A Year in Review with our CCO, Jess

Reflection is a powerful and essential exercise, particularly for a therapist and founder. This year, I have been continually reflecting on how Gabadoo has been serving schools, therapists, and families.

We are now providing OT and SLT services in over 17 counties across Ireland with the average waiting time for a consultation being just 3 days, with urgent concerns dealt with within 24 hours. There have been hundreds of consultations with schools which have impacted the wellbeing of thousands of students around the country. 

We can see that this model of practice works very well, but we are always looking to improve. 

Here are my initial reflections from our first year in service:

1. Diversity in School Cohorts: There is a vast diversity among the primary schools regularly using our platform. They include DEIS Schools, Gaelscoils, and schools with or without Autism-Specific Classes. Despite this diversity, there is a consistent demand for support in sensory needs, challenging behaviours and communication difficulties, all of which we have successfully supported online. While current feedback is based on testimonials and anecdotal evidence, I will also be exploring research avenues to validate these outcomes.
   
2. School Referrals: Schools have been a valuable referral source for parents, providing clarity on what they need and even setting up consultations and following through with recommendations. Involving parents has been crucial for addressing complex behaviours and sensory concerns.
   
3. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: The staff I have worked with are proactive and open to interdisciplinary knowledge, despite their curricular responsibilities. My role has extended beyond sharing knowledge to supporting its realistic implementation with teachers and/or SNA/ANAs. This aspect has proven more important than merely providing strategies and has further emphasised the importance of having therapists who have experience working alongside teachers in schools so they understand the educators role and capacity.
4. Whole School Approach: A whole school approach is necessary for consistent skill development, especially for in-class sensory, communication, or behavioural supports. Teachers should build on the positive practices of previous teachers rather than starting anew. This year, I plan to focus more on ensuring smooth transitions for students in schools that regularly use our service.
   
5. Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Support: There is a significant need for collaborative, interdisciplinary support in all school settings, not just special schools. Understanding child development is complex and challenging, making external services that facilitate reflection, problem-solving, collaboration, and goal setting is essential for both student and educator well-being. Many consultations this year were with inexperienced teachers who had never observed another teacher in an Autism Class, often unsure if they were "doing the right thing." In contrast, my team and I have observed hundreds of classrooms, bringing valuable experience to these consultations.
6. Hybrid Model of Practice: This year also helped us to reflect on the need for a hybrid model of practice that is both clinically effective and also sustainable and scalable for therapists. One area that we identified as needing a tiered approach to support was AAC where we will now be implementing a staged approach to clinical support in response to feedback from our SLTs & school teams. We also feel a blended approach of in-person support followed by online consultations will be a model of practice that we will be trialing this year to allow for further relationship building between our Lead Therapists & the schools. We will also be using this as an opportunity to support more parents & build their confidence in an online parent coaching approach alongside the school also getting support. 

As I look ahead, these reflections will guide our strategy and focus for Gabadoo. Our commitment to providing diverse, tailored, and collaborative support remains unwavering. We will continue to refine our approaches, validate our impacts through research, and expand our services to meet the evolving needs of schools, therapists, and families. By fostering strong partnerships and emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, we aim to create an inclusive, supportive educational environment for every child and educator. I am excited about the future and confident that, together, we can make a lasting difference.