Children with mobility challenges had the opportunity to test drive and take home a brand new toy ride-on car on Friday. The cars were modified for them with the guidance of physical and occupational therapists at Central Connecticut State University.
Children with mobility challenges had the opportunity to test drive and take home a brand new toy ride-on car on Friday. The cars were modified for them with the guidance of physical and occupational therapists at Central Connecticut State University.
The Central C.A.R.E.S Club first started the 'Go Baby Go!' workshops in 2015 with the help of Michele Dischino, a CCSU technology and engineering education professor.
She thought it was a fantastic idea after seeing an NBC story in 2014 of University of Delaware students who founded the program.
Students rewire the cars, so instead of children using a foot pedal, they can push a button on the steering wheel to make them go.
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“We’ve also added basic support structures that we can attach things like a five-point harness to and those final stages today we will do with the physical and occupational therapist guiding us through that to make sure that everything is safe for the child -- uniquely customized. And they bring it home today,” said Dischino.
Since 2015, CCSU has modified 200 cars for children, all free of charge, with the help of donations and grants.
“It is so rewarding to see the smiles. It's really been eye-opening for me to see the joy that movement brings. It's something I think most of us take for granted,” said Dischino.
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One of the four children who received a car on Friday was Zachary, a 5-year-old from New Britain.
His mom, Maribet Carrion, found out about Go Baby Go from her son’s occupational therapist and said she was excited to have this opportunity for her son.
“Oh, it's wonderful because, you know, we've tried to buy him conventional toys, and he gets super frustrated because he can't really figure it out. So it's nice that he'll be able to be a little bit more independent,” said Carrion. “I'm just happy that these events and resources are available to children with special needs. I, as a mother with a child with Down Syndrome, didn't know that there was so many opportunities out there for him,” said Carrion.
Luke Vermilyea, a CCSU student who is student-teaching at New Britain High School, also got his class of students involved.
New Britain High is now one of the 16 high schools and five middle schools in Connecticut that have participated.
Vermilyea said he couldn’t wait to see the reactions from the New Britain High School students, the special needs children and their parents.
“It's always incredible to see, you know, the kids have that experience. And I think maybe even more so is seeing the parents’ reactions to their kids getting this experience that they maybe ordinarily wouldn't be able to have,” said Vermilyea.
