadband screening test sorts those with and without probable ASD. The subjects were 427 children between 18 and 59 months of age with elevated risk scores on broadband screening, i.e., Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), a 10-item measure eliciting parents' concerns.

Parents also completed the Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), an autism specific screen.
The results showed that of the 427 children at risk on PEDS, 34% (N = 144) passed the M-CHAT. To determine whether these potential overreferrals could be reduced, parents' concerns on PEDS were used to predict M-CHAT results. Three or more discrete types of concerns, varying by age, characterized children who failed the M-CHAT while fewer than 3 were associated with passing.
This reduced overreferrals by 70% while maintaining high levels of sensitivity (81%).

Although compliance with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for both broadband and autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months is still recommended, viewing performance patterns on a broadband screening test can substantially reduce overreferrals to autism specialty services.

Go to the Littlesteps web site at http://rain.org/littlesteps/VCMC_autism_presentation_2008.html for all the Workshop information and materials.

==============================================================================
New this month - VCBH Interagency Screening Forms -

You can access the forms from the Littlesteps home page at http://www.rain.org/littlesteps or

Go straight to the forms at:

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/VCBH_interagency_forms.html

====================================================================================
Web sites to visit this month:

http://www.rain.org/pdcventura/ - Pediatric Diagnostic Center Web

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/easqq.pdf - Ages & Stages Questionnaire set and Scoring Sheets

http://www.rain.org/video-magazine - Telemedicine and Family Health Video Web

http://www.rain.org/dlt/health.html - RAIN Telemedicine Network Community Wellness Web

http://www.rain.org/dlt/wellness/ - Rural Community Wellness Web

=======================================================================================

There is a new Pre-Implementation Survey to review and fill out.

It is worth a $25 Starbuck's or your choice of gift card to fill out the survey. It will help focus your efforts and help us to
Think globally, act locally!

You can fill out the survey online, print and mail in or send by email.

Go to: http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/Pre-Imp-Survey.pdf to review and fill out the survey.

========================================================================================

A new DSS Algorithm - with valuable information to use as a handout for your practitioners and assistants is available on the
Littlesteps web site. Go to: http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/DSSalgorithm.pdf

========================================================================================

New Web site:

The Born Learning Web, from First 5 Ventura County and United Way of America.

Award-winning Born Learning tools were created by United Way of America, Civitas, Families and Work Institute and the Ad Council. Locally, United Way of Ventura County and First 5 Ventura County are partnering to help provide the tools to as many parents as possible.

You can get to the Born Learning web from the Littlesteps homepage at http://www.rain.org/littlesteps or go straight to http://www.vcbornlearning.org/doctors.asp

===============================================================================================

New videos are online from the FASD workshop in September. Visit the web site and hear the valuable discussions by:

* Dr. Edward Riley, (Prenatal Alcohol Exposure & Brain Development)

* Dr. Leslie Lynn Pawson, (Prenatal Screening, Assessment, Referral, and Treatment (SART)

* Dr. Paul Russell, (Prenatal Screening, Assessment, Referral, and Treatment (SART) and

* The Dependency Drug Court Team, (Systems and Supports in Ventura County)

(Susan Feldman, Carol Hughes, Susana Jegle, and Diane Emerick).

Go to : http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/FASD-september-2008.html to view the new videos.

To explore all our online Telemedicine Video resources go to: http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/

==========================================================================================

Brief video units from the September FASD workshop have been prepared to allow you to check out highlights from the workshop.

Click on the links below:

Dr. Edward Riley -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QifXEHD6pFs

Dr. Leslie Lynn Pawson -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz3xIJF2TSM

Dr Paul Russell -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY7pwDzf9Z4

The Dependency Drug Court Team -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVCPH1cPupk

==========================================================================================

Also visit the Little Steps web site to test out the new Synagis Referral Form.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the #1 cause of hospitalization in babies under a year. Our babies at developmental risk can be the most severely affected. We anticipate the need to protect high risk infants beginning with injections of Synagis in November to achieve protective levels by the start of the season and continue monthly through March.

The new Synagis Referral Forms allow you to prepare the forms online and submit them directly to the Pediatric Diagnostic Center or to print copies for use at your Office.

Go to: http://www.rain.org/Littlesteps/synagis-forms-2008.HTML to review the forms and try them out.

Be sure to check out the links on the Littlesteps web for valuable information on Synagis for Parents and Health Professionals.

===========================================================

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps - Ventura Littlesteps Web

The Little Steps web site, sponsored by a Ventura First 5 grant, provides quick access to the Ages & Stages Parents Workbook, in Spanish and English, to the Health Steps User Manual, the Physicians and Nurses Healthy Steps Workbook and the PEDS Workbook and Scoring Guide.

Materials are also available in Spanish at http://www.rain.org/los-pasitos/

Visit this web site often to check on new resources that will be of value to you throughout the year

http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/CME-videos.html

The Continuing Medical Education Video Center is a growing web site with new video units added regularly. Current videos include materials on Autism Treatment, Dental Varnish Information, Hansen Developmental Screening, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Developmental Screening, and TCRC Developmental Screening.

New materials are added all the time so check into the CME Video web often.

===============================================================

http://www.rain.org/littlesteps/peds-menu.html

PEDS Materials (Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status).

Includes an Introduction to PEDS along with the complete PEDS Response Form, Scoring Form and Supplemental Measures.

==============================================================

http://www.rain.org/video-magazine/

The MedMall Video Magazine is a Telemedicine Video web site from the Landon Pediatric Foundation with a wide variety of video units. Visit this month to see the full Ventura First Five Developmental Screening and Autism Seminar on Internet Video.

The MedMall Telemedicine Video Magazine provides access to Internet Video units on many other topics and is updated on a regular basis. Visit often.

==========================================================

First 5 Ventura County

2008-10-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

First 5 Ventura County believes that investing in the early years is the key to children's success in school and in life. We also believe that local neighborhoods and communities can lead the way in shaping the future of their children. An eight million dollar investment annually for five years has been used to develop and provide ongoing support for eleven Neighborhoods for Learning (NfL) throughout Ventura County. NfLs are parents, schools, early childhood educators, and service providers working together to make sure that children enter kindergarten ready to succeed.

We're in your neighborhood. From Oak Park to Oxnard to Ojai, NfLs are offering services that support families to raise children who are emotionally, socially, and academically ready for school. NfLs offer a variety of services to children ages 0-5 and their families including preschools, family resource centers, early learning activities, access to health services, dental treatment, mental health services, and parent education.

Ventura Litte Steps Web Site

2007-08-04T20:03:00.001-07:00

The Ventura Little Steps Web site is underway and ready for you to use as a valuable resource.

Go to: http://www.littlesteps-ventura.org to visit the web site.

Spanish language resources are avaialble at: http://www.los-pasitos.org

Recently added is the Ventura Parenting Resource Guide with active links that make it really easy to read and learn from.

Here is an Introduction to the Little Steps Program from Dr. Chris Landon, Director of the Landon Pediatric Foundation and of the Little Steps Program:

Your child's health care practitioner is committed to listening to your concerns as a parent and working with you to help your child's development.

You will be offered participation in Reach Out and Read, with books given to you and your child at Well Child Checks, access to a special web page,
email access for questions about your child's development, and access to referrals for services.

We look forward to working with you and your health care team.

Dr. Landon

Welcome to the Ventura County First 5 Wellness Project

2007-06-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Ventura First 5 Family and Children's Wellness Program.