University of Mary Washington’s Play Lab opened on October 18th. Play Lab is a collaborative effort between UMW, Helping Hands Pediatric Occupational Therapy, and Exceptional Support Services of Fredericksburg. In the two weeks that UMW students have been working with children with developmental disabilities (such as intellectual disability and autism), progress has already been noted by UMW students. The ten UMW students have enjoyed the experience of using research-based interventions, receiving feedback on their work, and adjusting their teaching strategy based on the supportive feedback. Heather DeCou, owner of Exceptional Support Services, and one of the supervisors of Play Lab stated, “There are few opportunities like this for UMW students to gain experience, receive supervision, and make a difference in the community all in one course!” There are still slots available for the spring section of EDSE 547, the special topics course that trains students to work in Play Lab. Undergraduates and graduates may apply and there is no prerequisite needed. For more information contact: Nicole Myers, Ph.D, nmyers@umw.edu, or 540-286-8026.
