CHHS in the News | NAU physical therapy program holding Kids Night Out for Flagstaff families
Doctoral students in NAU’s physical therapy program will be holding a Kids Night Out evening of activities for Flagstaff kids with disabilities and their siblings on September 24.
Families of kids with disabilities who are between the ages of 3 and 18 can drop off their children at Summit Gymnastics (1926 N. 4th St., Suite 7) between 3 and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 24. The night’s activities will be led by NAU Doctor of Physical Therapy students and faculty, as well as community volunteers that include pediatric physical therapists and nurses.
Families can register for the event by emailing mga224@nau.edu. Registration is required.
Second-year NAU doctoral physical therapy students Marissa Archer and Mikayla Lawrence organized this event as part of a capstone project for the program, with their capstone advisor, Julie Stone, PT, DPT, an assistant clinical professor in the program.
Both are interested in pediatric physical therapy and said they were drawn to the field because of the opportunity to help people reach their goals over a longer period of time.
“The idea of being able to help somebody through not just one doctor’s appointment, but being able to progress them and return them to what they consider their normal level of function,” Lawrence said, “…watching them reach those milestones and just the joy on their faces when they get to do something new.”
“It came from more of a personal experience [for me], being in the athletics side and having my physical therapist be the person that helped me reach one of my biggest goals at the time,” Archer said. “…I want to be able to do that for other people.”
Lawrence and Archer had been researching programs for their capstone project and realized Flagstaff didn’t have a similar event for local kids.
“I think it’s an event that isn’t really seen in this community, or hasn’t really been seen,” Archer said. “…It’s something that is just starting up in other states and different programs, so I think it’s a unique experience that these kids and their families will get to experience that isn’t offered in Flagstaff yet.”
“I think it’s important to allow families another option for their kids to actively participate in the community,” Lawrence added. “…Having an opportunity for them to have the gym to themselves and get experience with the different equipment in there and have professionals in there to help guide them through those and use their learning experience will help them become more comfortable in settings like [a gymnastics gym] as well as strengthen their bodies and help them navigate unknown areas.”
Among the activities planned for Kids Night Out are an obstacle course, foam pit, activities focused on developing fine motor skills, parachute games, and trampoline time. Both Archer and Lawrence have worked at Summit Gymnastics, gaining experience in modifying activities for kids of different ages and abilities.
“Their parents get some time away to go do whatever they like to do for themselves, a little bit of self care for them, while the kids get to work on some learning skills and working on their developmental skills as well,” Lawrence said of the activities.
“…We’re just hoping to have some kids come and have a good time with them,” Lawrence said. “…Having this opportunity to get to see kids of all different levels of abilities and ages will be super helpful.”
She also said she hoped to continue to offer this event in the future if the families and kids enjoyed it.
“It would be really awesome to see such a good turnout, so that we can offer that help and make it a successful event,” Archer added.
To learn more or register for this event, email Marissa Archer at mga224@nau.edu.
As seen in the Arizona Daily Sun