Early Intervention

Riley Bernas presents at the CNT 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Katie Landwehr News, Presentation , , , ,

This summer, the Steele Lab hosted undergraduate researcher, Riley Bernas, from the University of Connecticut. Riley was mentored by Mia Hoffman, Heather Feldner, and Kat Steele.

She finished up her 10-week summer Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) by presenting at the 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium with the Center for Neurotechnology (CNT).

Riley gave a podium and poster presentation titled “Quantifying low-cost switch access play-kit usage in clinical settings: A first glance.“

Way to go, Riley!

Switch Kit Workshop at Boyer Clinic

Katie Landwehr News, Outreach , , , , ,

Steele Lab members, Mia Hoffman, Riley Bernas, and Katie Landwehr led a “Switch Kit” Workshop at Boyer Clinic in Seattle, WA.

The workshop aimed to teach Pediatric Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Educators how to use a new system we have designed with local families and clinicians for inclusive play options in early intervention. The Boyer Team also got to try a variety of adaptive switches Mia, Kate, and Alisha made.

Stay tuned for more on this project!

  • A diverse group of individuals enthusiastically raising their hands to high five and connect their hands to activate a DIY switch.
  • A conference room filled with people seated and standing around a large table while engaging with games and music on an iPad via DIY switches.
  • In a conference room, two women engage in hands-on work with DIY adaptive switches and an iPad.

Switch Kit Workshop at Kindering Redmond

Katie Landwehr News, Outreach , , , ,

Steele Lab members, Mia Hoffman, and Katie Landwehr led a “Switch Kit” Workshop at Kindering in Redmond, WA.

The workshop aimed to teach Pediatric Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Educators how to use a new system we have designed with local families and clinicians for inclusive play options in early intervention. The Kindering Team also got to try a variety of adaptive switches Mia, Kate, and Alisha made. Stay tuned for more on this project.

A woman standing next to a table with toys and a projector screen. The slide says "Co-designing a Switch Kit for Digital Play"
People of different backgrounds gathered around a table, interacting with toys and an iPad.

Mia Hoffman featured on the Department of Mechanical Engineering website!

Katie Landwehr Media, News , , , ,

The Steele Lab’s own Mia Hoffman was featured in an article, Wheels in motion: Improving mobility technologies for children, via the Department of Mechanical Engineering. This article highlighted her work on adapted ride-on cars in collaboration with Steele Lab Alumni Heather Feldner. Way to go, Mia!

 

Two children are riding adapted toy cars

 

Mia Hoffman on “Gears of Progress” Podcast

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Gears of Progress Episode Two featuring Mia Hoffman on early childhood mobility, young kids as participants, and accessibility of research for people with disabilities.

“Gears of Progress” Episode Two featured Mia Hoffman on early childhood mobility, young kids as participants, and accessibility of research for people with disabilities.

Gears of Progress Logo with three gears featuring assistive devices

Name: Gears of Progress

Platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox

Release frequency: bi-weekly on Fridays

Theme: Podcast about research and innovations in rehabilitation engineering and assistive technologies aimed to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. Every episode will feature engineers, medical professionals, end-users, and organizations who focus on improving the health and well-being of individuals with disabilities. We will be covering topics such as emerging tech, outcome measures, medical practice, public policy, accessibility education, and so much more!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GearsOfProgress