“The pandemic made the use of technology is becoming more commonplace in the lives, homes and jobs of people with intellectual disabilities. Not only are they enjoying it; they are succeeding at it!” CreateAbility Founder and President, Steve Sutter, states. “Making all of our apps accessible on every operating system is the focus so that everyone can be empowered through technology.”

Employment Pathfinder reflects both the company’s mission of helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities flourish beyond their current capabilities and aligns with their belief in “employment-for-all”. Additionally, Employment Pathfinder helps vocational rehabilitation professionals and job coaches make more sustainable job matches for the people they serve.  Job seekers answer assessment questions and select preferences using a web-form, or the App, while staff can also weigh in on their opinions. A report is then generated for $49.95 per job seeker, that provides a gap analysis, and details actionable strategies, tactics and approaches to address these gaps.

To access the free iOS version of the app, please follow this link for purchase through The App Store. For use on Android devices, please follow this link to the Google Play Store. 

Should you need to acquire multiple assessments, please contact CreateAbility at info@createabilityinc.com for group/discounted rates.

About CreateAbility Concepts, Inc.
CreateAbility strives to improve the dignity, security, and quality of life for people who are trying to maintain varying degrees of independence, but who need assistive technologies. Our mission is to create innovative products that help them flourish beyond their current capability. Our interactive health and safety monitoring software solutions help caregivers deliver an affordable blend of care, 24/7 that nurtures independence. We serve caregivers, agencies, and organizations devoted to helping older adults, people with intellectual disabilities, brain injuries, and behavioral health issues.

Contact:
Kerri Pinger
Marketing & Communications Manager
CreateAbility Concepts, Inc.
info@createabilityinc.com

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The post CreateAbility Concepts Launches iOS Version of Employment Pathfinder appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.

It increases data integrity.  
When engaging in an in-person survey, the people taking the assessment tend to “filter” their answers to please (or not upset) the survey administrator. In written surveys, the survey recipient may become overwhelmed, challenged, or bored with the test-taking process and answer hastily in order to finish.  

Avatar-led assessments provide a neutral environment for people to focus on the question at hand and answer in an honest manner without any hesitations or fears. Also, studies have shown that self-reported daily data is more reliable because there is less reliance on the memory of the person served. 

It increases data collection consistency and efficacy. 
Assessments/surveys are administered in the same methodology each-and-every time they are given. There are no changes in tone or inflection therefore, providing a less leading and more unbiased method for disseminating critical questions to the people you serve.   

This translates to more accurate results that opens the door for higher quality person-centered care planning, as well as better organizational management.  
 
It’s less intrusive to the person being served.  
When the person being served is trying to achieve more independence, another check-in or questionnaire might become both taxing and intrusive into their daily lives.   

Avatar-led assessments can simply “pop up” during the course of their day or week – and not feel less like supervision or a chore.   
 
Its customization features make it more accessible to a wider audience.  
For those who tend to get agitated with certain conditions or people, avatar-led assessments allow for the person being served to voice their opinion on when they prefer to take their survey as well as who administers it.  Having the ability to customize their avatar lessens their agitation with the survey and increases their engagement. For those who have autism, avatars are available that do not make eye contact with the test-taker and as the avatar speaks the survey and answer options, they can also be a great option for those who struggle with reading or have vision challenges.  

While real people cannot be replaced by technology in the overall care of people with intellectual developmental disabilities, you can most certainly bring in artificial intelligence to bridge gaps in the care/safety plans of the individuals served.  

Learn more about the wide range of avatar-led assessments available to your organization here.  

The post The Benefits of Avatar-Led Data Collection appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.

P = Positive emotion

E = Engagement

R = Relationships

M = Meaning

A = Accomplishment

H = Health & Vitality 

The PERMAH approach to wellbeing is also mentioned in Art and Thane Dykstra’s “A NEW PLAN: Using Positive Psychology to Renew the Promise of Person-Centered Planning.”  As President and CEO of Trinity Services, Inc.  and contributors at High Tide Press, Thane and Art respectively, have an extensive history of working with people with intellectual disabilities and creating training resources for professionals within the industry. The PERMAH approach, which is referenced in the book, is a fundamental driver of FLOURISH, an app bore from a collaboration between CreateAbility Concepts, Inc. and High Tide Press to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through positive psychology.   

FLOURISH offers features that help clients define what they are grateful for (positive emotion), become more engaged in what they desire (engagement), set and achieve goals (accomplishment), increase confidence through achieved goals (meaning), improve the relationship between client and care provider (relationships), and experience more happiness (which is always good for your health). 

To learn more about how you can help your clients FLOURISH and lead happier, more meaningful lives, click here.

The post The Effects of Positive Psychology on Wellbeing appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.

MeMinder is a vital tool utilized in each station/job room (hotel, warehousing, food service, event set-up).  Employees are directed to use the designated device in each station to access the prompts and instructions necessary to complete the tasks at hand. This allows job coaches the ability to assess their skills and challenges, identify coaching opportunities, and gives administrators an idea of the amount of supervision they will need onsite. 

“While an employee may desire to do something, they may need to work up to it,” Omar Chirinos, Innovative Services Manager, states. “We use MeMinder to help increase their muscle memory for particular tasks first – so that they are more prepared for their time on the job.” 

The Charles Lea Center deployed the MeMinder units in the Fall of 2019 and were yielding a significant amount of success before the pandemic hit in 2020. It is the goal of the Center to deploy many more MeMinder /Employment Suite technology solutions to individuals as they ramp back up in 2021.

The post USE CASE STUDY: How the Charles Lea Center Uses MeMinder for Transition to Employment appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.

You see, there will be life beyond this grief. My loved ones and friends would want that life to be good. Therefore, I’ve chosen to spin that internal dialogue into something more positive – because mastering that is truly the only way that each one of those who have lost their lives can live on in our hearts. This has been my lesson in 2020.  

I see the courage, resilience and search for a brighter tomorrow in many of you, and I am truly amazed! We applaud the thousands of people in the front line: Direct Support Professionals, team leaders, supervisors and health care professionals who have put in countless double, and sometimes triple shifts to provide high quality care for the people they serve.

Here’s to hoping that 2021 is as promising as 2020 was difficult and uncertain. We look forward to recapturing joy and hope for all in 2021!

Until next time –

Steve Sutter

The post Life Lessons in 2020: A Personal Note from CreateAbility’s President appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.

Since avatalk’s inception, it is being creatively utilized as a much broader method of communication than ever imagined. Here’s a look at how agencies and organizations are benefitting from avatalk over-and-above simple communications:

A Unique Platform to Inform the People You Serve 

Some long-term care facilities and group homes use avatalk to communicate important dates to their residents/clients. For example, Susan is a Community Activity Manager for her organization and hosts monthly activities and socials for her clients. Typically, she creates a bulletin board to make the announcement or hands out flyers. Many times, the announcements do not get seen by everyone and/or are thrown away; leaving clients uninformed and without reminders.

Today, Susan takes a picture of her bulletin board she created and sends it to her residents’ avatalk platform so that it will rotate through their daily picture show. She’s enjoyed the success of this platform so much that she also sends around fun messaging and inspirational messages!

Bridging Gaps in Remote Monitoring

There’s not a single remote monitoring system that surveys every aspect of your clients’ lives – nor would you want it to. With that, “gaps” are created that occasionally need addressed. For example, Debbie originally had 7 cameras installed but requested three of them be taken down as she felt they invaded her privacy. One of the cameras panned her bedroom. Her care provider noticed one morning that Debbie had not gotten out of bed so rather than being intrusive, the care provider quickly sent a message to Debbie and get the answer they need.

With avatalk, her care provider can quickly send out any question with up to 4 answers. In this instance, Debbie’s care provider asks, “Debbie, I noticed that you were still in bed today.  Are you feeling okay?”  Debbie doesn’t have to answer the phone; she can simply click on the “Yes” or “No” buttons and return to life-as-normal.

Staving Off Isolation (Especially in a Pandemic.)

Addressing isolation is key to staying mentally fit; but feeling “connected” is more challenging than ever. Long-term care facilities have all but ousted group activities and trips due to State mandates and to protect their clients.

avatalk’s picture show feature allows staff, family and friends the ability to take pictures anytime/anywhere of themselves, a special place, or something they’ve created and send it directly to their rolling picture show. People are getting creative with their submissions and clients are loving the connectedness they experience…even while inside their homes during the pandemic.

The versatility of the avatalk platform has afforded care providers the opportunity to utilize it over-and-above simple act of “checking in”.  They are using it to build relationships, communicate in their own voice, and reflect their own uniqueness and creativity.

How will YOU use avatalk?

Learn more about the multiple uses of avatalk here.

The post USE CASE: How Agencies are Utilizing avatalk Above-and-beyond Remote Communication appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.

But what does surprise me, is that I’ve never experienced so many people being so open to emotional self-care. Maybe it’s the lack of socializing, sports, live music or great restaurants to check out or talk about. But it’s as if the Pandemic has created a wakeup call for thinking about what we are thinking about.  Maybe this is the silver lining we have been looking for – we have the opportunity to focus on emotional hygiene – “taking care of our emotions, our minds, with the same diligence we take care of our bodies”, says Guy Winch.

Now, let me clarify:  I’m just talking about emotional health. Mental health may include serious diagnosed conditions such as clinical depression or generalized anxiety disorder. In contrast, emotional health refers to everyday experiences that impact our psychological well-being and our ability to function at our best. Common examples are loneliness, rejection, or feeling irritable, grouchy, anxious or disappointed.

Well-accredited doctors tell us that the following cause-and-effect scenarios can happen to any of us:

• Our executive functioning can be impaired by loneliness.
• Decision-making can be impacted by too much time spent worrying, or in deep philosophical ruminations about life and humanity.
• Communications with friends can become exasperating when we are frustrated.
• Attention and concentration can be compromised by anxiety.
• Motivation and productivity can be obstructed by depression.

So, if it doesn’t take a diagnosed mental health disorder to disturb our emotional health and function, imagine what it must be like for people who have special needs? What if all of these things I mentioned above are happening at once?

One thing I’ve learned is that we can’t help anybody else if we aren’t taking care of ourselves first.  So, here is what I’m thinking about…how can I use this time to:

1) Develop and improve my psychological self-care?

2) Expand my acquisition of daily habits that maintain and enhance my emotional health?

3) Decide what I put in my emotional care first aid kit?

4) Contemplate how can I thrive, not just survive?

5) Figure out how I can inspire and encourage others so that they can thrive?

Worst-case scenario, pondering these questions will at least keep my mind focused on the good, the positive, and the things that can change the world around me.

Until next time,

Steve

Credits:

This blog’s title was Inspired from Zig Ziegler, and some of the content from

“The Pandemic Created a Watershed Moment for Emotional Health”, by Guy Winch.

The post A Self Check-up From the Neck Up appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.

Current State of Inclusion in the Workplace
Signed in 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) aimed to improve services for individuals with a disability by helping them find and obtain competitive integrated employment (CIE). The ultimate mission of CIE is to provide opportunities that with instill consumers with ID’s the dignity of economic self-sufficiency within their communities while having a positive impact on the economy. The U.S. government has recently implemented changes to Fair Labor Standards Act; putting more monetary support into CIE efforts – while decreasing the usage of sub-minimum wage certificates to employers.

The impact of this is that supervisors who have not had the training in how to describe work assignments may now be forced to struggle with concepts such as task analysis and fading.

Need for Assistive Technology
These changes in legislation combined with the population of under employed ID consumers, will change the landscape of how we transition this population into sustainable employment. Historically, manual training programs have been led by supervisors who lack effective training themselves, and are challenged by both the time and instruction methodologies needed to effectively monitor employees with ID. While electronic coaches provide a low-cost solution to this dilemma; job coaches/supervisors have found them to be cumbersome to set up and maintain.
From the person-being served perspective, electronic coaches are needed to be able to overcome challenges maintaining task context and sequence. Electronic coaches provide them the visual and audio-only cues needed to stay on task and instill the confidence needed for job satisfaction.

The Employment Suite
CreateAbility, Inc. has been working with employees with ID and a variety of employers since 2003. Recognizing the changing climate of workplace inclusion, the company embarked on research and development of a solution to current challenges: Wearable Coach and WhenWear Advisor. Expanding the dynamics of their current MeMinder App, a talking to-do list/sequencing tool that helps guide consumers with ID’s or Down Syndrome through daily tasks, the company added the following solutions for a more robust (and user-friendly) solution in the workplace:

MeMINDER: This assistive technology provides additional features over-and-above standard electronic coaches in its ability to provide non-linear prompting that allows prompts to be delivered dynamically to help the worker achieve higher levels of function, improve task performance and greatly enhance independence without compromising safety or quality.

WhenWear Advisor: Built in CreateAbility Inc.’s exclusive BEAM cloud environment, this tool provides a platform for employers to establish daily regimes and training that is customized to the needs of each employee. Whereas training tools have been historically been challenging to change/manipulate, WhenWear Advisor is dynamic in its ability to efficiently convert work assignments into essential details required by the mobile worker with ID, and then wirelessly transfer the appropriate instruction to the targeted worker’s electronic coach. The technology offers drag-and-drop features that allow for both change and evolution of the work environment, the employees abilities, and changes in the workflow in real-time.

CreateAbility, Inc. has recently entered Phase II of development on Wearable Coach and WhenWear which is focused on enhancing the supervisory experience and automation feature, perfecting the integration, and adding preprogrammed jobs to the task list library. In addition, rigorous testing of the solutions is in full effect.

Demonstrations of this product will launch end of summer 2019 with product deliverables being available winter 2019. For more information on software demonstration for your consumer and/or business, please email info@createabilityinc.com.

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About CreateAbility, Inc.
CreateAbility strives to improve the dignity, security, and quality of life for people who are trying to maintain varying degrees of independence, but who need assistive technologies. Our mission is to create innovative products that help them flourish beyond their current capability. Our interactive health and safety monitoring software solutions help caregivers deliver an affordable blend of care, 24/7 that nurtures independence.
We serve caregivers, agencies, and organizations devoted to helping older adults, people with intellectual disabilities, brain injuries, and behavioral health issues.

Contact:

Kerri Pinger
Marketing & Sales Support Administration
CreateAbility, Inc.
kerri@createabilityinc.com

The post Changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act Opens New Opportunities for CreateAbility Inc.’s WhenWear Assistive Technology Solution appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.