Pictured from left are Sarah Tranum, director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, and Michelle Godfrey, project coordinator and 2015 JCC graduate standing with a main component of the sensory clinic they are developing for SUNY JCC.
Jamestown Community College has received a grant to open a pediatric sensory clinic on its Jamestown campus.
Funding for the clinic comes from a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
JCC Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Director Sarah Tranum and Project Coordinator Michelle Godfrey are working to open a pediatric sensory clinic this fall semester in the Sheldon Center. The clinic will make hands-on field experiences available for JCC students enrolled in the OTA program, by providing pro-bono sensory, emotional, and behavioral regulation therapies for young children.
For children who have been affected by maternal substance use, play can be used to bridge deficits in neurological development. This is an area of focus for JCC’s OTA department, which has found a way to provide a valuable service to the area, and practical field experiences for students that begin as soon as their second semester in the program.
Godfrey says the clinic offerings and availability may vary from year-to-year, depending on how many students are enrolled in the program. Another mission of the clinic is to provide knowledge to parents of children who are struggling with sensory issues.
The clinic itself is comprised of a sensory gym with a pit that kids can drop into with a zip line, monkey bars, trampolines, a tunnel system, and space for imaginary play. A “calming corner” includes an oversized bean-bag chair with a color-changing lamp and noise-canceling magnetic walls that can be repositioned to suit the needs of each child using the space.
For more information on the OTA program at JCC, visit sunyjcc.edu/OTA.
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