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Welcome!
Making Play Possible!
Switched at SLU is dedicated to enhancing the accessibility of play for children with disabilities by adapting off-the-shelf toys with switch technology. Currently, switch-adapted toys cost 9 times more than non-adapted, off-the-shelf toys (Rasmussen et al., 2023). Additionally, insurance does not reimburse for switch-adapted toys. This causes a barrier to toy access and play for children with disabilities. Switched at SLU hosts workshops to educate OT, PT, and SLP students and professionals on the process of toy adaptation. The adapted toys are then distributed through community giveaways and made available to practitioners for use in their clinics.
Benefits of Switched at SLU Program
Benefits of Switched at SLU Program
Leadership opportunities for occupational therapy graduate students
Hands-on learning opportunities
Interprofessional learning opportunities between OT, PT, SLP
Critical thinking, problem solving, and learning through doing
Giving back to community partners
Promoting occupational justice through access to play
Interprofessional Collaboration: The Switched at SLU chapter allows occupational, physical, and speech therapy students to work together to build the toys. Sharing between disciplines builds knowledge and skills through interprofessional collaboration.
Meeting a Community Need: Many children with medically complex disabilities lack access to toys when compared to peers. Switched at SLU adapts toys so that they are switch-activated, and opportunities for play, participation, and skill development are provided for all children. The project addresses needs in the community by providing toys to disabled children so that they can play with greater autonomy. This echoes the SLU Jesuit value of serving marginalized populations.
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