The Elizabeth Morse Play Lab
The Elizabeth Morse Play Lab has been generously sponsored by The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust. Each piece of technology was chosen for its therapeutic benefits, but more importantly, to make therapy more exciting and challenging for your child.
The Elizabeth Morse Play Lab has added a wealth of wonderful resources to Pathways Center, including the most advanced equipment available.
Participation not only encourages your child to develop motor and communication skills through the use of leading edge technology, but also provides feedback on their progress. In addition to the lead grant from The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust, previously purchased technology funded by The Helen Brach Foundation and Oberweiler Foundation as well as contributions from Interactive Metronome have been incorporated into The Elizabeth Morse Play Lab.
The Play Lab:
- Is an innovative and exciting part of a child's occupational, physical and speech therapy
- Increases a child's interest in therapeutic tasks by engaging them in fun and entertaining activities
- Build a child's confidence by creating an understanding of movement and body awareness
- Nurtures a child's self-esteem, allowing them to more actively participat in school and community activities
State of the Art Technology includes:
Use of the Nintendo Wii Gaming Console and games such as Wii Fit and Outdoor Challenge assists in developing your child’s cardio and muscular endurance while working on hand-eye coordination and control of movement.
Therapy Benefits:
- Encourages cardio and muscular strength and endurance
- Trains for sports skills
- Allows for team play
- Works on hand-eye coordination
- Improves control and fluidity of motion
- Requires following directions
- Stimulates language
The Smart Cycle is a stationary bike with an attached electronic gaming system your child can use while at Pathways Center. It strengthens muscles and entertains your child while building endurance.
Therapy Benefits:
- Results in many repetitions
- Facilitates us of a reciprocal pattern for leg movements
- Strengthens trunk, arms and legs
- Increases cardiovascular fitness
- Improves coordination and balance
- Improves sitting posture
- Encourages language development
Your child will use the Dynamic Balance System to gain immediate audiovisual feedback of his/her weight distribution in standing, which is used to improve postural control when standing still and during movement.
Therapy Benefits:
- Improves control of posture
- Trains for symmetrical movement
- Improves tolerance to multi-sensory stimulation
- Increases ability to plan movement
- Improves rate and volume of speech during play
- Practices varying phrase lengths
The Zebris FDM-T treadmill and software system for stance and gait analysis measures many parameters of walking and provides feedback on your child’s progress. It is especially helpful for children who are not walking independently.
Therapy Benefits:
- Measures step length, weight distribution, foot pressure and gait pattern
- Assesses foot alignment and symmetry when walking
- Tests muscle function and respiratory endurance
- Trains for walking and other patterns of movement
- Practices using language while walking
- Adapted use for upper body weight bearing and movement
The Neuro-Core System monitors movement and balance, and stimulates muscle control and planning needed to move any part of the body through providing audiovisual feedback that assists in your child’s therapy session.
Therapy Benefits:
- Improves strength and stamina
- Increases attention span
- Improves control of motion
- Trains for symmetrical movement
- Encourages neuro-motor rehabilitation
Interactive Metronome helps your child improve their rhythm and motor timing. It engages them through a series of movements that are challenging and fun.
Therapy Benefits:
- Improves coordination
- Increases physical endurance and stamina
- Assists with concentration during distractions
- Helps children focus on rhythm for longer periods of time
- Improves the understanding of the connection between mental and physical action
Technology to Support Participation
A Dynavox system allows children with mild to significant communication challenges to actively communicate with therapists and peers while accessing The Elizabeth Morse Play Lab.
The Arjo Room Covering Overhead Support System allows children with any level of physical challenge to safely access all of The Elizabeth Morse Play Lab technology while being safely supported in sitting or standing.
The Up N’ Go walker allows children to access The Elizabeth Morse Play Lab technology when they have difficulty sustaining independent standing and walking for long periods of time.
A high-low mat table provides a stable support for transfers and preparation for participation in all Elizabeth Morse Play Lab activities.