Central Intermediate Unit 10

Refer a child aged 3 to 5 for early intervention.

Access the Form

Please click here for our telepresence robot request form.

CIU 10’s Keystone Telepresence Program

We are excited to announce that CIU 10 was awarded 5 Telepresence Robots through the Keystone Telepresence Grant during the
2020-2021 school year. The Telepresence Program at CIU 10’s goal is to improve educational support for homebound students attending
public and nonpublic schools. This program increases the accessibility of telepresence technology through the integration of Ohmni
telepresence robots into the CIU 10 TaCs Assistive Technology program for schools in the CIU 10 service region. CIU 10’s Keystone
Telepresence Program will provide access to telepresence technology while also supporting teams with necessary technical support and
professional development.

To Make a Request

If you would like to initiate a request for a telepresence robot loan via the CIU 10 Telepresence Lending Library, click Submit a
Request below and you will be directed to a Google Form. Please fill out the form, and a team member will contact you after review
of the information.

Request a Telepresence Robot
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Telepresence?

Telepresence technology enables students to participate in daily educational activities with the students' classmates and teachers, in
real-time, from a remote location. The technology shall include audio and video capabilities that enable homebound students to
actively communicate with classmates and teachers. CIU 10’s Telepresence equipment is provided by OHMNILabs.

Who will the CIU 10 Telepresence Program benefit?

This program will benefit a homebound student in a public or non public educational school It would benefit a student who is
unable to attend school for an extended period as the result of a serious medical condition, including injuries from an accident,
Central Intermediate Unit 10AT Consultation RequestOctober 2017

recovery from a medical procedure, serious illness or chronic illness; and satisfies the conditions for receipt of homebound
instruction under 22 Pa. Code § 11.25 (relating to temporary excusals due to illness or other urgent reasons).

How does the telepresence robot work?

This robot stands 4'8" tall, weighs only 20 pounds, and folds for easy transport. It features a HD wide angle camera and a far-field
mic and speaker to be heard clearly from across the room. It has a stable driving base with quiet and smooth motion on any surface.
Students independently drive the Ohmni telepresence robots in real-time, allowing them to interact with teachers and friends as if

they are physically present. Anyone can control robots from mobile or desktop.

What about student privacy and FERPA?

The Ohmni telepresence robot features peer-to-peer encryption so that all video and audio is encrypted using the latest media

encryption standards. More information about OHMNI’s compliance with FERPA can be found here.

Is telepresence supportive of the least restrictive environment?
Yes, students would be accounted for as being present for their school day.

Are there any safety concerns for the robot in the classroom or other educational settings?

OHMNIlabs offers a detailed description of safety and handling in the educational setting. For details about the operating
environment, usage, power safety, maintenance, collisions, falls, traveling conditions and transportation, view the Ohmni Safety and

Handling Guide.
How do we get started?

The school/district will request a telepresence robot with the loan request form.
The Telepresence Program team will complete the infrastructure audit to assess the networking pathway
for the traveling robot.
Training will be initiated with the student’s educational team. Training opportunities for the student (s) and
the families will be available based on requested need.
The student will be able to connect from their device at home and their educational opportunity via
telepresence will begin.

For more information contact CIU 10 Assistive Technology Consultants:

Lauren Smith (lsmith@ciu10.org) or Stephanie King (sking@ciu10.org)

Please click here to acccess the revised training request form.

Access the School-Age Request for Assistance Form and Information 

Please complete the requested information below to refer a student for Act 89: Remedial Reading, Remedial Math, Enrichment, Counseling, Speech, Occupational Therapy; or Equitable Participation or School Psychological services.  
If a question does not pertain to your request, please respond with Not Applicable or N/A .

Access the link for the 2023-2024 form here.

Please complete this form for AT consultations. Consultations will be scheduled ONLY after Consultation Request, Consent to Exchange Form, ER/RR, and IEP have been received. It is the team’s responsibility to secure pre-approval by the Special Education administrator/LEA. Incomplete requests will be returned to the sender.

Access the Form

Please click to complete this registration form and a Student Support Coordinator will contact you ASAP to set up an appointment with you.