With Switched Build, Grad Students Help Share Inclusion Through Play
Odin George Buser was born with a complex set of health issues as a result of unbalanced chromosome translocation that prevented him from doing a lot of the things children his age would normally do. But when he was given something like a toy that he could manipulate, he would beam with happiness, his mother Courtney Buser said.
“He loved his toys, he loved lights, he loved everything like that,” she said. “And whenever he could activate it, you could see the joy in his face.”
With the help of students and faculty from Rockhurst University’s occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology and exercise science programs, kids like Odin in the Kansas City area will have a similar chance to engage in play on their terms. On Friday, members of the University community, along with the Odin George Foundation and the founders of the nonprofit Switched, spent an afternoon fitting off-the-shelf toys with switches to make them approachable for children with a wide array of needs and abilities.
For Rockhurst, the partnership with Switched, based in Columbia, Missouri, goes back to December 2019, when they first distributed modified toys to local children. The University’s health sciences programs have hosted builds since to serve the community, learn about the benefits of adaptive play, and build interprofessional camaraderie.
“The big thing is communication and learning to work together,” said Joan Delahunt, OTD, associate professor of occupational therapy. “This is the kind of task where you have to communicate with each other, tackle unforeseen problems as you come across them, follow directions, and ask for help when you need it.”
In addition to learning how to work with each other, modifying these toys teaches an important lesson for students on how to approach treatment of their patients as individuals and not as one-size-fits-all.
“It's important to understand how something like a toy transcends disciplines,” said Amber Jenkins, OTD, assistant professor of occupational therapy. “Physical therapists maybe don't use toys the same way an OT would, but it is important for them to look at it from a perspective of how a kid is going to be able to access something physically — how could something like this be utilized in a physical therapy session with a kid to get them stimulated and participate more fully?”
There are measurable benefits to approaching therapy in a way that emphasizes play, said Katie Ryan-Bloomer, Ph.D., associate professor of occupational therapy.
“For a kiddo, maybe they can't run and play in the bubbles, but they can activate the machine and actually be in charge of the bubbles,” she said. “And that gives them what we call a sense of internal control, one of the specific elements of play — what things you want to do and how you want to do it? That's what play is really all about.”
For students, the build was an opportunity to connect with each other and consider different ways to approach those who come to them for care.
“In general, I think this helps me be more mindful of differences between patients and especially aspects like limb differences, plus the availability of toys for kids or the lack of availability of toys for kids with unique needs,” said Keilah Ford, a first-year physical therapy student.
For Friday’s build, the Odin George Foundation provided the toys — including one variety that was Odin’s favorite, his parents said — and Switched was on site, providing the tools and the support to modify those toys in different ways. After the workshop the toys, now fitted with big, easy-to-manipulate buttons, will be distributed to children with unique needs through partners such as the Kansas City Public Schools and Children’s Mercy Hospital.
