Easterseals Fund For Innovation Award Goes to Sensory Gym

A “Sensory Gym” to help children better interact with their surroundings is the winner of the second annual “Bill Adami Fund for Innovation” award through Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The Easterseals Children’s Therapy department in Salisbury, MD, received funding to construct the Sensory Gym, which will benefit more than 80% of the children currently seen by therapists there.

The “Bill Adami Fund for Innovation” was created in memory of Easterseals' late President/CEO, and longtime disability advocate, William J. Adami, honoring his legacy of leadership and innovation at Easterseals.

“Every day we experience and interpret sensory information from the environment through basic senses like sight, touch, taste and smell. The brain sometimes has trouble organizing that information from the senses which can impact a child’s development,” Occupational Therapist, Janet O’Brien, who spearheaded the therapy proposal, said. “Sensory Integration is the foundation for a child’s learning and behavior. For most children, Sensory Integration develops through typical childhood experience, but for some it does not develop as it should and being able to have the right equipment for these children can make all the difference. That's the benefit of the Sensory Gym.”

According to O’Brien, Sensory Integration therapy has been found to benefit children with a variety of disabilities, including, Autism, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, fine motor and gross motor coordination disorders, and developmental delays.

“Easterseals is excited that this year’s the Bill Adami Fund for Innovation award is able to provide a Sensory Gym that will help hundreds of children meet their full potential for years to come,” said Craig Binetti, Easterseals Board Member and Chair of the Bill Adami Fund for Innovation Committee. “Incorporating creative approaches like the sensory gym builds upon the already exceptional services offered through the Children’s Therapy program at Easterseals.”

Easterseals President/CEO, Kenan Sklenar, said that the Sensory Gym proposal was one of many proposals submitted by staff for the Bill Adami Fund for Innovation, “We hope to continue to grow the fund so we can implement more innovative ideas throughout the organization each year,” he said.

The Easterseals Bill Adami Fund for Innovation is established at the Delaware Community Foundation. Anyone interested in more information or to make a donation, contact Development at development@esdel.org.