Hands-On Play: Establishing a Switch-Adapted Toy Chapter for Student & Community Impact
Presenter: Sarah Zimmerman, OTD, OTR/L
Session Type: Workshop
Time: Saturday, October 3, 2026 | 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Fee: $30 (Includes toy and adaptive switch materials)
Session Description
Authentic, occupation-focused learning experiences are essential for deepening occupational therapy students’ understanding of occupation in practice. However, despite toy adaptation being an established intervention approach, children with disabilities continue to experience significantly less access to play compared to their non-disabled peers.
This session explores the creation and impact of the Switch-Adapted Toy Chapter at Saint Louis University—a collaborative initiative where students learn to modify off-the-shelf toys to make them accessible for children with disabilities. Grounded in Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning, this interprofessional program guides students beyond basic knowledge into real-world application, evaluation, and creative problem-solving as they adapt toys, distribute them to families, and lead community workshops.
Participants will explore how a Switch-Adapted Toy Chapter enhances student learning outcomes while directly expanding play access for children with disabilities and their families. Attendees will leave with a practical framework to establish a similar chapter within their own university or practice setting.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Develop a strategic plan to create and sustain a Switch-Adapted Toy Chapter within a university program or practice setting.
Analyze the impact of hands-on, interprofessional toy adaptation on student learning outcomes using Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Identify key benefits of switch-adapted toy distribution for children with disabilities, their families, and community partners.