Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center
5 September 2006
Since this is the first visit, it would be difficult to compare this center to others like it. The things I did see were fascinating and greatly exceeded my expectations for what was available for children with disabilities. In terms of need, or things they were looking for, some things stood out: light, vibration & sound. Certain children respond differently to different stimuli. Its all a game of trial and error to figure out what works on an individual basis.
A large screen is projected on one wall in a room called the “Wonder Room.” Children can move in front of it, where a camera picks up their movement and changes the images accordingly. A child can push a ball across the screen, make trees or even play a (somewhat altered) game of pool.
There is a machine that transforms movement into sound. A child can effectively “play” a harp by merely moving in front of the sensors on the microphone-like stands. Machines like this are expensive, however. This one cost around 10k. Not something a child might have access to unless in one of these facilities.
Another application of technology, also located in the “Wonder Room,” was a string of lights that changed colors. They were much more durable than those I have seen before. Much emphasis was placed on the ability to wash these devices or clean the surfaces so that they may be used for more than one child, on multiple occasions. (Latex is not allowed anywhere in the facility, as some children are allergic to it.)
We were brought into the basement, where there is a pool for water therapy exercises and a small jacuzzi which is no longer in use because of issues with germs. The sides of the pool were clear, so you could watch the movement from the outside. So far, no technology devices that they know of have been integrated into the water therapy as of yet.
The Starlight Foundation provides much of the monetary support for the facility, along with Medicare.
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