Thursday, January 29, 2015

A FIT KID


    A FIT KID (AFK) is a program that aims to unite kids with and without disabilities to work together towards a common goal of becoming fit and having fun. AFK is a program produced by Helping Kids Together (HKT), a social project focusing on promoting inclusion and diversity through the arts, culture and active living. I believe the social and societal benefits of diversity and equality which AFK promotes extend far beyond the physical benefits of exercise alone. This is what initially attracted me towards the program a year ago. This past fall semester, our team worked to improve AFK by incorporating the "I Can Do It, You Can Do It" program developed by the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, & Nutrition. Primarily, this meant recruiting Saint Louis University (SLU) Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training students to become involved as mentors. The individual attention each participant received as a result made a huge difference in terms of making each kid feel equally capable and involved. We now consider SLU student involvement essential to the success of AFK. We recently applied for and were approved a grant from the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, & Nutrition to help fund and expand our program. We plan on opening a new site in Sunset Hills during the spring semester of 2015.   A FIT KID is truly a unique program that is needed in today's society. I encourage anyone interested to visit the website (www.afitkid.com) and to contact me (aperez19@slu.edu) about getting involved.

    Aaron Perez (DPT Class of 2015)


    What AFK means for me is a chance for my daughter to get to work out and be involved with other kids, both kids her own age that she can relate to and kids who are older than her that she can look up to--the college kids--and know she is not being singled out or made to feel different because she uses a walker.  The whole scene is so good for her.  The interaction gives her confidence and drive and she looks forward to it. The one on one mentoring aspect we have implemented into the program makes all the difference in the world between her being treated like a kid versus being treated like a person with a disability. It is what I have wanted for her for a long time and we finally have it. Thank you to Saint Louis University's Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training for helping us make this a reality!!!  You guys ROCK.       

    A FIT KID was just awarded a $4400 grant to produce two waves of our program because we are Advocates of I Can Do It, You Can Do It (ICDI), which is an initiative of The President’s Council on Fitness Sports and Nutrition that focuses on making sure people with disabilities have equal access to fitness and nutrition based activities.  We are 1 of only 20 organizations in the United States who were awarded with this grant.  At this point in time there are only 55 registered ICDI Advocates in the country so we are really excited about the opportunity and thrilled to have the backup support to produce all of this with the assistance of Saint Louis University''s Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training. We couldn't do it without you guys.

    Before this last session, there were SLU students involved but the most we had helping at one time were two students a session and most of the time it was only one and each kid did not have equal attention. This last round implementing the ICDI ideal of one mentor per student really put all the kids on an even playing field.  One important thing to note is that the parents who had kids without disabilities participating in AFK were saying their kids were feeling left out when the assistants were helping the kids with disabilities. This right there stresses the importance of equal attention for all.  

    Prior to this round we have had Caitlin Hayes, Erin Eastman, Emily Grace, Heather Koch, Dan Wrzosek and Aaron Perez.  Emily Grace and Heather Koch had helped us with a live demo we did at a health fair.  Erin, Dan and Aaron all helped out as our one mentor for previous sessions. Thanks to all of the other SLU students who have helped: Aaron Perez, Caitlin Gibson, Phil Soncasi, Annalise Rolfes, Sierra Bugno, Anna DiStaulo, Sarah Mass, Brianna LaBarbera, Jaime Brew, Melissa Watts, and Mike Shay.

    Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!

    Amy Barnes and her daughter Mia Maksimowicz, Founders of HKT

SLU PT Alumni Poster

SLU PT alumni Nancy Smith will have a poster in Education (poster #2141) at CSM on Friday, 2/7 from 1-3pm! Smith, N, Prybylo S, and Conner-Kerr T. The Relationship Between Visual Learning Style, Gender, and Preferred Gaming Style.

The Latest and Greatest Exercises - Photos


Jenna Ricketts, Abby Olson, and Jonathan Landstrom (Class of 2016) did a wonderful job presenting The Latest and Greatest Exercises on January 28, 2015. They covered exercise trends such as Pilates, Yoga, P90X, and Insanity - and demonstrated moves from each exercise! 






Wednesday, January 28, 2015

SLU PT CSM Platforms, Presentations, Posters and Events


Please click on the images below to enlarge them! 


Tuesday, January 27, 2015

SLU Trivia Night!

Thursday, January 22, 2015

SLU PT Students Named Spirit of the Billiken Honorees!

Dharti Shah and Jaime Heede 
(DPT Class of 2017) were named 
Spirit of the Billiken Honorees by the 
Saint Louis University 
Office of Alumni Relations. 

This honor is given to students who represent what it means to be a Billiken, and excel in the following areas: academics, leadership, community service, commitment to Saint Louis University and dedication to "living the mission" after graduation. 


Read the full article posted in Newslink and view other Spirit of the Billiken Honorees here. 

Congratulations to all Spirit of the Billiken Honorees! 

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

SLU Physical Therapy Alumni Reception at CSM 2015

Professor and Program Director Mark Reinking with Amy Scheidegger Sanders (Class of 2006) and Laura Gleason (Class of 2006) at the Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy Alumni Reception in San Diego during CSM 2013
February 5, 2015
8:00PM
Ike and Jonseys
17 W Jackson Place
Indianapolis, IN 46225

The Saint Louis University Doisy College of Health Sciences Alumni Association cordially invites alumni, faculty, students and friends to attend the Saint Louis University 
Program in Physical Therapy Alumni Reception 
at the American Physical Therapy Association 
2015 Combined Sections Meeting.

All attendees who pre-register will be entered to win a door prize the night of the event!

REGISTER BY FOLLOWING 

If you have questions please contact:
Maggie Dermody
(314) 977-7825
dermodym@slu.edu 

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Attention SLU PT friends and alumni!

PT STUCO will be working the concession booth for the January 23rd SLU Men's basketball game versus VCU. The game is at 6:00pm at Chaifeitz Arena. The money SLU PT students earn working the event will help defray the costs of attending physical therapy related continuing education events, including CSM and Student Conclave.

The Latest and Greatest Exercises - Presentation on January 28

SLU PT students Abby Olsen, Jenna Ricketts, and Jonathan Landstrom (DPT Class of 2016) will be giving a community teaching on the latest and greatest exercises at the Simon Rec Center on Wednesday, January 28 from 11:30am-12:30pm. They will focus on current fads/trends and discuss what they accomplish and the evidence behind them.
See you there!




Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The GoBabyGo Project





Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy students Connor Chastain, Mallory Eggert, and Leah Fischer are teaming up with engineering students to bring the University of Delaware’s GoBabyGo project to St. Louis. GoBabyGo was started at UD by Cole Galloway to give children who have difficulty with mobility the opportunity to move on their own, allowing the children to interact with peers, facilitate brain development, and have fun. In order to do this, we are adapting small toy cars and customizing them to fit the child’s specific needs. For example, we add equipment, such as PVC pipes and straps, to help put the child in an optimal position to drive the car. We also add a button that is large enough for the child to push in order to make the car move. Additional modifications may be made in collaborating with the child, the family, and the child’s physical or occupational therapist. In doing this, we hope to give children the freedom and ability to have fun with family and friends, while exploring the endless possibilities of mobility.   


It is very exciting for us to announce the completion and delivery of our first car. We were able to modify a car for a 2 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy, a condition that has affected her ability to move and use her arms and legs purposefully. The family reached out to us at a time of need and we were very excited to get started! We evaluated her needs and worked with SLU engineering students to adapt a smaller ride on car for her. PVC pipe, a strap for her waist, and a go button on the steering wheel were added to the car, along with rewiring the electric to allow the car to accelerate. When the car was delivered to the girl she instantly said, “I drive!”. She got a huge smile on her face. While in the car, she was able to work on cause and effect and move in her environment, instead of her environment moving around her. The more she drove, the more she was able to start and stop the car and turn the wheel. She was so excited and did not want to get out of it. Her mother began to tear up and said, “This is awesome. I never thought she would be driving away from me”. The simplest things can change someones life for the better. Be willing to be apart of the things that make the change! Written by Mallory Eggert (DPT Class of 2015) and Leah Fischer (DPT Class of 2016) Check us out and show your support for a great cause! Go Baby Go - STL Support Us



Thursday, January 8, 2015

SLU PT Faculty Member Chris Sebelski Featured in St. Louis Magazine and Newslink

Saint Louis University Program in Physical Therapy faculty member Chris Sebelski was featured in Newslink and St. Louis Magazine today. Chris Sebelski was featured in two 
St. Louis Magazine articles (click on the titles below to view articles):



Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Congratulations to the Pingel Scholarship Recipients!

The Pingel Scholarship was created in honor of Sister Imelda Pingel, 
Chairperson of the Department of 
Physical Therapy from 1943-1977. 

Please see this year's recipients below:

Jennifer Drennan
Elena Gray
Katrina Juskenas
Allison Kostes
Jordan Holderread
Elizabeth Lambert
Juliana Holwey
Laura Kelly
Maureen Kessler
Michael Manning
Hilary Obert
Michaela Ward
Annie Worthington