Step Up For Disabilities

3/11/21 - Self Care Therapy Boards

I received a lot of positive feedback from the GiGi's therapists about the success of the Therapy Boards that I made for the Lending Library so I decided to come up with a smaller and less expensive version of the Board that could be easily made and distributed to more children for home use. I met with Ms. Shepherd to discuss ideas and she explained to me that many children with developmental or intellectual disabilities need continued practice with "activities of daily living" such as dressing themselves. She showed me some items that she uses for therapy to practice these skills and then I searched for items to use to create a small therapy board. After several prototypes, I came up with the idea of a "Self-Care Board" with buttoning, snapping, buckling, zipping and shoestring tying. I was able to find all of the supplies needed for the boards so they can be produced for under $25 a piece so this was very inexpensive and the boards were easy to replicate. I led a 7th grade Girl Scout Cadette workshop to teach woodworking skills and create the boards. I also shared information with them about my Gold Award project and encouraged them to earn their Gold Award when they get to high school. They paid me for all the supplies for the boards and they also earned a Girl Scout woodworking badge for attending the workshop. I got lots of positive feedback from the workshop. The girls also signed the back of each board so that when these are donated, the recipient can see where the board came from.

I contacted other GiGi's Playhouse locations across the country and offered to donate a Self-Care Board to their playhouse and have asked them if they are interested in replicating the boards. I also sent them the GiGi's Atlanta blog link so they could read about the Lending Library. I heard back from 10 locations and they are interested in my boards and I will be mailing the boards donated and made by the Girl Scout troop to the GiGi's locations. I also received very positive feedback and interest in my project.