'Journal Tribune' highlights OT students’ participation in Autism Awareness Day at Sea Dogs game
The March 30, 2014 issue of the Journal Tribune featured an article that both highlighted the involvement of students in the Department of Occupational Therapy (OT) in last year’s celebration of Autism Awareness Day at a Portland Sea Dogs game and announced that the partnership would continue at this year’s game, scheduled for Sunday, April 13th.
According to the article, special accommodations such as allowing families to enter the stadium early in order to acclimate to the crowd, and designating the Portland Room at the stadium as a sensory room, where children with autism can to go expel energy if they need a break from the game, facilitate a positive baseball-watching experience for families with children on the autism spectrum.
Forty OT students participated in last year’s game by sitting with kids in the stands, helping kids in the sensory room, and providing information to parents and others attending the game.
Second-year OT graduate student Amanda Black and first-year OT graduate students Cassie Harrington and Callie Schena will coordinate the students’ involvement in this year’s game.
The partnership between UNE’s OT students and the Sea Dogs was initiated last year by Kate Loukas, OTD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, clinical professor in the OT Department.