JaRavian is all smiles in his new playhouse.
Tuesday, June 29, was probably one of the best days in the life of adopted three-year-old JaRavian Clemmons, who is visually impaired and was born with schizencephaly (an abnormal brain function) and spastic cerebral palsy — thanks to several Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) students and corporate and non-profit support.
That was the day WSSU’s Master’s of Occupational Therapy students unveiled a 12’ by 8’ playhouse they built and designed to address Clemmons’ therapeutic needs. It was decorated and furnished not only to allow Clemmons to play but also rehabilitate his physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs. The disabled-accessible facility was constructed in the backyard of the Clemmons’ home located at 1622 Village Place in Winston-Salem. The students unveiled the playhouse with a special play activity.
The work was part of an assignment in a Rehabilitation Technology class, taught by Dr. Anne Jenkins, WSSU assistant professor of Occupational Therapy and Brenda Kennell, WSSU clinical assistant professor of Occupational Therapy, which required students to apply lectures to life by way of a volunteer community service project.
“When you have a disability such as JaRavian’s, play and leisure activity is a challenge,” says Jenkins. “Children learn through using their eyes and hands…observing, feeling and manipulating objects to get a sense of texture, shape and size. However, JaRavian is blind and lacks the ability to see, voluntarily reach and touch.”
JaRavian learning to feel the shape of letters with help from Occupational Therapy student.
Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the motor or control centers of the developing brain and can occur during pregnancy, childbirth or after birth up to about age three. The damage could likely lead to permanent disorders. The motor disorders of cerebral palsy are often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition, communication, and behavior, by epilepsy, and by secondary musculoskeletal problems. Clemmons was also born with schizencephalitis – a part of his brain is missing and his visual cortex is impaired.
The WSSU class explored a number of ways to help enable Clemmons to play and improve his condition. The 29 first-year master’s degree students were split into teams, each named for its area of focus to address Clemmons disabilities. The teams were auditory, fine motor, gross motor, furniture, tactile and visual. The teams worked to ensure that nearly every aspect of the playhouse was designed with a purpose to help Clemmons improve developmentally.
The auditory team focused on stimulating sounds and providing certain types of music to help relaxation. Relaxation techniques help relieve muscle tension that is constantly fluctuating with limited control, according to Jenkins.
O.T. students work with JaRavian on the magnetic board to help him with his motor skills.
The fine and gross motor students designed a multi-purpose magnetic board to attach toys and games which helps encourage large and small muscle motion for reaching, grasping and manipulation while standing in a stander, seated on the floor in a bean bag chair, or in his wheelchair. The furniture group designed items to help his posture, while allowing play while in and out of the wheelchair. A rocking chair, for example, was used to help Clemmons experience movement with limited danger of falling, according to Jenkins.
The tactile group incorporated toys and activities with textures and movement for lots of reaching and touching. Some of the items included a blanket with blocks of soft, shiny and coarse surfaces and folded flaps held down by buttons, zippers and Velcro. The playhouse also has a sandbox. The interior walls feature removable alphabet letters of various textures and sizes. The visual team designed light boxes and incorporated toys that flash lights and colors.
“Combined playhouse activities may help Clemmons function on a higher level,” Jenkins said.
The Clemmons family was selected for the project by North Carolina Foster Care Services (NCFCS). Choice Hotels presented a $10,000 grant to Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit that rehabilitates homes for low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and those with disabilities free of charge. Jenkins, who serves on the local board, was asked by NCFCS executive director Cindy Arrington to assist by making the playhouse a class project.
A groundbreaking was held in early May. It included not only laying the foundation for the playhouse, but making modifications to the Clemmons’ residential home to accommodate the child’s wheelchair inside the house including providing ramps to the entrances, renovating the bathroom to ease bathing time, modifying the kitchen, widening doors, painting and electrical work.
