Resource: Guardianship & Alternatives

Click the link below to access a resource from the Think College website about power of attorney, supported decision-making, and guardianship. The Think College Resource Library also has many other articles on a variety of topics related to postsecondary education and is updated frequently.

“Consider the Alternatives: Decision-Making Options for Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities”

What Were Students Up to this Summer?

We are so excited that students are back on campus for the fall semester! Here is what Kristen did over the summer:

“This past June I went to serve at a younglife camp in Goshen Virginia called Rockbridge Alum Springs! It was four weeks filled with fun, friendship, and exhaustion. I was in the Rockbridge office helping with tasks and everyday I got to venture into Lexington Virginia (the closest town to camp) to run errands and get supplies, besides running errands and doing office work I also got to facilitate night activities for the camp. I got to strengthen my relationship with Christ as well, I met friends from all the way from Puerto Rico to Boston. My friend Anna (who graduated last Spring from OSU) helped me with tasks that I needed help with! Summer is a great time to build your resume.”

If you are interested in sharing what you did this summer on the blog, send an email to TOPS Staff.

Research Opportunity: FLASH Curriculum

See below for information about a research study that may be of interest to you. 

Hello,

We are looking for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, which may include diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, ages 15-30 years to participate in a research study!

If you decide to participate, you will participate in a biweekly, five-week sexual health education program with your peers, with a comprehensive assessment of your knowledge on these topics on the first and last day of the group.. We will use this information to improve sexual health education! Your personal information will never be associated with this study.

Schedule for the modified FLASH curriculum
Week 1 Day 1 2 hours Intro/Assessments
  Day 2 90 mins Effective Communication
Week 2 Day 3 90 mins Relationships
  Day 4 90 mins Anatomy and Physiology
Week 3 Day 5 90 mins Puberty and Adolescent Development
  Day 6 90 mins Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation
Week 4 Day 7 90 mins Pregnancy, Reproduction, Contraception and Parenting
  Day 8 90 mins STDs and HIV/AIDS
Week 5 Day 9 90 mins Safety, resources, and review
  Day 10 2 hours Final assessment and party

Days and times of the group meeting will be determined based on your availability!
All participants will be offered a parking pass, a $20 gift card for participating, and pizza will be provided at each session.

Interested or know someone who may be interested? Please email me Schmidt.1072@osu.edu or call me at 513-492-2908.

Thank you,
Liz Schmidt

Event Recaps: Community Commitment Day & Buck-i-Frenzy

Students recently volunteered at Community Commitment Day, an event where Ohio State students join together to serve the Columbus community in various service projects around the city. Thank you to everyone who attended!

During Welcome Week, Ohio State hosts Buck-i-Frenzy, which is always very fun (and busy). We are looking forward to many more exciting social events this school year.

Research Opportunity: Educators & Sexual Health Education

See below for an opportunity to participate in a research study.


We are looking for educators who have discussed sexual health education with individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, which may include diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, to participate in usability testing for a research study! This study is to enhance the usefulness of learning activities for sexual health education. We also want to learn what you think will make providing this information easier for you!

If you decide to participate, you will have time to interact with the learning activity. After you’re done interacting with the activity, you will complete a brief assessment and interview about what your thoughts on the activity and its usefulness for this population.

These groups will be recorded using video technology. All recordings will be stored on secure approved Ohio State University computers until themes are identified and analyses are completed. Once analyses are completed the recordings will be destroyed. Your personal information will never be associated with the recordings.

All participants will be provided with a parking pass and a $20 gift card for participating.

Interested or know someone who may be interested? Please email me Schmidt.1072@osu.edu or call me at 708-203-1592.

Thank you,

Elizabeth Schmidt, MOT, OTR/L

TOPS Staff Changes

TOPS continues to grow each year which is very exciting. We do have some staff changes that we want to make you aware of so that you can communicate effectively with our team. Nikki, TOPS Job Coach, left TOPS this summer to pursue her passions in medicine. She is still with the medical center and we wish her the best.

Colleen, student worker, who oversaw a lot of the social activities is no longer working with TOPS. All communications regarding social activities and programming can be directed to Shannon. Her email is Shannon.prince@osumc.edu.

Felicia, student worker, who helped with job coaching has also left our office.

We are in the process of replacing all of these positions, so we thank you for your patience in advance as we look to find quality team members.

Best,

Jessie

Research Opportunity: Sexual Health Education

See below for an opportunity to participate in research.

Description: We are looking for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, which may include diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, ages 15-30 years to participate in a research study! This study is to enhance the usefulness of learning activities for sexual health education. We also want to learn what we can do to make them more fun for you! We need your help!

Recruitment Flyer: 

App Spotlight: Notability

Currently, there seems to be a never-ending list of apps available for download, and many can increase an individual’s access to and success in the classroom, in the community, or in a variety of other contexts. Over the summer, we’ll highlight several of these apps, so hopefully you find one that fits your lifestyle!

App name: Notability

Where you can access this app: smartphones, tablets, computers

What can this app do?

Notability is one of my favorite apps and has very useful in my college coursework. It works best if you have access to a tablet, such as an iPad. Notability is a notetaking app with several features that are beneficial for studying. First, you can download documents, such as PowerPoints, from CarmenCanvas directly into the app. Once the document is in the app, you can organize your notes by class and by units within the class.

When you open the file, you can write/draw/highlight directly on the document for easy notetaking during a lecture. When you search text on the app (such as when you are looking for a specific topic in your notes), the search feature also searches your handwritten notes! Another benefit of using Notability is that you can record audio that is attached to the document. This is beneficial for recording content (with your professor’s permission!) to review later. Notability also has the option to back up all of your notes for safekeeping.

How much does this app cost? $9.99

Click here to learn more about this app.

Sources:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/notability/id360593530?mt=8