Treating Patients with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Via Telehealth

Description

This course does not offer CE Credits. The same course is available for purchase and offers 3 CE hours for behavioral health clinicians.  See "related products" below.

Supporting patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities is never one-size-fits-all—especially through a screen. Yet when done right, telehealth becomes not a barrier but a breakthrough, offering unique opportunities for connection, comfort, and care.

For behavioral health professionals navigating the complexities of telehealth, this course offers tested strategies that make virtual care more effective, more engaging, and more empowering—for both clinicians and the individuals they serve.

Dr. Felissa Goldstein, MD, a triple board-certified psychiatrist and Director of Telehealth Services at Norton Children’s Medical Group, brings a wealth of experience in treating patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Her expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry, telepsychiatry, and complex care makes her uniquely qualified to guide clinicians through the nuanced challenges and rewards of telehealth with this population.

With a practical and compassionate approach, Dr. Goldstein translates research and clinical experience into real-world solutions. Her focus is on what works—in live sessions, with nonverbal patients, in managing behavioral escalations, and in building therapeutic rapport through a screen.

This course covers how telehealth can support diagnosis, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, and behavioral interventions for patients with autism and other developmental disabilities. Topics include using functional communication training, preparing caregivers, adapting virtual assessments, setting up the environment for success, minimizing agitation, and working effectively with nonverbal or hyperactive individuals.

Key Takeaways:

• Practical telehealth adaptations: Learn specific ways that telehealth technology can be leveraged to improve care delivery for patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

• Individualized strategies for engagement: Understand how to tailor appointments based on sensory needs, communication styles, and behavioral tendencies.

• Proactive planning and collaboration: Gain insight into partnering with families and caregivers to reduce stress and create safe, productive telehealth visits.

Why this course?

• Real-world relevance: This course tackles the exact challenges clinicians face when delivering care to individuals with developmental disabilities—especially in remote settings.

• Expert-led instruction: Dr. Goldstein brings clinical depth and compassion that goes beyond textbook knowledge, helping you implement what you learn right away.

• Trusted provider: Telehealth Certification Institute is dedicated to equipping behavioral health professionals with quality, relevant, and actionable continuing education.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the different ways telehealth facilitates the care of patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities

• Specify the unique considerations that come from working with patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities via videoconferencing.

• List tips and pearls for working with patients with special needs, including patients who are nonverbal or aggressive.

If you’ve ever left a telehealth session wondering what more you could have done—or wished you had a better game plan for a tough appointment—this course was built for you.

Enroll now in transforming how we reach, support, and empower patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities through telehealth.

Format and Acccess

This is a non-interactive, self-study course that was recorded from a live webinar presented by Dr. Felissa Goldstein, MD. Instruction consists of 1 hour of video instruction and an evaluation.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Dr. Felissa Goldstein, MD

Dr. Felissa Goldstein is a board certified adult, adolescent and child psychiatrist and the Director of Telehealth Services at the Norton Children's Medical Group Division of Behavioral and Mental Health. She is an assistant professor at the University of Louisville in the Department of Pediatrics. She has extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental disabilities. She did her Psychiatry residency and Child Psychiatry fellowship at the University of Kentucky. She completed her Doctorate of Medicine from the Medical College of Ohio and completed her Bachelor of Arts at Goucher College. Her clinical interests include patients with developmental disabilities, telepsychiatry, integrated medicine and patients with complex medical and psychiatric issues. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering in the community, cooking, traveling and reading.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

This course does not offer CE credits, just great content.

The same course is available for purchase and offers 1 CE hour for behavioral health clinicians.  See "related products" below.

Participants may request a printed version of their certificate of attendance to be delivered by mail. A shipping/handling fee of $6.95 will be charged per request. Shipping internationally may require an additional charge.

This is a non-interactive self-study course.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement