A CHANCE TO PLAY

What we do in our leisure time is often what sets us apart from each other. Extracurricular activities are often more than just a way to pass time; they are a reflection of our personalities and our interests. People choose activities that are meaningful to them, based on their own needs and desires. Those who choose to become occupational therapists are choosing a career in which they help people of all ages to realize the importance of using their free time constructively.

These activities are much more important in children, where play is associated with the development of such skills as motor, cognitive and psychosocial skills. If for some reason, such as a physical disability, children are not able to participate in play with other children who are their own age, these skills can be more difficult to develop, says Judi Day, B.S.O.T., an instructor of occupational therapy in the School of Allied Health at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Day worked with students in the program on a project to modify and/or develop playgrounds for children with disabilities.

"This study addressed the area of play for kids and their development within the play," Day said. "If a child in a wheelchair is able to access a playground, he or she is more likely to develop even the most basic of skills, such as balance, that other children can develop while playing on a playground."

Senior occupational therapy students from the Lubbock, Amarillo and Odessa medical campuses participated in the project which began with community-based research and a needs assessment in each of the communities. The focus of the community project is to integrate disabled individuals with non-disabled individuals, which enhances the lives of persons with disabilities through role modeling of non-disabled peers. Additionally, non-disabled children learn from children with disabilities by learning to appreciate differences in others by being able to play together.

The students at the Texas Tech Medical Center in Amarillo collaborated with the Boy Scouts of America and Camp Don Harrington's C.O.P.E. (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) Ropes Course on updating the existing ropes course in Amarillo to be adapted for use by disabled children. The students spent two days on the course learning team-building skills and going through the obstacle course. They also experienced simulated disabilities throughout each of the activities. The necessary equipment for the update of the course would include wheelchair harnesses, pulleys, ropes and helmets.

"The Boy Scouts of America requested continued collaboration with the occupational therapy students for their expert input on the course," Day said.

Students at the Texas Tech Medical Center in Odessa discovered an existing playground in the community that was in need of updating. The playground, which is adjacent to the Permian Basin Rehabilitation Center, was not in use due to the poor condition of the equipment. The students met with representatives from the rehabilitation center to complete a preliminary needs assessment, which included researching the various diagnoses treated at the center to determine what types of equipment would most adequately fit the needs of the facility. The diagnoses treated at the facility include cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, muscular dystrophy, autism and spina bifida.