Students in PT 8318: Management of Neuromotor Dysfunction taught by Dr. Karen Goodman work with MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) Adaptive Sports and Fitness Program to develop skills in patient communication, transfer techniques, and adaptive equipment management while also learning about the importance of physical activity and sports in rehabilitation and community integration for people with disabilities. These experiences provided students with hands-on opportunities to work with individuals with various neuromotor dysfunctions, including spinal cord injuries, stroke, and other neurological conditions.
For information about Community Engaged Scholarship at GW: https://go.gwu.edu/cesc
Semester Reports
Fall 2023
Students Reporting: 13
Time Reported: 47 hours
Projects:
In this course, students participated in various adaptive sports and fitness programs, primarily working with MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) Adaptive Sports and Fitness Program. The projects included:
Adaptive Cycling: Students assisted with NRH's adaptive cycling program, helping participants with transfers, navigating trails, and managing equipment. They also aided in setting up and breaking down equipment before and after events.
Wheelchair Tennis: Students volunteered at wheelchair tennis practices and events, assisting with setting up wheelchairs, running drills, and helping players transfer between chairs.
Wheelchair Rugby: Students assisted at wheelchair rugby practices, helping with setup, drills, and player transfers.
Student Comments:
"This experience showed me how innovative this population is, especially with how they learn to use their bodies after their injuries and the ways they can complete tasks. This experience also taught me that they are the experts of their own experiences and what techniques are best for them, as the players would give me instructions through transfers and what will work best for each task."
"I gained valuable insight into how much assistance is necessary and wanted by wheelchair users. I was very impressed with all of the players, their maneuverability, and speed (especially among the more veteran players), was amazing."
"I learned about different types of adaptive bikes and additional equipment that can be used with them, as well as practicing communication with individuals while they biked for safety and awareness."
"This was a great opportunity to put into practice principles we have learned in class regarding the importance of exercise as well as working on things like transfers in/out of wheelchairs/bikes."
"This was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about an important community organization, what they do, how they work, and get to know the participants. I also learned a lot about adaptive sports and sport-specific assistive technology."
