December is the time of year when toy workshops are busy and filled with elves making toys for the holiday season.  While it wasn’t the North Pole, the Zia Conference Center served as San Juan College’s toy workshop and the elves were second-year students in the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program. The “OTA elves” were just as busy with a holiday project that would provide toys to children with special needs in the community. 

              Occupational Therapy Assistants provide therapy to patients who have physical or cognitive needs or may be recovering from an injury or illness.  OTAs help people gain the everyday skills needed to live and enjoy life as independently as possible. In addition to assisting adults, OTAs provide therapy to children through exercise, activities that help with coordination and socialization, and even through play.

“Playing with toys, such as switch-operated toys, helps introduce children to cause and effect, as well as foster initiation and independence,” explains Kelly Kelley, OTA director and associate professor. “Modifying these toys with larger switches, known as switch-adapted toys, makes it easier for children with special needs to operate.  It helps to improve their motor skills, range of motion, eye-hand coordination and visual scanning.”

As the second-year students were learning about pediatric occupational therapy, instructors assigned a project that would put students’ knowledge to use, while giving them a chance to serve children with special needs in the community. They learned how to take basic battery-operated toys and adapt them with large button switches. 

“The adaptive switches for the battery-operated toys are fairly expensive, so we originally thought we could only modify one or two toys,” continues Kelley. “However, the San Juan College Foundation heard about this unique assignment and wanted to contribute to the project.”

Without hesitation, the Foundation provided the OTA program with enough funding to purchase 15 toys and the necessary equipment to adapt the toys for local children who had been identified through partner healthcare agencies.  Each child received a battery-operated toy with the custom interrupter switch. Dragons, snakes, and bubble blowers were just a few of the kinds of toys that were adapted.

Making the gifts all the more special, the toys were placed in gift bags by the Foundation with personalized “Made Just For You” gift tags and delivered to the children in time for Christmas.   

Danielle Atencio-Archibeque, mother of one of the recipients said, “I cried when I saw how happy and excited Alexia was when she opened the gift. I am very appreciative for the care that went into creating this toy, which was both thoughtful and specific to my daughter’s needs.”

  “The students were delighted to have an opportunity to provide a unique, personalized gift to children in our community,” Kelley said.  “This truly captures the spirit of giving during the holidays. We are grateful for the Foundation’s support and we hope to continue with this new holiday tradition.”