OpportuniTEAM: Arkansas EARS Program
Audiologists and SLPs in the EARS Program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital work with students ages 3 to 18 in the state who are deaf/hard of hearing. They collaborate with the students’ educational institutions, family members, and clinical professionals. The team also helps facilitate hearing screenings for students in Arkansas. And they partner with community stakeholders to provide education and support at events for families who have children who are deaf/hard of hearing.
EARS Team Manager: Rachel Sievers, CCC-A. EARS Team Members: Shelby Bellew, CCC-A; McKenzie Csonka, CCC-A; Lana Eggleston, CCC-SLP; Darby Jackson, CCC-A; Jessica Newman, CCC-A; Dee Petersen, Audiologist; Melissa Robertson, CCC-A; Erika Studer, CCC-SLP; Carly Verucchi, CCC-A.
OpportuniTEAM: Shakespeare and Autism
A team of SLPs, music therapists and music therapy interns, and actors at the Bridgeway Academy and Therapy Center in Columbus, Ohio, are teaming up with Ohio State University’s Theatre department to offer Shakespeare and Autism—a theater program for Bridgeway clients ages 8 to 28. Clients play Shakespearean drama games and put on musical performances for their family and friends. These activities create opportunities for social interaction, emotion demonstration and recognition, story understanding, and more.
Team members: Alexa Reck, CCC-SLP; Sarah Arnold, CCC-SLP; Allie Baldwin, CCC-SLP; Melissa Sechnick, CCC-SLP. Occupational Therapists: Brooke Lovett and Allie Michael. Music Therapist: Heather Redding. Music Therapy Interns: Brittany Bambauer, Faith Burns, Rianne Gebhardt, Alisa Giammarco, Hannah White, Weijie Zheng, and Sydney Zupnick. Mental Health Clinicians: Chyann Martin and Kelly Shane.
OpportuniTEAM: Connect and Play
Farwa Husain, CCC-SLP, created the Connect and Play summer program in Raritan, N.J. The Connect and Play team integrates speech, occupational, and physical therapies. The team brings their expertise to work together on all activities. The children also have enrichment sessions in art, music, and yoga to complement these services. “Our team members collaborate seamlessly, drawing from their expertise,” Farwa tells ASHA. Connect and Play also provides year-round assistance to children and their families, including webinars, book clubs, and face-to-face meetups.
Core team leads: Farwa Husain, speech-language pathologist; Dr. Joni Redlich, physical therapist; and Nina Britz, occupational therapist. Enrichment leaders: Alex Gonzalez, drumming circle; Emily Templin, music; Loring Nagle, yoga; Sarah DeWire, art; and Ali Cho, farm.
OpportuniTEAM: A Visit to The Inspiration Center in Belize
A team of SLPs, SLPAs, and a music therapist who traveled to provide care to children with speech and language needs in Belize. Ebony Green, CCC-SLP, tells us the team joined with the The Inspiration Center in Belize City to support capacity building and access to care in this community. They held a clinic that provided screenings, therapy, and parent education. The team plans to go back again this year. “Many of the parents were happy to get their questions answered. The patients received care in the short term, and parents received strategies for carryover at home,” Ebony Green, CCC-SLP tells ASHA.
