Students Create Tools to Help Special Needs Children
Ball State students studying interior design gain practical experience building furniture for special needs children
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowUndergraduate students studying interior design at Ball State University are putting their classroom knowledge into real-world settings, preparing for work after college, and helping special-needs children.
The students are creating interactive play furniture for the Children’s TherAplay Foundation in Carmel to help children with disabilities.
The nonprofit provides physical and occupational therapies on horseback for children with diagnoses such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder.
The furniture is created by the students helps children improve coordination, problem-solving, and other skills.
“We are specifically designing the pieces that will be used to help treat the children,” said Shireen Kanakri, associate professor of interior design. “Everything will be tested here, in our labs, before they are implemented at the facility in Carmel.”
In the first phase of the project, students helped design the building layout for Children’s TherAplay. Now, students are designing furniture, such as a sensory wall.
The sensory wall will have activities such as a sensory gel pad, a mini Plinko game, and light up shapes, said Madison Castleman, a BSU senior involved in the program. “When the wall piece is folded down, it reveals a table with more sensory activities such as a kinetic sandpit, shoelaces to help with hand motor skills and learning to tie, and a magnetic ball maze.”
Senior Emily Schripsema said the skills learned here are preparing her for a career after she graduates in May.
“We are going through the entire process — client meeting, research, concept, development, intermediate model, more development, construction documents, final model, client review, final fixes, safety review, and installation,” said Schripsema.
Ball State offers a design center on campus, which according to BSU, is rare. It offers the chance for faculty members and students to work closely with organizations and businesses to provide Interior design and space planning services in Indiana.
Editor’s Note:
Find out how Purdue University helped prepare a student to create a specially designed teething device that helps infants with Down syndrome learn how to eat and speak sooner. Click here to read the coverage.