Tech Therapy

Self portrait of JoAnn Y. Stoff

A therapist’s experience with technology used for treatment

Inside an office at La Prisma Catholic Church in Orange, JoAnn Y. Stoff, an 82-year-old therapist, sits behind a single table with a laptop and a few surrounding chairs while she awaits her next appointment. A few minutes pass. The door opens as a family walks in and takes their seats at the desk, ready to begin their autistic son’s first treatment session.

“I work with families. I work with teens. I work with individuals,” Stoff says. “I work with people with diagnosis, and I’m particularly involved with developing a better performance in special needs children.”

Stoff is fairly familiar with and uses multiple different types of technology that aid in treating individuals, mostly children, with disorders like autism, dyslexia and ADHD. She says the type of technology she uses depends on her clients and their specific needs.

“It’s whatever it takes to help a child,” Stoff says while explaining her approach to determining treatment methods. “And we try to provide them with reteaching and reinforcement of what they’re learning so we make sure they get it.”

Multiple different programs are offered, depending on what a child or individual could benefit from, like “Play Attention” or “Mind Play.” Such advanced programs come across as fun games for children and she says they seem to find the exercises quite enjoyable, sometimes asking for another go after time has run out.

“Play Attention” is a net-based artificial intelligence, only available in Stoff’s office, that uses neurofeedback technology to aid autistic or ADHD children with their focus and improve the placidity of their brain. “Mind Play” is used more for individuals with dyslexia and may be purchased by anyone online.

Appointments are scheduled throughout the week. Sessions are typically one on one in a private space towards the side of the church. She cannot offer an official diagnosis, but does give therapy to those who seek it and will recommend additional resources.

She provides recommendations for medication and contacts schools regarding Individual Education Plans. With the pandemic, many adjustments had to be made for children struggling.

“I also ended up having conversations with a lot of the hospital’s ERs,” Stoff says. “Because the children would get, typically the teens, would get so overwhelmed that they were having panic attacks and things like that that were extremely difficult for them to cope with.”

During the early days of the pandemic, Stoff and her clients increased their reliance on technology, since social distancing became a major concern.

She says she had to work with her eight tutors to figure out what platforms had to be used and what schools they should work through. Many children struggled with the new precautions and mandates. Some of them couldn’t sit still and were very worried about the dangers of the virus.

Stoff is back to having sessions in person again but is still reliant on the tech she previously used before and during the pandemic. Unlike 20 years ago, more resources are available to people of all ages who depend on it. Artificial intelligence is also evolving to provide better treatment for disorders. Effective therapy is growing, she says, and it is thanks to new tech.

“We’ll see more artificial intelligence come about,” Stoff says. “Technology is much broader today than it’s ever been. Will it continue to grow? It will.”

Currently, Stoff says she is as busy as ever, but that’s the way she likes it. She had originally worked for 55 years at Boeing, but retired and went into therapy work. She received a master’s degree in marriage family therapy in 2009.  She is a certified autism specialist, certified mental health specialist, ADHD specialist and is a life coach in education. She is also certified in neuro feedback treatments for autism and ADHD.

Stoff became interested in therapy when she found a need for help with children within families. She had grandsons with genetic disorders that piqued her interest in the subject. She claims she enjoys aiding people and her services come at no cost.

“I have a great life. My job is a amazing job,” Stoff says while reminiscing on her life so far. “It gives me the opportunity to not have to worry about things, and I just see it as a way to contribute to improvement in society and to give some kids, who would not otherwise have a chance—a chance to move forward and to develop.”

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