We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the warm and gracious people of the Adapted Physical Activity Clinics. The staff, Advisory Council, families, participants, and students were truly inspiring to collaborate with, as we embarked on our research to develop this strategic planning document. Going forward, we hope this document will be a valuable road map that fosters APAC’s continued growth and success as an organization.
Collaborative Action Research in Design
Visual Communication Design, with concentration in Design Thinking and Design Leadership
Design Research Lead
Youngbok Hong, Associate Professor, Graduate Program Director
Design Researchers
Kimberly Gottschild
Iman Pirzadeh
Stephany Stamatis
The research team would also like to extend special thanks the second-year Visual Communication
Design graduate students: April Chen, Wendy HsuehFen Hsu, Jack Rong, Lisa Semidey, Edward Sieferd, and Madison Stevens. Their help in conducting the ideation sessions with the IUPUI student instructors was instrumental to this research. Extra special thanks also go to Assistant Professor Pamela Napier for her supervision and guidance as we embarked on this learning experience.
School of Physical Education and Tourism Managment
Adapted Physical Activity Clinics
Director
Dr. Katie Stanton-Nichols, Associate Professor, IU School of Physical Education and Tourism Management - IUPUI
Program Coordinator
Larken Marra, Graduate Assistant
Advisory Council Members
Peter Lacy, Chair
Beth Becker
Mike Capuano
Cassie Craft
Danille Crandall
Bethany Guilfoy
Dorene Hoops
Laura Klaum
Todd Krebs
Vivian Maley
Jeanine Marshall
Allison Plopper
Rich Schreiner
Kristi Skinner
Meg Sweazy
Rachel Swinford
Student instructors
Students at IU School of Physical Education and Tourism Management - IUPUI
OVERVIEW
About Adapted Physical Activity Clinics
The Motor Activity Clinic (MAC) and the Ability Fitness Clinic (AFC) were founded in 1996, when Dr. Katie Stanton began her tenure at the IUPUI School of Physical Education and Tourism Management (PETM). Both of the clinics were established to provide high quality physical activity programs to support the health and wellness of people with disabilities throughout their lives. MAC offers aquatic and fundamental motor skill training, while AFC offers physical fitness programming. The clinics are family-oriented programs offered in a community-based setting and are designed to be accessible and affordable for all.
In 2000, the clinics gained non-profit status, under the name of the Adapted Physical Activity Clinics (APAC). A community Advisory Council was also organized, to promote the clinics, raise funds, and guide program services. Some years later, in 2013, the Live Laugh Dance program was developed by Dr. Rachel Swinford and Kyra Noerr; recent graduates of the Department of Kinesiology who shared an interest in disability and activity. Dr. Swinford developed the dance program as part of her dissertation project, and due to its quick success, it has continued being offered every summer since then.
Another of APAC’s foundational components is that it provides an invaluable service learning opportunity for PETM students. Every semester, each of the PETM students who are enrolled in Dr. Stanton’s course create an adapted physical activity plan, tailored specifically for an individual participant with a disability, whom they will instruct one-on-one for the duration of a 6-week clinic. Students and participants work together on physical activities that emphasize mobility and function, in order to maximize independence and healthy lifestyle habits.
MAC participants love the parachute.
About this project
In the Fall of 2016, APAC reached out to Youngbok Hong, Program Director and Associate Professor of the Visual Communication Design (VCD) graduate program at the Herron School of Art and Design, to collaborate on a project together to research potential opportunities for the growth of the organization. An additional intent of the collaboration was to develop a project that would be a learning opportunity for the graduate cohort, for the Collaborative Action Research in Design course. The objective of this course is to practice a peoplecentered design research approach to address real world problems, which requires process knowledge and skills for identifying and framing opportunities, as well as generating and implementing solutions. The course was structured based on a collaborative problem solving process, in which the design researchers worked with the organization throughout the entire design process. As a result, the organization was able to prioritize strategic solutions for their organization.
This strategic planning document is the result of the research that was conducted with APAC throughout the 2016 Fall semester. This document is intended to serve as an action tool for APAC to develop long-term sustainable growth, by forming relationships with other organizations, agencies, and community members who align with their mission. In forming these relationships, APAC seeks to gain additional support to achieve their goal of growing their community, becoming self-sustaining, and serving a greater number of families in Indiana.
The first and second year cohorts discuss design research strategies.
DESIGN RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
How we approached this project
The research was conducted using the Simplex process, developed by Dr. Min Basadur, which is an eight-step model for creative and effective problem solving. The model alternates between divergent and convergent modes of thinking in each step. Diverging happens at the beginning of each new step, and then again after converging. Divergent thinking is a mindset for exploring multiple perspectives, opportunities, and options. Converging begins after diverging. Convergent thinking analyzes, synthesizes, and organizes the ideas generated from diverging. Converging is used for making sense of data, in order to determine which patterns or relationships occur. Simplex model is unique in its cyclical, rather than linear, nature. Depending upon how large and complex the data, several rounds of diverging and converging might occur within a process step before proceeding to the next step.
Simplex Model by Dr. Min Basadur
The Simplex Process
The Simplex process emphasizes a collaborative approach to problem solving. Each process step culminates in a process deliverable. The steps of the Simplex process used in this research were:
1. Problem Finding - The problem finding step was initiated when the APAC organization reached out to the design research team with a perceived opportunity that that exists for their organization. This step identified key stakeholders and included site visits for preliminary research. The deliverable was a research plan outline.
2. Fact Finding - Fact finding entailed conducting observations and interviews to understand the existing experience of the organization and the people it serves. During this step, researchers actively gathered information related to the perceived opportunity, then evaluated and selected facts to develop a set of problem definitions for the next step. The deliverable was an experience map.
3. Problem Definition - The researchers analyzed the key facts from the experience map in the fact finding step. This consisted of diverging and converging “How might we?” opportunity statements. A “How might we” opportunity statement turns an identified problem into an opportunity for action. Next, the researchers selected the most strategically appropriate and relevant opportunity statements to move forward with. This step ensured the researchers and the organization were asking the right questions and they had an accurate definition of the problem. The deliverable was an opportunity statement map.
4. Planning - Opportunities and strategic actions were organized into priorities for the
organization. The objective was to create a tangible road map that would act as an action tool to help APAC achieve their identified goals. The deliverable was a road map.
5. Idea Finding - This step consisted of creating potential solutions to the “How might we?” opportunity statements that were generated in the problem definition step. The design team focused on the opportunity statement for the Mission and Vision opportunity space, “HMW transform Katie’s passion and inspiration into the organizational identity?” Using that focus, envisioning sessions were conducted with the Advisory Council and the student instructors. The deliverables were envisioning session maps.
FINDINGS
What we learned
Following are the findings from each step completed in the Simplex process. Each step describes actions the research team engaged, as well as the results. The steps also include discussion of the methods used and the participatory activities the research team conducted with the stakeholder groups. Finally, each step includes a detailed description of the process deliverable, how it was created, and how it was used.
PROBLEM FINDING
Objective
When APAC approached the VCD program, they were seeking assistance planning for the future, in order to become a more self-sustaining organization, which will continue to grow and have the resources to serve more families in Indiana.
Kick-off Meeting with Dr. Stanton and Larken Marra
The problem finding step began with a kick-off meeting between the research team, and Dr. Stanton
and Larken Marra of APAC. During this meeting, APAC gave a history of their organization and discussed their current services and programming. The research team inquired about APAC’s current needs, goals for the future, and perceived challenges towards achieving those goals. APAC stated there is a need to offer additional programming to serve more families in Indianapolis, and to have the capacity to serve other areas outside of Indianapolis. Their goal is to expand beyond the current educational environment at IUPUI. In order to expand, they felt it would be beneficial to connect with likeminded or ancillary organizations to strengthen their relationships in other communities. Currently, the primary challenge for APAC in achieving those goals is access to resources, such as additional full time staff and facilities, which would help them grow to serve more people.
Observation at APAC Advisory Council Meeting
Following the kick-off meeting, the research team was invited to an APAC Advisory Council Meeting. The APAC Advisory Council is comprised of current and past APAC parents, members of local
The research team listens to the Advisory Council discuss APAC’s future.
organizations, a teacher from RISE, the program director, and the program coordinator. Meetings are held monthly at the Joseph Maley Foundation in Indianapolis to discuss the program’s direction and fundraising activities. The Advisory Council members expressed a need to define their identity, so they could more effectively communicate their needs to the community. They also expressed a desire to become a self-sustaining organization.
Observation at AFC
The next portion of the problem finding step included several initial observation sessions at the weekly clinics, which are the main programming APAC offers for its participants. The research team visited the Adapted Fitness Clinic (AFC) for three clinic sessions to observe and experience the clinics in session, as well as interview stakeholders. The clinic, held on Tuesday evenings at NIFS from 5:00-7:00pm, pairs young adults with a student instructor and student learning assistant to provide participants with adapted physical fitness geared towards their abilities. Activities are planned for the track, basketball court, weights, and dancing. AFC participants look forward to their activities with the student instructors for six Tuesdays out of every Fall and Spring semester.
Observation at MAC
The research team also visited the Motor Ability Clinic (MAC) for three Saturday clinic sessions to observe the student instructor and participant interaction, interview families and participants, and experience clinic activities. The clinic, held on Saturday mornings from 9:00-11:00am, provides participants with activities in the pool, gym, and weight room. Younger children begin in the gym, then head to the pool halfway through the session.
Older participants begin in the pool and end in the gym. Pool activities include basketball, rock wall climbing, kickboarding, and floating noodles. Some of the gym activities include basketball, adapted bowling, adapted bicycles, floor mat exercises, and a parachute. Some participants build strength in the weight room. MAC participants look forward to sessions for six Saturdays out of every Fall and Spring semester.
Using the information discussed in the kick-off meeting, as well as the data collected from the initial observation sessions at AFC and MAC, the research team created a research plan as a deliverable for the problem finding step. The research plan included data collection methods, methods of engagement, research tools, and expected deliverables for the remaining steps of the process. Another result of the problem finding step was the identification of APAC’s key stakeholder groups for interviews, which include:
IUPUI Administration - Dr. Jay Gladden, Dean of the School of PETM
APAC Administration - Dr. Katie Stanton, Program Director; Larken Marra, Graduate Assistant and Program Coordinator
Advisory Council - Peter Lacy, Advisory Council Chair; Dorene, Advisory Council Member
Families - 4 AFC families and 3 MAC families
Participants - 2 AFC participants and 1 MAC participant
Students and Student Learning Assistants - 4 students and 1 SLA
FACT FINDING
Objective
The fact finding step generated a breadth of information from diverse perspectives. The methods for this step included interviews, observation, and immersion. Immersion is a research method in which the researchers participate in the organization’s activities, in order to gain a more first-hand perspective of the people’s experiences.
Methods
Interview questions were specific to each stakeholder’s role and duties within APAC, in order to understand their individual experiences. Common questions for all stakeholders, such as, “What would you like to see for APAC in the future?”, were added based on the stakeholders’ shared experience. The interviews with AFC and MAC families were conducted at the clinic sessions, so that time was also used for photo documentation, observing student-participant interaction, and writing observational notes. A wonderful opportunity also occurred to be immersed in the clinics and play with the participants. At AFC, the researchers participated in the dancing that closes out the clinic every week, when participants and students play music and dance as a fun reward. At MAC, the researchers played the parachute game with a group of participants and students. The immersion was an inspiring first-hand experience that revealed the essence of APAC and the spirit of the community.
The stakeholder interview recordings were then transcribed and the data was placed into affinity groups. Affinity grouping is a data analysis method, which involves analyzing large amounts of raw data, to see what patterns and relationships emerge. In this case, the raw data was key facts transcribed from the interviews. Once several patterns and
relationships across the key facts emerged, the team categorized the facts according to similar themes. For example, one initial category was labeled “APAC Benefits”, since every stakeholder discussed the benefits of APAC during their interviews. The initial categories represented a very broad overview of the stakeholders’ experience being involved with APAC. Several rounds of affinity grouping took place, in order to derive more accurate and succinct relationships from the data.
An experience map was created to visually communicate the relationships between the final categories from the affinity grouping. Those categories are: Katie’s Vision, Relationships, Benefits, Opportunities, Needs, Unmet Needs, Council’s New Vision, Sustainability, and Growth. The experience map shows how Dr. Stanton’s Vision for APAC informs APAC’s Internal Relationships and external Community Relationships. The map also highlights the Benefits and Opportunities for the organization, as well as how the Unmet and
Stephany puts the final touches on the affinity groups.
Met Needs inform the Advisory Council’s Vision for Sustainability and Growth for the future.
The synthesized map also demonstrates that Dr. Stanton’s life experiences with people with disabilities, coupled with her understanding of the community’s needs, led her to create a space where relationships between families, their children, and student instructors and assistants can flourish (The APAC Experience, page 24). The relationships that people develop as a result of being involved with APAC are one of the most important components of the experience (The APAC Experience, page 25). The stakeholders interviewed all reflected that APAC feels like a tight-knit family they can deeply trust and rely upon. Students and participants form a special bond within only 6-weeks of working together. Families and participants who are involved year after year get to know each other and have come to use the space as a form of socializing. The families also place a great deal of trust in Dr. Stanton, Larken Marra, and the Student Learning Assistants because of the meaningful and impactful work they do with their children.
Every one of the stakeholders benefits from the relationships APAC creates, which is highlighted in the map in the APAC Relationships segment (The APAC Experience, page 25). The relationships create an accepting environment that is accessible to all, which allows for strengthened trust and a warm sense of comfort. It is also a mutually beneficial educational opportunity for both students and participants, as the students have all remarked they have learned a great deal from their interactions engaging with the participants. The student and participant relationship is shown in the experience map under APAC Relationships with the heading
“Participants with Students.”
The data also revealed that several key opportunities exist, since the community currently experiences unmet needs (The APAC Experience, page 26). Based on the community’s met and unmet needs, the Advisory Council has striven to make APAC sustainable, to grow its capacity and reach. Sustainability requires resources such as staff, finances, technology, facilities, and community connections. Growth will require resources to ensure the high quality programming can continue well into the future (The APAC Experience, pages 28-29).
Kim and Iman discuss data points.
THE APAC EXPERIENCE
Portraying APAC’s Collective Voice
Initial Community Need
Katie’s Vision
Past Experiences
Katie’s Vision
Informed by her life experience caring for a person with a disability and her professional experience, Dr. Stanton saw an opportunity to fill a need within the Indianapolis community of people with disabilities. She founded APAC, which provides adapted physical exercise for children and adults with disabilities.
Participants
Relationships
APAC Relationships
The clinics provide a space for student instructors and student learning assistants to come together with families of children or adults who live with disabilities. While exercise is the primary purpose of the clinics, the relationships also become a centerpoint of the experience.
Benefits
Multiple benefits grow out of the relationships. The clinics positively affect every single stakeholder in one way or another.
Opportunities
While the relationships offer the stakeholders many benefits, there are still several opportunities to overcome obstacles and unmet needs.
Council’s New Vision
Council’s New Vision
Together with the research team, Dr. Stanton and the Advisory Council discovered they needed a plan for APAC to become sustainable and maintain its benefits. This would allow them to grow and expand their community reach.
Environment: NIFS is a top-notch facility that is familiar to students.
NIFS is a top-notch facility.
Activities
A variety of fun and engaging and appropriate physical activities for participants make space for positive social connections for all participants, families, and students to grow and develop.
Accessibility
APAC makes it easy to be involved due to its low cost and convenient schedule that doesn’t interfere with school or other activities like tutoring.
Emotional
Fun
Participants look forward to attending the clinics and participating in activities such as swimming, basketball, and rock wall climbing.
Social
The clinics create an opportunity for multiple forms of relationships between families, participants, and students which keep them connected and engaged.
Physical
Physical activities are challenging yet provide limitless opportunities for participants to work with and maximize their abilities.
Trust
APAC’s quality, expertise, and passion lead families to feel comfortable leaving their participants with the instructors.
Acceptance
APAC is a place of acceptance where participants love the program and can build confidence and independence. Families feel at home at APAC.
Impact
Impact
APAC changes students, families, and participants lives and each feel an emotional connection to the program for how it has impacted them. Students alter their life course and will become better professionals, participants create strong and positive memories, and the graduate assistant has made this program a priority in her life.
Education
APAC provides numerous mutually beneficial learning experiences for both participants and students. Students learn about living with disabilities, creating lesson plans, and adapting to new situations, and participants grow in their capabilities and contribute to the students’ learning.
Students benefit in a lab-like environment where they learn to see the world in a whole new way. Students will be able to apply learned behavior modifications techniques across fields.
Participants
Participants are a valuable part of the learning process. They work to meet their physical goals every Saturday as they work towards learning to become more independent.
Accessibility
Limited community resources lead to competition among families in the community in general and leave many families without support, and limited program resources affect accessibility in terms of capacity
Mental/Emotional
Students feared first day and nothing went according to plan. They wish there was a way to be more prepared but the point is just to be thrown in and make it work.
Opportunities Unmet Needs
Physical
Participants are at risk for the highest rate of secondary disabilities such as obesity and high blood pressure.
Financial
Additional financial resources are required to secure facilities, equipment, staff, technology, and public relations.
State
Organizational structure
Trained staff is required, technology is old and behind, families would like an online registration system, and students become tired.
State policy
State policy won’t change without additional research, and although Indianapolis is getting better, the city and state still lag behind in serving the community. Public schools can be barriers as far as both not offering sufficient services and not collaborating with APAC to educate the community on APAC’s services.
Staff
A Program Coordinator position was added to the budget for the next three years, so tasks and responsibilities need to be effectively re-delegated amongst the team.
Finance
Sta
There is a need for more funding and fundraising opportunities in order to sustain the current quality of the program.
Facilities
There is a need to secure stably available and affordable facilities that have enough space to hold a variety of clinic activities.
Registration
Payments should be easier to submit and the application process should be streamlined so families do not have to re-submit the same information every time they register.
Council’s New vision Sustainability
Growth
The stakeholders all agree that growing the organization so it can reach and include more families and participants would have a positive impact on the community. However, before the organization can grow in a healthy and sustainable way, they must be able to sustainably maintain their current high level of quality.
Organizational resources must be secured and used efficiently in order to sustain APAC.
Educational
APAC provides a mutally beneficial educational opportunities, in which students provide service learning and participants learn adapted physical activities.
APAC is a family-driven and family-focused organization that treats the people they serve like they are family.
Focus Connection Logistical
There is a wonderful bond that forms between participants and students, for which they are all grateful. Families have a deep level of trust for the people involved with APAC and consider the program an integral part of their lives.
Growth
In order for APAC to grow, there is a need for more full-time staff positions to properly distribute people's workloads, as well as to ensure there will be a replacement for Dr. Stanton when she retires.
Sta
In order for APAC to grow, additional funding will need to be secured through fundraising efforts, donors, and Federal grants.
Finance Staff Facilities
If the program expands to other areas, there will be a need to secure additional facilities that are stably available, affordable, and which have enough space to hold a variety of clinic activities.
Registration
The application and registration process could be advanced and made more efficient with the use of better technology and online systems.
Growth
The program could be expanded to provide services to more families and participants in other cities and could also be used as a model to create similar programs at other universities.
Logistical
APAC must have a plan for how to acquire and secure the necessary organizational resources. This will be in the form of a strategic planning document.
The program could attract and recruit more students to be involved, so there could be additional programming for more participants and families.
Focus: There is an opportunity to focus the program so that it would help people with a wider variety of disabilities, and would also be more inclusive of what the program is able to achieve for specific disabilities such as autism, emotional and social challenges, and mobility issues.
Educational Focus Connection
There is an opportunity for APAC to develop a deeper and more closely collaborative relationship with the community of people with disabilities outside of APAC, as well as with the larger community of the Indianapolis region.
PROBLEM DEFINITION
Objective
The aim of this step was to define opportunities and strategic priorities for APAC’s growth, based on the opportunity spaces in the experience map: Katie’s Vision, Relationships, Opportunities, Benefits, Needs, Unmet Needs, Council’s New Vision, Sustainability, and Growth.
Methods
Once the opportunities and priorities were generated, they were written in the form of opportunity statements starting with, “How might we?” For example, since several stakeholders talked about APAC’s high quality of service, the following opportunity statement was generated for the “Benefits” opportunity space: “How might we maintain APAC’s high quality of service?”
After creating the opportunity statements for each opportunity space, they were arranged in order from strategic goals to action steps.
An overarching opportunity statement was identified to tie together all of the opportunity spaces, and it showed that ultimately APAC was looking to move from sustainable maintenance to sustainable growth. The overarching opportunity statement that was developed was, “How might APAC become sustainable and grow while maintaining its quality?” Informed by this opportunity statement, the researchers developed a more refined set of opportunity spaces: Mission and Vision, APAC Relationships, Community Relationships, and Organizational Resources.
Each of the refined opportunity spaces presents a specific opportunity statement for the organization to consider. The opportunity statements articulate the themes of the opportunity spaces into a specific
action. For example, based on the themes of the APAC Relationships opportunity space, the following opportunity statement was developed: “How might we retain the social benefits of the program?” Each of the opportunity statements for the opportunity spaces supports the overarching opportunity statement of, “How might APAC become sustainable and grow while maintaining its quality?” Thus, the data confirms that APAC’s initially perceived opportunity of wanting to sustain their organization so they can grow into the future was accurate. An opportunity statement map was created based on the results of this step (the map is included on page 32).
Iman and Kim discuss opportunity spaces within the experience map.
Stephany arranges strategic and tactical opportunity statements.
PLANNING
Objective
The purpose of the planning sessions with Dr. Stanton were to create a road map with potential solutions for APAC to consider including in an action plan.
Methods
Dr. Stanton met with the research team to prioritize the opportunity spaces, based upon criteria that
focuses on securing sustainable growth for APAC within a three year timeframe. The opportunity spaces were prioritized for action in the following order: Mission and Vision, Organizational Resources, Community Relationships, and APAC Relationships.
Next, the team assigned several potential solutions to each of the opportunity spaces and met with Dr. Stanton again to have her prioritize them. Dr. Stanton
Dr. Stanton discusses her priorities with the research team.
prioritized the potential solutions assigned to each of the opportunity spaces.
As the next step, APAC can use this road map of prioritized opportunity spaces and potential solutions to write an action plan. An action plan will give APAC a concrete list of steps they will need to complete, in order to accomplish the goals of their overarching opportunity statement, “How
might APAC become sustainable and grow while maintaining its quality?” To create their action plan, they will need to determine what tasks need to be completed, who will be responsible for completing those tasks, when the solution will be implemented, how the solution will be implemented, and, if relevant, where it will be implemented.
Stephany transcribes Dr. Stanton’s action plan on the whiteboard.
IDEA FINDING
Objective
The previous stage reveals that APAC’s first priority is creating a mission and vision statement, so the objective of this step was to ideate elements that should be included in APAC’s mission and vision statement. The team accomplished this by facilitating envisioning sessions with the Advisory Council and the student instructors. It was critical to understand how these two stakeholder groups currently perceive APAC and how they envision its future. In support of the overarching opportunity statement, “How might APAC become sustainable and grow while maintaining its quality?”, the envisioning sessions were designed with two main questions in mind: How do they perceive APAC?; and, How do they envision APAC?
Methods for Advisory Council Envisioning Session
The research team facilitated an envisioning session with the Advisory Council at the Joseph Maley Foundation Center. The Advisory Council started off with a warm-up session where members looked at photos from the MAC sessions and shared their favorite memories from the clinics. The purpose of this activity was to get the members to start reflecting upon the current state of APAC and what it means to them. The next activity included ideating on a variety of questions for 3 minutes each, to help them better understand the current state of APAC - what APAC means to them personally, who are APAC’s community, what APAC means to the community, and why does APAC exist. Then the research team asked the members to
The Advisory Council discusses what APAC is now and what they want it to be in the future.
ideate on a variety of questions about the future of APAC for 3 minutes each. They envisioned where they see APAC going, who APAC’s future community would be, what APAC should mean to the community, and why APAC would continue to exist.
Common themes were identified in defining the current and potential future states of APAC. From the Advisory Council members’ perspectives, the current state of APAC comprises relationships amongst families and friends, opportunities for learning and exercise, mutual educational experiences, community support, and acceptance. They felt the future state of APAC should include everything from the current state, as well as collaborating with outside organizations
to support APAC in retaining affordable, high quality adaptive exercise opportunities. They would also like to promote an inclusive environment. By becoming more connected to a larger community, APAC would continue to grow and serve the needs of the community. A map that shows the results of the Advisory Council Envisioning Session is included on page 44.
The Advisory Council discusses what APAC is now and what they want it to be in the future.
Second-year VCD cohorts facilitated an envisioning session with the student instructors. Students were asked: (1) what they feel their current roles as student instructors are. Students wrote that they feel they are instructors, trainers, mentors, helpers, coaches. Skills they use in those roles include planning, patience, encouragement, flexibility, and time management. They expressed a need to think creatively, communicate effectively, and modify as needed.
Once they reflected upon their current roles, students were asked to: (2) discuss the challenges they experience in those roles, in the areas of knowledge, emotions, and skills/resources. For knowledge, students expressed a challenge in not having enough interaction with the participants and their
families before the first day of the clinic sessions. They also expressed a need for more training and preparation before the sessions. Often times, they need to adapt and modify activities on the spot to work more effectively with the participants. Students acknowledged they need to learn to communicate more effectively with their participant, sometimes with non-verbal communication. A wide range of emotions were expressed. The emotions they felt before and during their interaction with participants were: worry, fear, stress, pity, sorrow, indifference, discomfort, and nervousness. The emotions they felt their emotions during and after their interaction with participants were: enthusiasm, resilience, pride, empathy, gratification, compassion, enjoyment, confidence, optimism, and persistence. The challenges they experienced related to skills and
Methods for Student Instructor Envisioning Session
Student instructors brainstorm solutions to their challenges.
resources were: multi-tasking, lesson planning, limited numbers of equipment, and not enough variety of equipment.
After discussing the emotional aspects of their experience, the students: (3) imagined their ideal experience. They felt that further training in empathy building skills, multi-tasking, and lesson plan guidance would help them achieve better communication. To better understand their participants, they felt it would be helpful to be taught more comprehensively about medical treatment, different types of disabilities, and the current abilities of their participant. There was also a desire for more instruction about the equipment used, as well as a
need for expanded resources, such as new pool toys and adapted equipment.
Finally, each of the students drew diagrams: (4) representing their vision for APAC’s future, including facilities, people, and resources. The diagrams were created using the ideas they generated about their current roles, challenges, and ideal experience. The envisioning sessions provided the research team with valuable insight into the student’s experiences, needs, and hopes, which are directly related to the potential mission and vision statement. A map showing the results of the Student Envisioning Session is included on page 48.
Student instructors think about how they can meet their challenges.
STUDENT INSTRUCTORS ENVISIONING SESSION
Reflecting upon the Mission & Vision of APAC
1. What they feel their current roles as Student Instructors are
2. The challenges they experience in those roles
Knowledge
Challenges include not enough knowledge of disabilities, medical treatments, specific conditions, and of the person themselves. Other challenges include running out of activities, knowing how to modify, being open to new ideas,
Emotions
Students experience a wide range of emotions, from worry, nervousness, and uncertainty to happiness, empathy, and compassion.
Resources
Students would like a warmer, more shallow pool, small rooms for focusing, fewer environmental distractions, and an independent facility.
Modification,
Skills
Being able to modify activities,adapt, as well as feeling prepared for circumstances is a challenge.
Communication,
Being able to communicate in different ways, such as non-verbally, is a challenge. .
Tools
More pool toys and adaptive equipment are a need.
Training
Students would like resources for training such as lesson plan guidance and mentors.
Facilities
Students would like a warmer, more shallow pool, small rooms for focusing, fewer environmental distractions, and an independent facility.
3. Their ideal experience
Knowledge
Students would like more training and experience, and meeting the family and client prior to the first session would be helpful. They also need to know how to be be open-minded, creative, and adaptable.
Emotions
Students know that compassion and empathy are important, as well as being resilient, confident, flexible, and positive. Remembering that clients see how you react and learning to stay calm would help mitigate negative emotions. Being coachable, able to step back and evaluate, and optimistic helps.
Resources
Skills
Students want to be able to handle worst case scenarios, to be physically prepared, physical strength to assist, and an extra set of hands.
More water toys are a desire, as well as a stand alone facility that has a quiet space as well as more space around equipment, with handicap-accessible equipment. Tools
4. Their vision for APAC’s future, including facilities, people, and resources
The students largely envision additional activities and outings to build relationships with their participants as well as create community awareness. Activities range from more toys to exercises and outing ideas include trips to the Children’s Museum and the zoo. The students also desire to involve the community to build awareness. Ideas include involving the Colts and Pacers, as well as Riley Children’s hospital.
Other common opportunity spaces include fostering relationships within APAC, providing more training for students and families, changes to clinic frequency and time, and obtaining independent facilities.
CONCLUSIONS
This strategic planning document was developed based upon the participatory engagement between the research team and APAC over the course of the 2016 Fall semester. It is intended to be used as an action tool for APAC to use in pursuing their goal of long-term, sustainable growth, while maintaining high quality services.
Considering the nature of this type of action research, the team was allowed to engage with APAC during a limited time frame in the Fall semester. Within the time frame allowed, the researchers were able to engage with several key stakeholder groups that are directly involved with APAC. Going forward, it is recommended that APAC continue the participatory process of engaging with other stakeholders and community groups, according to their goals in this strategic plan. The research team hopes that the information and findings in this document are valuable for building the next stage of APAC.
THE VOICES OF APAC
We were honored to be invited into the experience of each person that we interviewed. Each of these voices is valuable, and they are a central component to this research document. The stories revealed beauty and struggle, overcoming and joy.
Following are interview excerpts that highlight the overarching narrative of our research - APAC is a collection of relationships forged through a common purpose. It is a collective that demands to be nurtured and shared with all who need it.
INTERVIEW 01:
Dorene/Cannon’s mom /MAC participant
Before Dorene and her family had even moved to Indianapolis from San Francisco, she had already heard about the MAC program at IUPUI. It seemed like a good resource for her son, Cannon.
“It was described to me as an opportunity to get some time in the gym and pool and work with an eager student and he would be active. And I couldn’t believe the cost. Just $35.00,” she explains.
That was five years ago, and her son, Cannon, has been coming to MAC ever since. While there are other opportunities for Cannon to work one on one with an instructor, like during music or art lessons, there aren’t any other children involved. “MAC gives him a chance to stay active and be around other children and families,” Dorene says. “It means an opportunity for him to stay active and engaged in the community. He creates a relationship with each student and really looks forward to it.”
Not only does the program give Cannon a change to engage with the community, but Dorene, as well. “Most of us parents hang out and you visit and get to know each other and share information, mingling, see how each others’ kids are doing. We sit and watch children have a great time and visit. I didn’t expect that and that’s what happened. It’s been a good experience for me.”Through other MAC families, Dorene was even introduced to a moms’
group and that widened her experience with the families that attend MAC. MAC has been key in integrating into the local community. “It’s a form of connection for us,” she says.
Because the connection has meant so much to her family, Dorene feels that becoming connected to a family right away when attending MAC for the first
Cannon stays active at MAC.
time would be beneficial. She believes there should be a sponsor family to greet you. “It’d be nice to connect with another family right away, not that there’s a need, but it’s a positive experience,” she says.
Dorene also feels that MAC has made her family’s transition into Indianapolis life easier, and MAC also makes it easy for her family to be involved in the program as “Saturdays from 9-11 doesn’t compete with school or tutoring. They make it easy for us to do.”
While the scheduling works well for Dorene, she feels the paper based registration process could use some streamlining, she would love to see something really easy to log in online to register. “I’m filling out the same information every time and I could see it being easy to set up a link of some sort to quickly register and tie it to a credit card. I would like to see that happen,” she says.
She would also love to see a way to ease the first connection between students and families. “From what I’ve heard, there’s a lot of hesitation as these students have never worked with kids with special needs.”
To ease the transition, she sends students working with her son videos in advance. “I always send them videos of Cannon first so they can see him. I can see that a platform where we can share that ahead of time to emotionally prepare would be helpful. Students are so media savvy, this would be no big deal for them to do,” Dorene explains.
In addition to these program needs, Dorene would love to see the program expand to reach more families, because a need in the community exists. “We should be available to people who don’t have
the resources, choices, options, because this is affordable, it’s a wonderful experience. I don’t know that you can find what MAC offers elsewhere for the price.”
In order to expand, MAC would need to be able to accommodate more families beyond the two, six week per semester program already in place during which spots are limited. “The community needs more throughout the year and spots for children,” Dorene states.
Dreaming big, Dorene wonders if MAC could even expand beyond Indianapolis and the greater area. “Can we duplicate this for other communities around us, too? Other kids in other cities need this, too.”
Ultimately, Dorene would like MAC to be “set up to be sustainable over time, because it’s so accessible to so many families, from cost to time.”
It’s a form of connection for us.
INTERVIEW
02:
Peter /Advisory Council Chair/Callahan’s Dad
Peter Lacy’s experience through MAC as a parent has led him to accept the chairman position of the APAC Advisory Council. “As a parent, I’m thankful and appreciative. I want the program to be here after Dr. Stanton leaves. I want her to be able to go somewhere else and know that the program will still be here,” he explains.
As a parent, I’m thankful and appreciative.
His family felt connected to the community through MAC and knows that the program can adequately address and serve his son’s needs. “My wife and I and the community have been battling the same problems. We’re not alone. Others can recognize that Callahan can do something that I can’t see because I’m too close.”
Most importantly, his son has a good time at MAC.
“Callahan is having so much fun,” Peter says.
In, fact, he’s having so much fun, he doesn’t even mind that the adapted exercise is a form of therapy.
“He doesn’t view it as therapy for two hours. He sees that he has a younger person who cares about him and wants to hang out and play with him. When he was 8 or 9 he didn’t know he was doing therapy. But now he does and he still wants to be here and knows he’s supposed to do these things,” Peter explains.
“He has seen progression over the years in his motor skills. He couldn’t catch a ball when he first came here, but now he can. He’s overcome that now,” he continues.
Callahan relates to the student instructor in a way that’s different to relating to an adult. “For whatever reason, Callahan latched on to the idea that the student is more of a buddy and not a parent,” says Peter.
And the relationships that are formed create a lasting impression. “A couple of MACs ago, a student blew up a picture of the two of them and put a quote on it and framed it and gave it to Callahan. They still e-mail now and then,” he adds.
Peter feels that having university students as the program instructors is a key factor. “A critical component of this program here is students coaching students, a classroom. The training that these kids get is unique. Teaching moments make this program unique.”
And parents know that their children are a valuable
part of the learning process for students. “I used to call Callahan the ‘subject.’ The student needs a subject to learn,” Peter says. And the students benefit, he feels. “There’s a lot of benefit to the families. Katie would say it’s all about the families, but I see the students.”
This program that benefits all stakeholders mutually is the community’s best kept secret. “There’s a lot of good things and opportunities for people or kids who don’t always have the same opportunities. This is a neat opportunity for kids who don’t always get those same opportunities. This program is to make that possible.”
And Peter’s role as Advisory Council Chair is fulfilling as he gets “reward from trying to put together good processes and a sustainable organization.” He wants the organization to explore who and what they are at their core. “How do we keep this going? What are the core values? We need to crystallize what we want this to be.”
Peter feels that remaining a part of an educational program is beneficial for the program’s future. “Being tied to the university is important to me. I think
one student teaching another is valuable. There’s something to this being a university program. If you have ten paid staff for ten kids you’re not doing the same thing.”
But he has ideas.
“Maybe take the program to other universities. Find the community and ask their needs, then contact the university.”
Peter also sees the realities of sustaining the program and expanding. “Financial stability is key,” he states.
Not only are funds necessary to run the program in the future, securing facilities is also a concern. “Facilities is one of the biggest problems, with MAC you need a pool. Where is there a pool that also has a gym?” he asks.
An inherent competitive registration process, due to lack of capacity to accommodate all families with needs, is a main challenge.
“There are only so many spots so families can register to ensure their spots before telling their friends. There’s a natural conflict. I want the program to be around but if we can’t tell people about it then it can’t grow. Are we ready to create demand and meet it?”
While there are many issues to be resolved, Peter has one goal in mind.
“We have to figure out how to grow capacity.”
Peter discusses MAC’s future with the research team.
INTERVIEW 03:
AFC Families
One of the AFC parents describes the benefits for their adult son, who attends the Adapted Fitness Clinic at NIFS every Tuesday night, six sessions a semester. Because the activities are geared towards participants’ abilities, not disabilities, there is never ending space for personal physical growth.
“There’s no way he could not benefit. There’s no plateau,” he says.
In addition to growth potential, there are a number of ways in which AFC parents feel the program is unique. For example, Kids are paired up with a university student - non-disabled person - and train one on one in an environment where there is a give and take spirit of teaching and learning.
“He’s contributing to education,” Malcolm’s dad explains. And now these college students are exposed to disabilities and will go out into the world to build awareness and dismantle fears within the community.
Student instructors provide a structured plan and measure participants’ progress. Participants are trained to use the machines, a skill they can take with them to other gyms or at home. And relationships are oftentimes built with the instructors, with whom they sometimes stay in touch after the program.
The program also gives participants a sense of purpose. “Marci has to have a list of things to do that day, she has to have purpose,” one parent explains. And AFC gives her daughter something to look forward to.
While there are multiple benefits to the program, AFC parents wonder if the program could expand. One way to expand would be by creating a year round program. The short time span of the clinic provides challenges as kids become attached to the activities. They need consistency as well as exercise between semesters. “Once they get used to it, it’s over,” one parent explains.
The potential for growth is limitless.
Expanding within the community is also a desire.
“How can we do this for more people in more places?” they wonder. “Can this be replicated with other facilities or offered on a different night?”
The parents all admitted at one point they used to register their own children for the program before telling others about it. Limited spaces and resources
all across the board, not only within APAC, create conflict within their own community on a regular basis.
“You’re competing against your own friends,” one parent added.
“Everything has limits,” added another.
It’s a reality they all face. Within the community, families may wait years for eligibility and resources their children need. They are used to advocating for their own children and searching out opportunities and resources for them. Even if their child might need a resource years out, they make sure to get on the waitlist.
Another reality they all face is having to continually educate people who are working with their kids about their needs. “Every time you go somewhere, you have to explain,” one parent adds.
Also, families have experienced being patronized by experts. They’re told “This is what you need, you’re in denial, this is how it should be.”
But at AFC, no explanations are necessary, all are valued, and all are friends. There is a feeling of trust in Dr. Stanton and the students. And long time friendships have formed among the families, some of whom have been attending for as long as a decade.
“It feels like home.”
And that’s why Tuesday evenings after clinic are spent going to out to eat and being together with friends who know and support each other.
AFC participants learn to use their equipment and other exercises.
INTERVIEW
04:
Todd/Community/Former Student/Advisory Council Member
Todd, a former student of Dr. Stanton’s at Ball State University, and former MAC volunteer, recounts how his first experiences with adapted physical education impacted him.
“It totally changed me. It wasn’t until I started taking classes with Katie in the adapted P.E. department that I really fell in love with working with that population of kids,” he says.
That love led him to action.
“I got more involved once I found myself and what I wanted to do and it was largely through Dr. Stanton’s class,” he explains.
Now an Adapted Physical Education teacher at RISE, Todd is a member of the Advisory Council and is on board with APAC’s mission and vision. “They are trying to offer kids another way to be active and work on motor skills. There are a lot of great resources here in central Indiana, but the resources are very limited. So I think Dr. Stanton wants to grow that and increase opportunities.”
Todd has also been involved with Special Olympics and Top Soccer, as he helps out as much as he can to help kids have access to activities like that. He also values how the physical and the educational
aspects of APAC merge to give university students an authentic, direct experience with people with disabilities.
“I think it’s also good for her college students to get experience working with kids with disabilities as well.”
His own experience as a college student informs his view. “Because I was that student and I loved what she did as my professor in a practical experience out of the school. You could talk about these kids, but then she just threw you to the wolves and said, ‘Go teach them.’”
Todd liked how Dr. Stanton brought the classroom into the real world because “she looked at how you teach and she made it to be more like teaching instead of just talking about it like other professors. You can get to know a kid on paper, but you never know what a kid is like or how best to work with a kid until you are actually working with them. It’s true to life.”
Todd’s experiences and current profession fuel his desire to see APAC grow and he shares Katie’s vision of growing and expanding opportunities. He would especially like for APAC to be a resource for even more families and children. “I would like to see opportunity for more people. I think there’s a larger community that’s not being served. How do you get the word out and tap into those kids and get them
there?,” he wonders.
When considering how APAC should look going forward, Todd feels some definite must haves should be, “interactions colleges have with kids with disabilities. I would like to see that as opposed to someone being paid to work with these kids.”
He feels the university educational experience is invaluable, as it forges relationships. “It’s a new, fresh experience for a new batch of college kids who have never experienced this before. And with an element of learning together, there’s something special about that bond you create with that one particular student that you’re assigned to work with,” he explains.
Todd also knows that the one on one ratio is an important part of the clinics. “Everything that I learned in my undergraduate career about teaching regular P.E. is all about staying active even if you’re standing in line. But you’re not always able to do that with this population if you’re not in a one on one scenario. Some can do stuff independently, some not at all, so whether it’s partially physical or verbal prompts, it is really hard to do if it is not a one on one scenario.”
The key ingredient that must absolutely be retained in APAC moving forward is the fun. “You see what the kids can do and you plan on the skills that they already have and it has to be fun. You have to enjoy the physical experience. It’s gotta be fun.”
It totally changed me.
Todd, an Advisory Council member, participates in the APAC envisioning session.
INTERVIEW 05:
Jeanine/Advisory Council member/Charlie’s Mom
Jeanine and her family have been involved with MAC for half a decade. “Charlie has just done MAC since he was probably 4 or six, he’s been here a good 4 or 5 years,” she explains.
Charlie looks forward to playing basketball at MAC. “He loves basketball, that’s his favorite. He plays for his school, and in his front yard a lot. He plays soccer too in a rec league.”
At MAC, basketball is an incentive for Charlie and “they’ll typically use basketball as a reward. And he’s working a lot on his social skills. So, physically he has some core strength issues, and some motor skill issues, and he has language impairments, and he has autism. He works a lot on comprehension and social skills.”
Other than being able to play basketball, having a student to work with benefits Charlie socially. “Him being here works out a lot because it’s like he has a friend who is with him for a couple of hours that’s just with him,” Jeanine explains.
Working with a student instructor as opposed to an adult has its advantages because “it’s easier for him to communicate with because they’re more understanding of any social nuances he might have, more so than an adult or a kid his age, they’re more
forgiving of doing or saying something awkward,” she says.
Spending time with a student at MAC provides a safe place for Charlie.
“School can sometimes be lonely for him. He really looks forward to coming here because he can interact with his buddy for two hours and have a friend. Socially it’s difficult for him to keep and maintain friendships. Its different, the issues that come with autism and language impairments make it difficult to maintain regular friendships,” Jeanine explains.
Being at MAC has also provided a social outlet for Jeanine as well. “I’ve become friends with the parents here which is also nice,” she says. “We’ve talked a lot about different types of schooling and resources for kids.”
Coming to MAC is a priority for Charlie, and he’ll even miss other sporting events to attend. “He actually has soccer games that he wants to skip to come to this. He missed a soccer game today to come here, and last week also. He holds this place really high as something he wants to do,” Jeanine says.
And he wants to do it because of the relationship with his student. “It’s doing something that he likes with a friend, somebody who he feels like is a buddy
with him, other than me or his brother, or his dad, someone who he feels chooses to be with him.”
Because MAC is so important to Charlie, Jeannie wants to be involved in the program’s continued success. She also wants other families to experience the benefits she and her son do.
“I have noticed what it means for Charlie, so I’m sure it means that much for other parents as well. We’re all here for very different reasons, but they all enjoy their time here with their buddy. My driving force is because Charlie loves it. I’ll help in any way I can - if that’s stuffing an envelope, fine. I help send letters and with the auction I’m going to help send out the letters and probably help with picking up donations. And then we’re also going to help set up the auction. Anything that I can do to help out I’ll do.”
Jeanine would like to see Dr. Stanton’s vision carried on indefinitely. “Katie’s done such a great job of developing and maintaining this. This has to be sustained with her vision in place. It would be nice to have this program available to kids in the community forever,” she says.
EVERYONE’S EXCITED & HAPPY FOR HIM.
She has some ideas on how that can happen.
“Katie’s vision is always family focused and it’s always been volunteer led. We’ll need actual positions, I think its gonna need to have some positions created, like an assistant director.
Eventually we’ll need a director position. I don’t think it could survive long term on a volunteer basis.”
And the student factor must be retained, for very personal reasons.
“To have the students involved is a huge plus. I think the student thing is a fantastic component of it. The best example I got from a previous student was he sent Charlie a letter and he said that he was supposed to teach Charlie but Charlie actually taught him,” Jeanine explains through tears.
“It was such a sweet letter. It was just so genuine and so true. It was a really awesome letter that this kid had wrote. It’s really good for charlie but I think it’s really good for the students too,” she adds.
The letter Charlie received made Charlie feel valuable to the student because “a kid with special needs is constantly going somewhere for them to get help. And it kinda turns around - yes he’s playing basketball and doing things that are good for him, but it was awesome to get a letter knowing that he was helping someone, too,” she explains.
Jeanine feels that permanent positions, long term, is important but having students continuously involved, is needed. “I think maybe some of the spirit of the give and take, sometimes if you put money into the equation, it would be different,” she says. “The spirit that’s here, that you feel would be lost if there were paid positions like that.”
Another benefit of student instructors is that they will take their experience with them out into the community and can help build awareness. They will be better equipped to interact with people with disabilities. “The students are going out in the world maybe to be a phys ed teacher or something and will
maybe have kids in their class who will have special needs of all different kinds of degrees. To be able to come in here and interact with these kids is really good,” she says.
Jeanine also follows the unwritten rule of all MAC families:
“You get your registration forms in and then you forward the e-mail, for sure,” she laughs.
MAC families are sure to register their own children to ensure their spots before telling anyone else. Because MAC offers so many benefits for such a low price. “There’s so much involved here, you’re getting a little OT, some PT, some social therapy, and for
$35.00 for six weeks. It’s hard to replicate that in any kind of social group or any kind of therapy you could go to. There are so many kids in Indianapolis who could benefit from that,” Jeanine explains.
Charlie is one of them, and his family is happy for him to have this resource.
“He’s always excited every Friday night. His backpack is packed, his swim trunks are out. Everyone’s excited and happy for him. If he’s had a rough week at school, this is something for him to look forward to and have fun.”
Jeanine and her family benefit from the social connections at MAC.
INTERVIEW 06:
MAC Student Instructors
MAC students were prepared for this clinic experience in a couple of ways. They were prepared through classroom experience that required a research paper, and a prerequisite course.
“We had a prerequisite for this class to introduce to walking a mile in their shoes. Stanton is great, she just says ‘So we’re gonna run on the track, but you’re going to be blindfolded.’ And a wheelchair on campus is awful, the sidewalks are bumpy. And these people have to live like this every single day,” Seth explained. “They can’t just get up out of their wheelchair.”
But despite empathy building and classroom activities, the students still felt unprepared for their real world experience. They had been warned that the experience may not run smoothly.
“Stanton says not to expect things to go as planned,” Ashley said.
“My first day was my worst experience,” she continues. “Everything that could go wrong did. We weren’t able to do anything on our lesson plan. By the time I was done I was emotionally exhausted. But today was a much better day. It was a tough first day. I didn’t want to come back. But I love that I kid. And I learned about myself, how much patience I have, for sure.”
At first, Aubrey was terrified. “I was crying into my pancakes last Saturday. ‘I can’t do this, I’m so scared,’” she said. “They give us a packet to read about our person, which made me even more scared - even the interview with her mom. None of it made me feel like I could handle it. I was deathly afraid.”
“But I fell in love with her,” she continues. “So in the end I was crying because I fell in love with her. She latched right on to me.”
“Just the classroom side of it has opened my eyes to the world in a different way, from opening doors to people in a wheelchair. All of that, in five weeks, has opened my eyes to see the world differently,” Aubrey adds. “But it still didn’t prepare me.”
“I think that’s the divine joke that Stanton plays on everyone,” says Seth. “Reading articles and getting an idea of how a certain disability may affect somebody is all good and well until it’s actually in front of you.”
“But I think that’s the point,” he adds. “Here, you have to improvise and do this and work with this kid. But what helped me was learning to break down tasks for the kids. Restructure everything to get the same result. Right now. I can’t redo my lesson plan, if it doesn’t work it doesn’t work. But some of the things we did last week he’s retaining. And things
were so much better this week, now I’m excited for next week.”
The students are already beginning to understand how this experience could impact their futures.
“I wanna coach now. I’m terrible at sports, but I’m a bodybuilder. But I was telling my husband what would be really cool - to be a coach for para sports. Never thought I could coach, but I think it would be really cool to coach and we learned in class that coaches are lacking,” Aubrey says.
“It reaffirms what I want to do - working in the Veteran’s hospital. This is really preparing me for that,” Ashley adds.
“For me, being able to adapt and be on your toes every moment has been an irreplaceable skill. In our own gym, being able to adapt or modify exercises in an irreplaceable skill,” says Seth.
“I’m learning how to talk to different people. This is
a population I’ve never had to talk to before, seeing these parents and their strength and learning from them, that’s a skill, too. And you can apply these modification techniques to anyone in any field. I’m gonna think on my toes and change,” says Richard.
Also, the students realize their experience is one of a kind. “It’s a unique program,” says Ashley. “I think it’s one of few in the country that actually require it.”
“We are always trying to do our best because we are one semester of a twenty year program. It’s a trust thing, too. These parents are bringing their kids to work with college students that they know nothing about. We write a little paragraph about ourselves and that’s all they get,” he continues.
The students see ways to serve this community in other ways. Serving this community wouldn’t have to be limited to exercise. “We’re trying to use our expertise in exercise science to close the gap but you could do it with any activity. The main goal here is motor activity, but it’s also a behavior thing, too.
Student instructors recall their experience at MAC.
Our lens is exercise science but you could close the gap in any way,” says Richard.
And the students now understand the impact of their work.
“My kid’s mom is a single mom. And this is a financial burden, it’s an emotional burden, if I can give her two hours to relax, then that’s great. And I’m reinforcing what she’s teaching him,” explains Richard.
“You think, okay I’m going to play games with a child, but it’s way more than that,” says Ashley.
Now advocates for the class and program, the students would like to see the program expand. “You could have programs like this all over the city,” says Seth. It takes people like Katie and Larken who have the experience and the motivation. The only reason this has been offered for twenty years is because Katie is passionate about it.”
“If they could open up another section for this class,
this could grow. You could double the amount of people who could work with the kids,” says Richard.
And there are more than enough students, as many have to wait to even take the required class. “I have been on a waitlist for this class since last spring,” he adds.
Ultimately, the students appreciate the experience this class provides.
“By being forced to take this class - I never would have taken it - I’m so happy that I did. I’ve learned so much already,” says Seth.
“I know that everything happens for a reason. I have the tatoo, literally. I live my life by that. And I guess I was supposed to be here and meet her,” says Aubrey of her kiddo.
“At the end of the clinic,” says Ashley, “I think I’ll feel that it’s been the most rewarding experience of my life.”
“This is kinda like a lab for us, a way to apply what we’ve learned.
INTERVIEW
07:
Larken, APAC Graduate Assistant and Program Coordinator
Larken, a graduate assistant and APAC’s Program Coordinator, first became involved with the program seven years ago. “I started as a volunteer back in fall of 2009,” she explains.
Then she was asked to come back the following semester as as Student Learning Assistant for the program. And ever since, the program has remained very close to her heart. “This program is my life. I’m often referred to as Little Stanton, because she cares so much,” Larken says.
“It definitely takes priority. I was just thinking about all the things I have to do for clinic. I’ve become a lot less selfish working with the programs,” she adds.
Larken’s responsibilities are many, and include registration, overseeing the clinics, and working with students to make sure that all sides - students, participants, and families - have a positive experience. “I work with the students to make sure their lesson plans are up to par, and that they’re made in a way that is successful working with the participants, many of whom I have known a long, long time,” she explains. “I’m the boss, as some of the kids would say, but I don’t see it that way.”
It’s the biggest part of my life.
Larken’s drive in part is due to understanding APAC’s value to the community. “There are very few programs in the state that cater to people with disabilities,” Larken says. “We are getting hands on with a population that is grossly underserved. I think that by getting the word out there and making our voice heard, and communicating the importance behind what it is we’re doing - I think that in itself is the most important thing we do.”
Also, the program is a place of acceptance that honors the individual as well as the community.
“There’s no judgement in what we do, it’s all out of the respect and the need for individuals to get them where they want to be, whether it’s independent in their own life, more mobile in their own life, or a more
social aspect. We try and do it all,” Larken says.
Larken sees a lot of opportunity for growth within the adapted activity community. “I think more universities are picking up on this. I think because our country is becoming more aware of disability and the need for adapted activity and recreation in any form, more universities are picking up on this. They are realizing the importance of having an adapted course, or adapted section,” she explains.
Ultimately, APAC is like family to Larken. “It’s the biggest part of my life. I don’t have kids or a family of my own, so these families - I’ve adopted them as my own. So they mean the world to me. And I only care about the success of the programs.”
Larken debriefs with the student instructors after MAC.
Callahan/MAC Participant
Callahan, an 8th grader at an area middle school, collects his MAC t-shirts - one from every clinic over the last six years - and plans on making a quilt of them when he’s done. His MAC shirts are special to him.
“When I go through the drawer I pull out t-shirts and remember instructors and memories. I remember fun activities and instructors. Every t-shirt has its own story.”
One of his t-shirts reminds him of the time he taught himself to surf on a kickboard.
“I was born with a coordination development issue, so it was working on balance and helped me with balance and last semester I learned I could do it with one foot,” Callahan explains with pride.
He’s also proud of his t-shirts and even wears them to school, where kids ask him about MAC.
“’Callahan, what’s that?’ It’s a program I do at IUPUI that’s really fun,” he explains.
His friends support his involvement in MAC, too. “A lot of my friends know that I was born with this coordination issue and my friends know I do this and have fun and support me in it.” Callahan looks forward to the six MAC sessions every fall and
spring, and is up early every Saturday morning, ready to go. Working one on one with an IUPUI student is a major incentive. “Who doesn’t want to come workout with a student at IUPUI for two hours on a Saturday morning?”
He enjoys getting to know his assigned student more and more every week. But for the other forty Saturdays of the year, when MAC isn’t in session, Callahan misses MAC. “During the winter I really wish I had something to do on Saturdays, it gives me stuff to do on Saturdays,” he explains.
The school week is busy for him, as he participates in the school lego robotics team, and goes to physical therapy. He really likes his physical therapist, but experiences pain after the sessions. He never experiences pain after MAC. He enjoys the activities and likes swimming the best. “I like the water; my parents always say I am a fish and a strong swimmer.”
But Callahan and Jake, his student this semester, are also working in the gym. “We set some goals for some machines last week and we’ll hopefully improve on all of those this week,” he says.
Callahan loves working with Jake, and sees the benefit of the student instructors gaining real life experience through working with him and his peers.
“It’s interesting to learn that there are people who want to become physical therapists and when they
take this class they actually get to do hands on stuff and work with kids that have issues.”
And once this MAC session is over, he’ll have a t-shirt to remember Jake, too.
I have a drawer in my room full of MAC shirts.
Callahan works towards his goals every Saturday with his student instructor.
INTERVIEW
09:
Dr. Katie Stanton-Nichols/Founder/Program Director
Dr. Katie Stanton-Nichols, APAC founder and director, describes her role at the clinics every Tuesday and Saturday.
“My duties are to keep everything together, to make sure that the community participants have the best experience possible, and that the students are as well prepared as possible,” she says.
For Katie, though, the effort she puts into running the clinics is driven by personal experience and her understanding of the families’ needs. “I have a sister with a disability,” she explains, “so for me it’s less about the directing and running of it, but knowing that families who have this experience are treated very differently. So the meaning for me is about being able to communicate to other families ‘we know what you are going through.”
She wishes the programs could reach even more families, but in order to do that, the quality must be ensured.
“Truthfully we’d like to be touching multiple communities, so people have easy access to physical activity. But that’s hard. The more we do - it has to be efficacious. It’s not about making money. It’s really about the ability to maintain quality and relationships, and if that can happen at multiple
sites, great,” Katie says.
Because the clinics are not financially driven and involve student instructors, APAC is affordable for as many families as possible. “The benefits are that families get to access us for low cost and one on one programming, which is hard to get at low cost in an accessible environment. It’s also a great training ground for my students. Course content and the classroom and real life come together beautifully. Now it’s meaningful.”
Katie doesn’t allow finances to be a deterrent for families, and other families pay extra to pay it forward. “Some checks don’t clear, but I don’t do anything about that. We do have some people who write checks for four or five people,” she says.
And charging more money for services would be detrimental. “I don’t want to charge more money. For some of the families that we see, paying 60-70 dollars is a huge deal,” she explains.
Katie’s own life experiences with disability and gives participants and families space to be who they are.
“You grow up differently when you have disability in your life. Your life looks different because people treat that person differently. I just really love working with them at this point, and it’s not because they’re disabled, it’s because they’re honest. They’re just who they are and that’s very refreshing. I feel at
home when I’m there on Tuesday and Saturday, I look at these families and for the most part I understand it. I get it, I honor it, I understand it, I won’t push it.”
And after all these years, Katie’s had the benefit of watching so many children grow and develop. “Seeing them start at three and knowing them now at seventeen is really pretty amazing. Six of the clients on Tuesdays I’ve known since they were eight years old. It’s great to see their families change and shift. It’s nice seeing that growth. It’s fun to see that,” she says.
Katie recalls one of her favorite memories. “We had a young woman who used to literally bang her head on the floor of the gym, turned out she had an undiagnosed cortical vision impairment. What she was running into was not being able to see and getting really frustrated. We saw her from about age five to eighteen - she aged out of the program. They asked if they could do an official graduation ceremony for her. Sure, we said. And they had saved
every single MAC t-shirt over all the years. They put all the t-shirts up and how awesome was it for them? For them that was important to keep them long term for her.”
Dr. Katie Stanton works with student instructors, participants, and their families to ensure everyone has a positive experience.
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