The Floreo team is scattered around the world and we don't often get to meet each other in person. We were delighted to gather together in White Sulphur Springs, WV last week for our second annual team offsite. Our team members stayed at a special place: The Schoolhouse Hotel. The hotel has an amazing history; it was originally a local school in the community. The Disability Opportunity Fund repurposed the building as a hotel and has taken great strides to ensure it is accessible to all people. Each space was thoughtfully designed with accessibility in mind.
It was an energizing and inspiring spot for our team to spend time focusing on our upcoming initiatives. We are grateful to the wonderful hotel staff and the White Sulphur Springs community for making our stay so enjoyable.
Engineering Corner
ADDRESSING ACCESSIBILITY
Welcome to the second installment of the Floreo Engineering Corner, a column in our newsletter where our engineers delve into topics related to the design behind Floreo's app.
This week, we’re going to take a look at some of the efforts we’ve been taking to address accessibility in our lessons.
Gaze fixation is the primary method for learners to interact with objects. However, we recognize that this can pose challenges for individuals with mobility restrictions, such as turning their head or turning their body all the way around to face the other direction. To make the learning experience more inclusive, all cards built after 2021 now offer coaches the option to skip the fixation state.
Upcoming webinar
FLOREO 101
Join Floreo's Director of Customer Success, Heather Manning, on November 29th at 12pm Eastern / 9am Pacific for an introduction to Floreo. If you have been considering Floreo and want to see how easy it is to use, are a new customer, or just need a refresher on how things work, this webinar is for you! All registrants will receive the recording of the webinar, so even if you can't join live, please register!
In case you missed it...
NEW FLOREO LESSON
New Lesson: Painting with Friends
Who it is for: Learners aged 5+
What's new: Centering around a coloring activity and fostering social interaction with two other children, this lesson addresses a variety of skills in a fun, engaging way! Help your Learner practice inviting a peer to participate in an activity, responding positively to a peer's request to join an activity, and responding positively to sharing materials during an activity.
Find Painting with Friends in the Social Interactions skill category along with our other newer lessons like Reunite the Animals and Magic Mix: Who's Next? once you have the latest version of Floreo! If you haven't yet had a chance to download the latest version of Floreo, it's a good time to do it! You can find it in the iOS app store by clicking this link. If you have Floreo rental equipment, make sure to turn it on, connect it to WiFi and let the update download before opening the app.
If you haven't yet subscribed to Floreo, we would love to discuss subscription options with you. And if you or your staff would like to talk through the new content or any of the changes we've recently made, please reply to this email to set up time to speak to a member of our team!
In case you missed it...
IEP GUIDE
Floreo's Founder/CEO, Vijay Ravindran, was a featured guest on the Special Education Inner Circle Podcast hosted by Master IEP Coach Catherine Whitcher. They discussed virtual reality in IEPs and how Floreo has made it easier to practice skills like street crossing in a safe environment.
We are excited to share this great IEP Guide by Catherine as a resource to help support parents and teachers who are interested in adding virtual reality to IEPs for their students.
Upcoming Events
CATCH US AT AN EVENT NEAR YOU
Let us know if you are attending an upcoming event. We would love to connect with you!
- MABA in Towson, MD November 30-December 1
- Arc Tank in Boston, MA December 5
- ATIA in Orlando, FL January 25-27
- International Conference on Autism, Intellectual Disability & Developmental Disabilities in Honolulu, HI January 17-19
- CalABA in Pasadena, CA February 8-10
- ABAI in Las Vegas, NV March 18-20
- APBA in New Orleans, LA March 8-9
New Partnerships
THE FLOREO COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW
A warm welcome to our newest partners at Collaborative Autism (CA) and NeurAbilities (NJ & PA) who just signed up to begin their Floreo programs. We look forward to helping you serve the needs of your students and community!
And a big congratulations and thank you to Green Tree School & Services (PA) who are starting their 3rd year with Floreo! We are excited to continue helping make a difference for their students.
Are you ready to join the Floreo family? We would love to discuss implementation in your school, district, or practice!
Attention Medicaid Families
FLOREO SUBSCRIPTIONS MAY BE COVERED
Did you know that in Wisconsin and New York families on Medicaid waivers initiated full reimbursed coverage of Floreo in the home?
If your family receives services in your state using a Medicaid waiver, you might be able to get a Floreo subscription (including equipment rental) fully covered by your state program. Reach out to us, and let’s work together to see how we can get Floreo into your home and start making a difference for your Learner.
Funding ideas
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU GAIN FUNDING FOR FLOREO?
We know that budgets can be tight and we want to help get Floreo into the hands of anyone who needs it! Please let us know if you need help writing up your DonorsChoose application or with information for a grant you have identified.
IDEA and Title I funds are also great sources to help you access a Floreo subscription.
What have we been reading this week?
NEWS ROUND-U
-
Unlocking hidden talent: the power of neurodiversity in modern organizations
-
AI links sleep and gut health to autism behaviors
-
Temple Grandin explains why we need education tailored for autistic minds
