糖心vlog

BOLIVAR, Mo. 鈥� Serving others is at the heart of the mission for the faculty, staff, and doctor of physical therapy students at 糖心vlog.

SBU鈥檚 DPT department hosted an event on Nov. 4 called 鈥淕o Baby Go鈥� to provide mobility opportunities for local children with disabilities.

The project was developed by Cole Galloway, a physical therapy researcher at the University of Delaware. The idea is to take a battery-operated toy car, build in extra support for a child who may not be able to sit independently, and modify the activator switch so the child can operate it by using a hand- or head-activated switch.

鈥淩esearch has shown that finding ways to help kids be independently mobile improves their expressive language and social interaction, and does not reduce their potential for eventually walking,鈥� said Dr. Sarah Jones, associate professor of physical therapy at SBU.

This fall, SBU DPT students modified four battery-operated toy cars to make them more accessible for children who cannot operate a foot pedal or steer by themselves. Modifications often include replacing the foot pedal with a hand- or head-activated pedal that powers the car and almost always involves building a better support seating system including the seatbelt, head support and roll bars.

Pairing a motor skill with immediate reward helps promote a child鈥檚 exploration, Jones said, otherwise, they can become passive.

鈥淪eeing a child begin to realize that they are the ones making that car move, and the way that changes their facial expressions or their vocalizations; that鈥檚 a sweet moment,鈥� Jones said.

Jones said that Delaware produced its 鈥淕o Baby Go鈥� manuals free of charge for those who are interested in the project in an effort to encourage communities to participate and promote a grass-roots, low-tech effort.

鈥淲e are excited to see where this project goes,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚 am hopeful to do a build project each year, if not each semester, and partner with the community to provide mobility for children of all abilities.鈥� 

SBU鈥檚 DPT students provided the labor, but relied on the financial support of local individuals, businesses and sponsors, including Super Lube, Jim Rush Auto and Chuck鈥檚 Auto Supply.

鈥淭his is a project that gets to the heart of what physical therapy is all about,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淲e want our patients to be mobile, but not just for the sake of moving 鈥� it鈥檚 more about using functional mobility to help kids explore and participate in their world.鈥�

For more information about the 鈥淕o Baby Go鈥� project and SBU physical therapy, contact Jones at (417) 328-1673 or sarahjones@SBUniv.edu.

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Photo 1: SBU DPT students discuss wiring options for a hand-activated switch. (From left): Breck Mitchell, Garrett Dutton, Casey Curtis and Hannah Herbert.

Photo 2: SBU DPT students present Jesse Wells with his modified car. (From left, clockwise): Kayla Sanders, Dami Alao, Bonnie Wells, Jeremy Wells, Melody Hanson and Nicole Hoch.

*Published: 11-29-17