IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy $10,000 Grant

The IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI awarded Easterseals Crossroads $10,000 to build a state-of-the-art, Multisensory Activity Room at their new Thompson Road location.
Designed especially for sensory recreation, the Multisensory Activity Room will provide a safe alternative to a ‘typical’ playground, provide the health and fitness benefits of a regular gym as well as help children with strength, movement, communication, behavior modification, social interactions, and self-care skills.
The need for comprehensive autism services is growing and to address those needs, Easterseals Crossroads acquired a new facility located at 321 East Thompson Road in Indianapolis. The expansion of services includes occupational, physical and speech therapy for children, adult day services, autism services, and comprehensive employment for veterans and adults with disabilities.
The Multisensory Activity Room will house state-of-the-art occupational and physical therapy-based equipment allowing therapists to work with six children at a time with no contact points, and up to 15 children in an open gym setting, group play or obstacle courses. Therapists will be able to assess sensory processing, expressive and receptive communication, social skills, play skills, behavior, language and social development.
“We chose Easterseals Crossroads because the grant completed their program. With the $10,000 of support, they would be able to finish their project in a very quick turnaround of about one weekend. Over 1,400 people will benefit from using this gym, 400 of which are children,” says Anna Powell, student at the School of Philanthropy.
“1 in 5 people have a disability, and disability is the only minority you can join at any point in your life,” said Scott Fogo, Vice President of Clinical Services at Easterseals Crossroads. “This gift might be a final exam for the School of Philanthropy students, but it offers an immediate benefit that can live on forever, for those we don’t even know yet.”