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Learning Experience
Motor Activity Clinic
In Spring 2024, I was able to work as a student in the Motor Activity Clinic at IUPUI as part of one of my classes, KINE-P 410. The purpose of the Motor Activity Clinic is to design activities for children with disabilities to help improve fine motor skills, aquatic skills, and functional skills. I, along with a classmate of mine, had the privilege of working with a little girl with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. This whole experience was completely new to me, as I had never worked with someone with a disability or someone that is nonverbal. However, through the MAC, I was able to learn how to properly program activities for people with disabilities, as well as how to properly communicate with someone that is nonverbal. I also learned how to use the client's interests to make the activities fun and relatable for her, rather than dreadful and boring. Our goal was to have our client work on functional movements without even realizing she is doing so, so we often incorporated the client's tea party set and makeup set in her activities. Along with learning how to make activities enjoyable, I also learned different cues to use to effectively communicate with the client. My classmate and I would often use the words "lefty" and "righty" or tap the client's arms to clarify which arm we wanted her to use. There were even multiple times where we would either do the activity with her or move her body through the motions for her to ensure she would fully understand the activity we were asking her to do. Since I am going into OT, it is likely I will cross paths with future clients that share the same abilities and characteristics as the client I helped in the MAC, so I am grateful that I was exposed to that area of cliental so soon in my OT career. I feel more confident in working with people with disabilities and communicating with people who are nonverbal. I can carry over what I learned in the MAC to my future career of OT.
IUPUI Camp Brosius
In the summer of 2022, I was able to attend IUPUI's Camp Brosius in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Camp Brosius is a week long camp that ties into a 3-credit hour course called KINE-R 275 Leadership and Teamwork Development. The purpose of the course is to teach students a variety of problem solving, teamwork, and leadership skills that may arise in future careers. At camp, each student was assigned a group as their "family" and a group to eat meals with. The different groups were meant to expose students to people that they may not have met before but that might share some common interests with them. Throughout camp, we performed a variety of activities with our "family". Some activities were physical, while others were cognitive. Some physical activities that we did included the wood wall, the tight ropes, and the swinging rope over sand. Some cognitive activities that we did included figuring out how to solve a word-to-picture puzzle and how to balance nails. What I learned from attending Camp Brosius is that I am a better leader than I make myself out to be. Before camp, I never volunteered to lead anything in school, at work, or really anywhere. However, when I was at Camp Brosius, I did not have a choice but to be a leader sometimes. When I did lead certain activities, I received positive feedback from both my camp counselor and my peers. Hearing the positive feedback reassured me that I am not as much of a follower as I thought. Camp Brosius was also beneficial to me, as it allowed me to make some new friends within my major. Overall, Camp Brosius was a fun and useful experience.
At the wood wall with my "family"!
The Cabin 9 girls!
Camp Brosius award ceremony
Me with my Live Laugh Dance group - Group 4!
Dancing to "Thriller" by Michael Jackson!
Live Laugh Dance
This summer, I was given the opportunity to participate in Live Laugh Dance in place of the InShape internship (KINE-P 443) that I would normally be taking this Fall 2024 semester. Live Laugh Dance is a community of people that come together to promote social interaction, physical activity, and a fun experience for adolescents and young adults with Down Syndrome. My responsibility during Live Laugh Dance was to interact with and get to know the dancers, while also encouraging participation in each dance. Some days, every dancer seemed to be in a good mood and having a good time. However, on other days, some of the dancers were noticeably not having a good day. They may have had their head down throughout the day, or they may have not been talking or laughing as much as they normally do. The first time I saw a dancer having a bad day, I came to realize my purpose in the program - ensure the dancers leave each day with a smile on their face. The first time I encountered an upset dancer was on the second day of the program. It caught me by surprise because on the first day of the program, she had been super chatty, smiley, and cheerful. I tried my hardest to lift her mood back up by using silly voices or dancing close to her during the dance while lightly nudging her with each dance move. Doing this caused the dancers to crack a smile or let out a laugh, even on the days when they were not feeling their best. Another moment that stood out to me was when one of the dancers made peace with another dancer after not getting along for majority of the program. One dancer had a strong personality and needed some extra guidance from volunteers on proper social cues, while the other dancer was sometimes affected by the first dancer's actions. The dancer affected made it clear that he did not prefer to be around the other dancer, and he often raised his voice at her to express his feelings. However, on the last day of the program, he ended up giving her a hug and rekindling a friendship between them. Both moments taught me that each person has their own unique feelings and that each person deals with those feelings in their own way. It is best to allow ourselves to feel and understand our emotions to ensure that we deal with them in a way that is beneficial to ourselves and those around us. Through this program, I learned that putting your pride aside is sometimes the best way to help someone. Every day of Live Laugh Dance, I had to step outside my comfort zone, be silly, and start conversations. In the end, it helped me be successful in achieving my goal of ensuring each dancer left the program happy. I can use what I learned in this program in my OT career whenever I encounter an upset or disgruntled client, as I now know effective ways to improve a person's mood.
Pelotonia
In August 2023 and August 2024, I have had the privilege of participating in the Pelotonia bike ride to raise money for innovative cancer research and awareness. Pelotonia takes place in Columbus, OH and is always the first weekend of August. Last year, my family, friends, and I participated in the ride for the first time, in honor of my dear sister, Abby, who lost her fight with Ovarian cancer in March 2023. The objective of the organization is to create a community of people who share one common goal - end cancer. Each rider commits to raising a certain amount of money, based on how far they choose to ride, and one hundred percent of all the money raised goes directly to The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, including the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology. Just this year, my Pelotonia team, Abby's Army, was able to raise $8721. Participating in this bike ride has taught me the importance of stepping outside my zone, as well as the importance of taking action to make a change. Before Pelotonia, I had never done a long-distance bike ride, and I did not think I would be able to finish it. However, both this year and last year, I shocked myself, and I successfully completed 20 miles for all the people who cannot be there to do it alongside me. I also learned the importance of involving myself in a community of people who make me a better person. Everyone at Pelotonia is inclusive, understanding, and encouraging to one another. Because of Pelotonia, I now feel more confident advocating about things I think need attention, as well as more confident in my own abilities to make a difference in the world.
Me crossing the finish line on August 3, 2024!
Abby's Army 2024
Team Abby 2023
Athletico Rehabilitation Aide
Recently, I started a new job as a Rehabilitation Aide at Athletico Physical Therapy. In this position, I have the opportunity to not only observe but also gain hands-on experience. At the location I work at, there are three physical therapists and one occupational therapist on site, so I get to see a variety of exercises, techniques, and abbreviations from each therapist. My typical duties include maintaining a clean, organized environment through doing laundry, wiping down equipment, and putting away equipment after each session. I also have the responsibility of assisting the therapists when they get busy. I may help a client go through their warm-up exercises at the beginning of their session, or I may help them go through their cool-down exercises at the end of their session. Furthermore, I aid the front desk employee with answering phone calls, scheduling and/or canceling appointments, and running copays. So far, this experience has taught me so much. I have been exposed to a range of exercises and abbreviations, including BKFO (bent knee fall out) and LAQ/SAQ (long/short arc quad), that I had not known prior to starting my job. I can use my new knowledge of physical and occupational therapy language to better understand the client programs and to ensure the exercises are executed in the proper way. I can also use my observation of each therapist to grasp an idea of how they each care for and talk to the clients. I have the ability to assess them and figure out what things work for certain clients that do not work for others. I have already learned so much from Athletico, and I look forward to learning even more.
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