Organizations across Central Ohio are creating more and more successful, sensory-friendly events and providing a wide array of recreation activities tailored to the individual. Learn how rewarding these experiences are, not only for attendees but also for performers, staff, and entire organizations. Heather Garner (executive director of the New Albany Symphony), Rae Nutter (recreation therapist with the City of Columbus Parks and Recreation), and Kristen Messer (clinic director of ELM at Boundless) join host, Scott Light, to explore the growing need to offer more of these valuable programs.
Organizations across Central Ohio are creating more and more successful, sensory-friendly events and providing a wide array of recreation activities tailored to the individual. Learn how rewarding these experiences are, not only for attendees but also for performers, staff, and entire organizations. Heather Garner (executive director of the New Albany Symphony), Rae Nutter (recreation therapist with the City of Columbus Parks and Recreation), and Kristen Messer (clinic director of ELM at Boundless) join host, Scott Light, to explore the growing need to offer more of these valuable programs.
Okay, my first question to all of our guests today what's your favorite thing about fall? Kristen, would you start us off?
Kristen Messer:I love the leafs changing Okay, Heather,
Heather Garner:it's got to be caramel apples for me.
Scott Light:Oh, that's a good one right to you favorite thing
Rae Nutter:I would say anything pumpkin, and a hot bowl of
Scott Light:Oh, good way to go. And with that Welcome to chili. Well-Being everyone a podcast brought to you by boundless. Boundless is a nonprofit that provides residential support autism services, primary health care, day programs, counseling and a whole lot more to children and adults. Our mission is to build a world that realizes the boundless potential of all people. I'm your host, Scott light and whether it's football, falling temperatures or those falling leaves Kristin Fall is here we are talking about and we're highlighting fall events that are sensory friendly and therapeutic recreational opportunities. So with us today, the voices that you just heard, Heather Garner, Executive Director of the New Albany Symphony, Ray Nutter recreation therapist with the City of Columbus parks and recreation, and Kristen Messer is back with us. You have heard her voice before. She is clinical director of ELM here at Boundless. So Ray, I'd like to begin with you. We are so fortunate to have a capital city parks and recs department like yours because of the commitment to sensory friendly programming. It is both deep and wide. And it's something that you've been committed to for decades, would you tell us more about that?
Rae Nutter:I have a 23 year history. So I will keep it as short as I can. But we have 13 adaptive sports that we do. We have an after school program that we're working on reimplementing. And then we have some sensory friendly things that are for both deaf visually impaired. And then we have highlighted some things with autism. And the most important thing that I want to highlight is all of Columbus Recreation and Parks programs are inclusive. So if you sign up for something you don't like anything on our list, and you sign up for some something at your local rec center, we can send an inclusion specialist out, make an accommodation plan, and then work with the instructor and figure out how to accommodate for the participant.
Scott Light:That is a very nice summary. And we're gonna get into more details here as we go. So that is just terrific. Heather, I'd love to come to you here because really any symphonic concert is of course going to be a feast for the senses. So how do you and your team and your musicians provide those sensory friendly concerts?
Heather Garner:Yeah, so we give three sensory friendly performances a year at the McCoy Center for the Arts in New Albany. These are tailored especially for those on the autism spectrum. Our friends in the dimension Alzheimer's communities are really just anyone needing a more relaxed concert environment. We do a couple things to encourage a supportive safe space for our families. First of all families are greeted in the lobby with activities including a craft table, communication cards, a snack table, and we have Maddy that theater therapy dog there for free snuggles as well. We provide an instrument meet and greet and family restrooms and then once in the hall. All the seating is general admission. We undersell the hall so guests have plenty of room to move around. We encourage the use of noise cancelling headphones motivational devices like iPads, doodle pads, fidget toys, we let our audience know it's perfectly fine to sing along to the music clap when you feel like clapping or dance when you feel like dancing. Also, prior to the performance, you can download a storyboard ahead of time off of our website so families know exactly what to expect on concert day. And the best part of our performances are the Tickets are free. So if the day is not going well for you, it's a no risk commitment to come on out and try a concert.
Scott Light:That is just terrific. Kristen, what is it like hearing about community partners, like we just heard from Ray and from Heather talking about their commitments here to inclusivity
Kristen Messer:Amazing! You can't see me but I couldn't quit smiling, the more they were talking. It's so nice to hear that this is the direction that we're heading as a community that we're including these people with disabilities and special needs. And that we're really thinking about what their needs are in making these activities inclusive for them. It's I've as I'm sitting here I'm thinking of every kid that I have that would love to go to these you know different activities. It's just amazing to know that they're available for them.
Scott Light:Let's let me follow up with you on that talk about why these programs and these events are so needed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Kristen Messer:Absolutely. I you know here at Boundless we are, you know, trying to inspire that boundless type lifestyle and this is the step in the right direction. Our kids and adults and the people that we work with the individuals we serve, often need sometimes just little manipulations to the environment, that use of headphones having a fidget something that, you know, isn't so big, but different organizations have these available where you know, it is a more chill environment where there's not packed houses and all of those things that you kind of think about when you're going to these activities, even as someone who maybe doesn't have those needs. It's a little scary sometimes to think about going out to these activities. How many people will there be? How will my child act and knowing that these are safe places to practice these skills to then maybe be able to go places that maybe don't have as many of these different modifications, it's wonderful that they have a safe place to practice this.
Scott Light:Heather, let me come to you with this. You and I were talking before our recording here. And I told you about my two sons who actually play in college symphonies. And I can attest to this at times that they want and need. Silence. So I think musicians can be keenly aware and certainly keenly empathetic to that sensory overload, right. And I know you can talk about that with your musicians in New Albany and you're a musician yourself.
Heather Garner:I think the main thing to know about our sensory friendly concert says that you are not going to be judged for using noise cancelling headphones or moving to the back of the hall. Or even listening to the music from the lobby with Maddie, the therapy dog, we want you to come in a comfortable and comfortable clothes stay for as long as you like. Being exposed to music in a concert hall can really leave a lasting memory, we want those memories to be good ones.
Scott Light:That's awesome. Ray you specifically the way I understand it, you oversee hockey and swimming programs for those with special needs. So we have both water and frozen water opportunities here. Can you tell us more about those
Rae Nutter:Our swimming lessons, we're actually having to modify just a little bit which is, which is great. So our stroke clinic program is our lead into our swim team for everyone. And that is inclusive. So it's kids with and without disabilities, we have about 55 on site, we have seven adaptive athletes. And then we also have about six kids who are 11 to 15 years old that are they don't know how to swim. And if you don't know how to swim, you don't want to put them in stroke clinic. So we are making a lesson because there are battle a red cross level two. And if you would go to a normal Red Cross level two, they would be about four and five years old. And we don't want to do that to our athletes. So we are making an hour and a half time slot where our adapted team will practice the second hour and then that first half hour as an honest to goodness swim lesson for those 11 to 15 year olds, because we are realizing that you know not everybody does things at the same speed. And so we're having to adjust our age levels just a little bit. And then for hockey, I actually work with special hockey, which is a program that does hockey for kids with autism. And they are as sensory friendly as you could possibly imagine all of our ADM stations which ADM stands for American developmental model have like sensory toys from the dollar store. And the things that you can hop over for like jumping for skating are like noodles. So if anybody falls down, it's not a big stick in your face. They do that's for learn to skate, they do have a full hockey program. So you are in full gear. And there's three different levels. You can have aides for special hockey on the ice to during a completely competitive game. And they have had Charlie who fell over and he's like, I need some help to get up. And here comes an able bodied skater skater behind them picks up Charlie, and he goes, I'm good. And off he goes. And we all know what the protocol is we go through, we have a half hour staff meeting beforehand to know who's there that day on ice, any triggers that are going to set them off, all that kind of stuff.
Scott Light:Well, and I also know you've had specific training on sensory friendly programming, you've also had head up inclusion efforts as well. And I want to come back to something that you mentioned at the beginning. You have inclusion specialists there so if someone who has a specific challenge, but they want in a program, you'll make that happen.
Rae Nutter:Yeah. And we go to the program right alongside them and provide whatever accommodations are necessary. And then like I said, if we back off, it's because the program itself is running the way that it should. Because anybody can have a good day once we want to make sure we're consistently getting those before we go off site.
Scott Light:Let me ask a question to all three of you and Kristen, maybe start us off here. What kind of feedback do you get from from families, from parents, from people who attend your events? Programming? They've got to be just not just relieved, but so appreciative? Yeah, the sensory synth Yeah, grateful, right?
Kristen Messer:Absolutely. And they want more, is always waited, let's do more of these things. So here, we do some things around the holidays, that are wonderful for our kids. We do like a breakfast with Santa, we've done an Easter egg hunt, all of those kinds of things to get in that safe space with the support of our staff to do it. And the parents are so grateful, because going to the mall to sit on Santa's lap isn't always an option for our kids. You know, going to an Easter egg hunt in your community isn't always an option, because we don't understand safety or know how to run, you know, in appropriate ways and those kinds of things. And so knowing that there are organizations like this and hearing about the plans, and that they have specific people to make these plans is just amazing. And I can't wait to share this with our parents out there.
Scott Light:Heather what about you? I can't imagine the feedback that you get.
Heather Garner:Yeah, like you said, I think families and caregivers are just relieved. From a musician's it's, I would say it's one of the most rewarding things we do. If you don't mind. I'm going to read an email I received last December from one of our memory care directors we do. She's in the choir, and they bring a bus of residents. And this is what she says, I have to tell you, our residents came away from the event feeling like royalty. To us. They are from entry point they received welcoming hospitality. And the best part for me was looking out to the audience from the stage. And this was my view, Mr. And Mrs. Perry holding hands like a couple of teenagers, Mr. Bryan moving his hands joyfully like a conductor. Nicole, our memory care director, arm and arm was Sally who, by the way, has an angelic singing voice. Truthfully, I teared up. I just think that's so lovely. And that's what we see. As musicians, looking out in the audience. Um, it's family, supporting families, kids. without disabilities, supporting kids with disabilities, it's, it really truly is one of the most rewarding things we do in the New Albany Symphony. I think you could ask any musician there, they would say the same thing.
Scott Light:I got chills. Seriously, I got chills on my arm right now from that. That's amazing. And they went back and told their neighbors about that. And they told family members about that. Right. And they spread the word.
Heather Garner:Yeah, yeah we're growing our audiences, for sure. We've been doing this about eight years now. And, you know, I see lots of repeat families. But then I also see lots of new families. So
Scott Light:Rae, what about you? What's that? What's that feedback loop like for you, it has to be rewarding.
Rae Nutter:So it's very rewarding. And we are this past summer, we had 20 kids in 15 different sites for inclusion. And I think that is the biggest we've ever had. Our inclusion program is about three years old. And so to see that, and to get the positive feedback that we did was really important. The one thing I do want to say about music. First of all, I love it. I've been to a bunch of sensory family concerts all over Central Ohio. And they're amazing. But one thing that I like to do when I get home, is to kind of, if I've had a lot of people going Rae, I need this all day to kind of turn up music really loud and just have 10 minutes where all I'm doing is listening to something. And it really helps like with stress reduction, and whatever. So for just kind of a stress reduction thing out there. Just turn some music on and give yourself a chance to listen.
Scott Light:So Ray, can we ask you what kind of music that you turn up really, really loud? Do you mind sharing that? So I really like country? Okay, everybody does. Okay, I will listen to Christmas music way too early drives my family nuts. Really, really good. I get a question to all three of you. And Rae, why don't you start us off here? What did these events look like in the next few years? And maybe let me let me flesh that out a little bit more in this sense. Are there trends that you're watching whether it's here locally or in other cities and other states, where you're like, Hey, I like what they're doing there. And maybe we should try that
Rae Nutter:I like they used to be BSA. I'm not sure what their new name is. Used to be very special arts Ohio. They did a program that was really, really cool. And I thought that other theater programs should do it. But everything that New Albany is describing is what they did.
Heather Garner:So I've attended the LEED conference and I love going there to see what other groups are doing. We of course value the feedback that we receive from our families in the audience. And we hope that they keep giving us feedback so we can keep improving. We want to keep reaching as many audiences as we can.
Scott Light:Kristen, what about it? What does it look like in the future? More,
Kristen Messer:More. I think, yeah, having them everywhere. And it's cool to see these popping up, I worked at the Tomato Festival and Reynoldsburg for Boundless. And they had a whole sensory friendly couple hours before that actual festival opened, and they had lots of activities. And just knowing that parents have a place to still experience, those type of things with their, you know, individuals, and get the caregivers can bring them to these things. And it's that safe space. I think having more and more of that in all of the communities around us, is what we're going to see coming up.
Scott Light:Boy, did you tee up my next question, Kristen. So likely, we have people listening right here right now going, you know what? My organization could do this, my organization could do a sensory friendly event. But where do I start? So as we said before, you know, sensory friendly is way more than just being aware of the sights and sounds. So what recommendations do you have for somebody who's ready to explore this
Kristen Messer:Call me. Call Boundless. I know Worthington library is doing this right now. I've been in contact with them because they want to be able to serve their patrons even better than what they're doing. And so they heard about Boundless. And somehow they got to me, which is wonderful. I'm always here to help. But there are several of us who can do that. And I think doing that research and reaching out to the people who kind of do specialize in this field, to find out, you know, what our populations may need and making those partnerships because then we'll also help get those kids to those activities. And so I think, you know, setting up those partnerships is key.
Scott Light:Heather to you, where can people find out more information about those sensory friendly events that you're doing with the New Albany Symphony?
Heather Garner:Right, this should go to our website, New Albany symphony.com. And I want to say that we have our next sensory friendly concert coming up on December 17. At 11:30 At Santa and the symphony. We will have a sensory friendly Santa there in the lobby. And then it's about an hour concert at the McCoy Center for the Arts in New Albany, Ohio.
Scott Light:Okay, terrific Rae to you. Where can people find out more information about all of the programming and events at the Columbus parks and recreations department.
Rae Nutter:So go to www dot Columbus rec parks.com. And our programs specifically are under therapeutic recreation. And then again, if they want to register for a center program near them, we can do that and hook them up with inclusion.
Scott Light:A break and I make one music suggestion to you to go along with your country music and Christmas music. Sure you have to turn this up really loud, okay. Okay, so try Metallica with the San Francisco orchestra. Okay, okay. Just give it a shot for me. And then let me know what you think. Okay, okay. All right. Yes, it's really good. So we'll be back in touch on that. Thank you all for being part of the podcast today and thanks to our listeners as well. Because if you're listening to this you are committed to inclusivity and creativity as well. Don't forget you can be a part of future episodes to come you can always email us your questions or comments at podcast at I am boundless dot org and hey, don't forget to give us a review. That's yet another way that we want to hear from all of you. This is the Well-Being podcast brought to you by Boundless.