COVID-19 Program and Services Updates

5-7-21 (v.27):

• Small group meetings may begin in person on campus where appropriate and following capacity guidelines (page 19)
• Clarification on student absences for excused/unexcused situations; Emphasize importance of communicating with Principal or Teacher in advance, noting some classes no longer participate in Zoom sessions because all students have returned to in person learning (page 25)
• Reference MIAA guidelines for after school activities and athletics protocols (page 34)

4-30-21 (v.26):

• Clarification on TLC employee quarantine protocols for vaccinated staff (page 36)

4-16-2021 (v.25):

Effective April 26, 2021 (page 16):

• Secondary (MS/HS) returns to full 5 day in person learning (also page 21);
• ECC Wednesday schedule moves to Friday; 
• Preschool will be half day on Fridays with continued virtual home visits; 
• Kindergarten will be full day on Fridays;
• Wednesdays will shift to full day learning except for designated PD days: April 14; May 12; June 9; July 14.

Page 17:

• After school outdoor activities will resume;
• Begin on-campus student internships through the transition program;
• Resume functional academics' IEP driven independent living skills field trips;
• Begin increased flexibility mixing student cohorts and staff, while adhering to the covid safety and health protocols. 

Page 20:

• Classrooms, at times, may follow either the 6 feet social distancing requirement from the CDC, or may have classrooms with 3 feet of space in between, as mandated by DESE;
• Students will be allowed to wait outdoors for their school vehicle during dismissal time, with 3 feet of space in between.

4-2-2021 (v.24): 

• Middle School students return to five day instruction beginning 4/26/21; High School remains in hybrid schedule until further notice (page 16); 
• Beginning 4/28/21, Wednesday half-day instruction will end except for designated professional development days – currently assigned as May 12, June 9 and July 14. On those dates, students will be dismissed at Noon. Dates are subject to change (Page 16, 25)

3-12-2021 (v.23):

• Cafeteria guidelines extended to all students (page 11);
• Outdoor recess space expansion (page 31);
• MPS Residential Dorms Reopening Update (page 33); 
• Reopening of staff lounge areas (page 42)

3-5-2021 (v.22):

• MPS Elementary students return to five day in-person instruction on April 5; ECC begins five day in-person instruction on April 26; Wednesdays remain half day with 12PM dismissal; MPS residential pauses student return with tentative plan for March 17 pending staffing and safety guidelines (page 15)

2-26-2021 (v.21):

• MPS ECC students return to four day in-person instruction starting March 25 (page 15)

2-5-2021 (v.20):

• MPS residential students return starting 2/22 (page 15)

1-29-2021 (v.19):

• Elementary students return to 4 days per week (page 15)

1-21-2021 (v.18):

• Removal of required Influenza vaccination; Supportive narrative about secondary cohort groups.

1-8-2021 (v.17):

• Updated CDC definition of Close Contact; Additional files for Cab Procedures; Addition of daily parent attestation form request; Checklist for positive COVID case in community; Adjusted hybrid schedule reflective January 11

12-18-2020 (v.16):

• Rollback to Phase 2 Remote Learning beginning December 21; Guidance regarding 1:1 assessments; List of required student forms

12-11-2020 (v.15):

• Cafeteria guidelines for students

11-13-2020 (v.14):

• Updated cab procedures; Health and Safety signage

10-29-2020 (v.12):

• Addendum (pg. 41) to Hybrid Model and student return to in person learning

10-23-2020 (v.11):

• Updated links to external documents and forms

What are COVID-19 Symptoms?
Below is the full list of symptoms which should be monitored:

• Fever (100.4 or higher) and/or chills
• Cough (not due to other known cause)
• Difficulty breathing or shortness or breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Headache (when in combination with other symptoms)
• Muscle aches/Body aches
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Fatigue (when in combination with other symptoms)
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes)

Source:
CDC: When to Quarantine

When should I keep my child home from school?
Review this symptom flow chart for guidance on when your child can go to school and when they should remain home.

Where can I go to get tested for COVID?
Please see an interactive map of COVID-19 testing sites here.

Are there free testing sites?
The City of Framingham has posted free testing sites by appointment only. All testing sites are open to all residents of Massachsuetts.

Which States are "Safe" for Travel?
Please review the Mass.gov COVID-19 Travel Order web page for a map of safe states for travel.

Where can I find information about COVID cases in my town?
Information reported to DESE can be found here. The state also updates a weekly color-coded COVID map by community, which can be found here.

What happens if my child develops symptoms while at school?
Should a child develop symptoms while on campus, they will be separated from their peers and monitored by our Nursing Department. If their symptoms match those associated with COVID-19, we will arrange for the child to be tested, and continue to quarantine them until we receive results. If the child is negative for COVID and symptoms lessen or go away, the student will be able to return to their dorm/common spaces with their peers and staff.

What happens if a staff member develops symptoms while with my child on campus?
Staff members are screened at the start of every shift and follow a thorough personal hygiene protocol when entering buildings. If a staff member falls ill during the shift, the staff reports to their supervisor and HR, and will immediately self-isolate until additional testing or a diagnosis can be determined. All COVID-like symptoms will be monitored and traced according to policy.

Can I visit my child on campus?
Yes, contact your child’s therapist to arrange a visit. 

Is Walden School Accepting New Referrals?
Yes. We continue to support the needs of youth ages 8-22. To start your process, please fill out this form to contact Admissions.

What do I do if I have more questions?
Please contact Executive Director Michelle Cline or call 508-283-1953 (VP).

Are therapists allowed to make home visits?
At this time, WCS is offering Telehealth services to support behavioral health for families with a deaf child or parent. Some therapists are allowed to make home visits; however, this is determined on a case-by-case basis. Some deciding factors include determining the appropriate space inside the family’s home as well as the space around the home, such as a park; evaluating the urgency of the youth’s need to see a therapist, and assessing the risk involved if the therapists were to make in-person visits.

Will therapists be wearing masks?
Therapists will be wearing masks if social distancing is not possible. Therapists will also bring extra masks for the families if social distancing is not possible and the family does not have a mask available.

How do I know if my insurance accepts Telehealth?
All major insurances are allowing Telehealth at this time. We encourage you to reach out to your insurance company if you are unsure.

What do I do if I have more questions?
Please contact Elisa Valles or 508-283-7271 (VP)  if you have any more questions.

Will interpreters be going on-site for client support? Yes, interpreters will continue to be available for on-site, in-person services and will follow the current health guidelines and protocols as set by TLC, CDC, DESE, State and Local officials. Though remote interpreting is still highly encouraged when possible, in-person interpreting services are available when necessary. 

Will interpreters be wearing masks? 
Yes, our staff have clear masks that they will wear when working on-site.

What services do you offer? 
We offer a wide variety of Deaf and ASL Interpreting services -- from medical appointments to academics. All TLC interpreters hold national, state and/or educational credentials. We are able to provide services for deaf, Deaf-Blind and hard of hearing individuals. Please contact us for more information. 

Is Your Testing Site Open?
Our Testing Site is currently closed. Please continue to follow our COVID updates or check our Interpreting webpage for up-to-date information.

What do I do if I have more questions? 
Please email us at isupport@tlcdeaf.org

*Our Public School Partnerships Program offers advocacy for parents and school districts during this challenging climate to provide a support system for monitoring deaf and hard of hearing students’ academic and developmental progress. Please reach out to see how we can support your school district's reopening plans.

What type of masks will be used in the public school classrooms?
Teachers and staff working with deaf and hard of hearing students will be wearing clear-view masks or face shields. Each district will be purchasing and providing masks/face shields for their staff.

Where can we purchase clear view masks?
*This list is compiled from community recommendations, donations and TLC purchases. There are certainly additional vendors to consider. We encourage our community to do thorough research and try several brands or styles to decide which may suit their family needs.

• RAFI NOVA Smile Masks
• Rapid Response PPE Humanity Shield
• ClearMask
• The Communicator
• Etsy Clear Face Masks Made in the USA
• Amazon Children's Face Mask with Window
• Sinerixc Face Mask with Window

What are back to school inservices going to look like in the Fall? 
PSP staff will likely be working remotely for at least the month of September. Most, if not all, inservices will be done remotely.

What safety measures will be implemented when passing the HAT between teachers?
Per Phonak's Covid-19 Guidelines, Roger Touchscreens may be sanitized using water-based disinfectant solutions (preferred) or solutions with 70% isopropanol. Do not use bleach (chlorine or peroxides), as this may damage equipment. Wipe the device. Do not spray disinfectant directly on it or immerse it in disinfectant. Disinfectant must be used according to supplier specification such as contact time, dry rub after applying disinfectant, drying time and other as applicable 

Where can we find CART provider information?https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-commission-for-the-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing  
https://www.mcdhh.net/request/  
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/request-a-cart-provider  

What do I do if I have more questions?
Please contact Director of Public School Partnerships Kym Meyer.

Is Audiology open for patients?
Yes, the Audiology Clinic is open to see patients at this time.

What services are currently available?
Currently, all services are being offered including, but not limited to: adult and pediatric hearing evaluations, hearing aid evaluations, hearing aid dispensing, hearing aid checks/troubleshooting, and cochlear implant mapping/programming.  Services can be scheduled as either an in-clinic visit or curbside visit.  Telehealth consultations are also being offered as well.

What safety measures are in place inside the Clinic?
Our staff will be wearing PPE/masks at all times.  Patients are also required to wear masks for the duration of the visit and use hand sanitizer open entry.  All patients and staff entering the clinic will be subject to temperature checks.  Patients are being asked to wait in their car until the time of their appointments, and will be let into the clinic with only one accompanying family member/loved one.   Patient appointments will be staggered during the day to allow for social distancing as well as disinfecting/cleaning of the office.  If you are ill, you will be asked to reschedule your appointment for another day.

What are curbside services?
Curbside services are no-touch appointment visits that do not require you to leave your car.  These are typically reserved for hearing aid check/troubleshooting appointments as well as to purchase supplies and batteries.  Patients are asked to call the clinic upon their arrival and a member of the staff will collect the hearing aid that needs to be worked on using appropriate PPE.  The device will be repaired in house, if possible, and delivered back to the patient at curbside/their car.  If a device needs to be sent to the manufacturer for repair, the patient will be called to pick up their device at a later time.

How do I know if my insurance accepts Telehealth?
Each insurance carrier and plan is different.  It is suggested that you call the Member Services phone number on the back of your card to confirm benefit coverage.

What do I do if I have more questions? 
Please email us at audiology@tlcdeaf.org, call our clinic at (508) 875-4559 or fill out a general inquiry form on our website.

*Our PIP Program serves deaf and hard of hearing children birth to age 3 who are enrolled in Early Intervention programs across the state of Massachusetts.

Are You Accepting Referrals?
Yes! We continue to remain open and we are accepting new referrals! We have been successful in connecting with our families through remote and virtual consultations, playgroups and appointments. 

How Do I Get in Touch With Your Program?
Please fill out a General Inquiry Form on our website. 

April 22 Update

Community Message from the Board of Trustees (April 7)

March 30th Update

March 24th Update

March 16th Update

March 13th Update