The full cohort of Leadership in Education for Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) trainees filled the atrium of the Van Nuys Medical Science Building’s on April 26th for the LEND poster and networking session.
Several disciplines were represented through year-long projects that were presented and explained by the students throughout the afternoon. Many of the projects had trainees working with university faculty, IU Health programs or partners from the Maternal & Child Health community in Indiana.
Here are some projects that show that the MCH future is bright with these young leaders’ ideas and talents.
Auditory Processing Disorder in Pediatric Patients
Stacie Garland, Special Education Trainee
Synopsis: Stacie Garland researched and created appropriate accommodations (visual supports and manipulatives) for pediatric patients with auditory processing disorder. Garland has been successful in implementing the protocols she developed to improve communications with patients she supports.
Quote: “The research has been instrumental in providing protocol for efficient and effective patient care. I have begun incorporating visual story boards with appropriate patients on my unit and have found this practice to not only be successful for education and preparation, but also high patient- and family-satisfiers.”
Prenatal Diagnosis Tours Program at IU Health Hospitals
Ashley Straut, Public Health Trainee
Synopsis: Ashley Straut worked with the IU Health NICU support teams to evaluate the effectiveness of the prenatal diagnosis tours program provided at Methodist and Riley Hospitals. The tours serve to familiarize families with hospital facilities and services prior to delivery.
Quote: “It was exciting for me to learn that the NICU Nest program at IU Health is one of the only known comprehensive and personalized prenatal tours program in the country. I know that the staff will continue to provide parent-to-parent support and experience for patients in the future, which is known to help ease stress and improve coping skills for parents receiving a prenatal diagnosis.”
GoBabyGo!: Long-Term Outcomes and Value of Modified Ride on Cars for Children with Disabilities
Megan Sergeij and Mackenzie Wilson, Physical Therapy Trainees
Synopsis: Megan Siergeij and Mackenzie Wilson worked with the GoBabyGo! Program, which modifies ride-on vehicles for children with disabilities, to study the usage and perceived value of the vehicles.
Quote: “This was an excellent opportunity to get some exposure to both academic research and physical therapy in the pediatric population. It was encouraging to see that children benefitted greatly from the GoBabyGo cars, showing improvements in outlook on life, interactions with peers, physical abilities and cognition.”
Other Poster Projects
- Antibiofilm Activity of Chocolates and Epicatechin against Streptococcus mutans –Samantha Kelly, Pediatric Dentistry
- Creating an APRN Learning Module about Health Care Transition for Youth with Special Health Care Needs – Julie LaMothe & Kathy Kent, Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
- Delivering Difficult Diagnoses – Christine Ryan & Karissa Wentzell, Social Work
- Family Organization Strategic Planning – Holly Wheeler, Family
- Improving the Farm Bill – Lucille Schaeffer, Law
- ITOWN Cares: Helping Individuals with Disabilities Move from Where They Are to Where God Wants Them to Be – Julie Larson, Occupational Therapy
- Pediatric Phantom Dosimetry Evaluation of the Extraoral Bitewing – Dillon Wiley, Pediatric Dentistry
- People with Autism and Employment – Andrew Boughner, Self-advocacy
- Perceptions of Support for Families with Children with Developmental Disabilities – Jessica James, Psychology
- Promoting Collaboration Between Teachers and Occupational Therapists – Siobhan McGuire, Occupational Therapy
- Siblings of Children with Special Health Care Needs – Erica Walker, Family
- Technology for Tots: Improving Access to Medical Devices for Children – Marina Allen, Law
- The Sleeping Baby Study: Adherence, Parental Mood, and Family Chaos – Sarah Kosten & Tamara Zoch, Psychology
- Tracking Developmental Milestones in Early Learning Centers – Tally Millin, Speech-Language Pathology & Danielle Epler, Psychology
