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Not only did we attend Tools for Life, but we also got to take a Capitol tour and visit the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities, Southwest Idaho Treatment Center, Lotus Tree and Northwest Neurobehavioral Health (NNH).
Julia Bailey, Victoria Rae, Maddie Coleman and I presented at Tools for Life on “Moving your way” which empowers people with disabilities to move however they can. We did two adaptive movement classes and a 50-minute presentation on exercise. In total, we worked with around 100 students and got people moving.
“The adaptive movement classes were a hit! We shared a lot of smiles and laughs with the students as we listened to some great music and got our bodies moving. Tools for life has been the highlight of my experience working at the CDHD!”, said Julia.
During the trip, we were also able to go to the Lotus Tree Occupational Therapy Clinic, which was such a cool experience. The work they do helps children with disabilities hit vital milestones in their development. We spoke with some amazing women who helped us understand how they help so many children achieve their goals.
Maddie commented, “As an exercise science major, I must say that I have never experienced a clinic like Lotus Tree. They showed me what therapy can look like and how holistic and engaging it can be. I loved to see the care and support that clearly runs through the staff network, as well as the devotion to the craft and the patients.”
Some trainees were able to visit the Southwest Idaho Treatment Center, including Kelsey Miler, who said, “During our tour, we met some of the residents who were kind and excited to meet us. They all filled the room like a ray of sunshine. This was my favorite memory of the trip.”
We also went to the NNH clinic and spoke with a psychologist who talked about what it’s like to work with kids with disabilities. He discussed how the clinic helps diagnose autism and the need for more clinics like this.
Fellow trainee, Alena Ramkissoon said, “My favorite part of the trip was visiting NNH. I learned about Dr Hall's personal trajectory, his work at the clinic, and the children and families he works with ... it inspired me when it comes to my education and career goals. I also gained interest in pursuing a PsyD degree in clinical psychology – an area I was never exposed to before this trip.”
Overall, the experience was so amazing and a wonderful way to learn about different career paths to help people with disabilities.
Find out more about the CDHD student trainee program:
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