DALLAS TWP. — The Misericordia University Department of Occupational Therapy is offering a nine-week program beginning in January to help school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder increase their social skills through the use of Lego building blocks.

The Sensory Social Lego Based Therapy program features carefully designed programs for children 6 to 14 years of age who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The free program, under the supervision of assistant professors Lori Charney, O.T.D., O.T.R./L. and Orley A. Templeton, O.T.D., O.T.R./L., operates on select Thursdays beginning Thursday, Jan. 30 through April 16 from 4:45-5:45 p.m. in room 135 of John J. Passan Hall, 100 Lake St.

The service-learning project is part of the academic course, Occupations for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and features graduate students in the entry-level master’s degree program in occupational therapy collaborating with their faculty mentors, Drs. Charney and Templeton.

Children in the program will engage in a sensorimotor activity to help regulate their sensory systems and improve attention to tasks, and receive social skill training, such as learning how to ask another child to play and how to comprise with a peer. The Lego construction activity is based off of Dr. Daniel LeGoff’s Lego-Based Therapy programs. It engages participants in a structured Lego construction activity where they interact with peers while building a group project.

The complete schedule includes Thursdays on Jan. 12, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27, March, 12, March 19, April 2 and April 16. April 23 has been set aside as a make-up day in case of inclement weather. For more information about the program or to register, please contact Dr. Templeton at otempleton@misericordia.edu or 570-674-8154.

For more information about the occupational therapy program at Misericordia University, call 570-674-6400 or visit www.misericordia.edu/ot.

Charney
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_Charney-Lori.jpg.optimal.jpgCharney

Templeton
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_Templeton-Orley.jpg.optimal.jpgTempleton