Hauppauge nonprofit opens lab to train professionals in helping people with disabilities with everyday tasks

A Hauppauge-based nonprofit has opened its doors to Long Island professionals working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, using a simulation lab with hands-on equipment to prepare them for handling daily tasks with their patients.

The simulation lab at Kinexion Studio is open to a network of seven Long Island nonprofit agencies supporting approximately 6,500 clients. 

Walter Stockton, president and CEO of Kinexion, which is based in Manorville and represents those seven organizations on Long Island, said the new center, which also offers classroom training, computer terminals and other features, will train staff who work in group homes, schools and day programs.

The lab has wheelchairs, Hoyer lifts, a fully modified bathroom and other adaptive equipment, which allows staff to experience everyday activities from the perspective of a person with disabilities. That understanding shows staff how to develop not only skills, but also interpersonal relationships. 

"We all do pretty much the same thing, but in different ways," Stockton said. "So we decided that in order for us to provide the best services for the people with developmental disabilities, we also have to give the best abilities to the people who provide those services."

The center will also offer training in Strategies for Crisis Intervention and Prevention, medication training for Approved Medication Administration Personnel, CPR training, and classrooms for leadership training and hands-on training.

Dr. Surinder Sandhu, whose son Satvir Sandhu, 26, was diagnosed with autism at age 2, donated $500,000 to the center over five years through his nonprofit, the Sandhu Special Needs Foundation. In an interview, Sandhu said as his son got older, he got stronger, which made it harder for his parents to take care of him, Sandhu said. 

For that reason, he felt it was important to have more resources for people who take care of those with disabilities.

"They want to make sure the staff is trained properly, because taking care of people with special needs is not easy. All I can say is, not everyone can do it. You have to have compassion for them," Sandhu said.

Chuck Vanek, executive director of Maryhaven Center of Hope, one of the seven Kinexion-affiliated nonprofits, said in an interview that there is high staff turnover for those caring for individuals with developmental disabilities, and the facility may help retain more staff by offering more comprehensive training.

"There’s a real practical preparation for an employee to be trained before they come into a group home, so it’s a huge advantage. It can help keep not only individuals safe, but [keep] staff from injuries, and hopefully it helps us retain our workforce," Vanek said.

Barbara Senzel, executive director of the Head Injury Association, also part of Kinexion's network, said the hands-on training will be "critical" to helping the individuals that organizations like hers serve "in the best way possible."

"To be able to help somebody, you need to be able to know what their challenges are, what their needs are," Senzel said. "If someone has behavioral challenges, how do we meet those challenges, and how do we train somebody? It’s the ability to be able to listen to what somebody needs, and to be patient."