. Another problem during the accreditation of Ayres work is she decided to use sensory integration as an isolated anomaly, rather than embedding it entirely in the context of Occupational therapy. Ayres main goals of her work was more based on what Occupational Therapy alone, can achieve, such as individuals can follow routines that are involved in daily life like, eating, sleeping getting ready, etc. Reseatchers trying to replicate the treatment developed a goal attainment scale, to help measure the effectiveness of studies. This was a breakthrough, allowing goals for the families and individuals and comparison across the wide array of people using this method.
One of the assignments for the Introduction to Occupational Therapy is to select an article and write a review about it. The article that seized my interest is “Starting a Private Practice: The First Steps” by Tara J. Glennon. In this response paper, I am going to discuss about how to start a private own business. My discussion will include the fate of small businesses in the United States. However, this effect will less likely to impact potential occupational therapy practice entrepreneurs because of the higher demand of occupational therapy, and therapists in the future.
“Less than 20% of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental health problems receive the treatment they need” (4). Science shows that getting mental health support at an early age can help a child before the problems interfere with their life and other developmental necessities. Children with severe mental disabilities often get the help they need because they cannot live without it. The government is more likely to give them the help they need to live on in their life. Children with minor mental health issues like ADD and Social Anxiety can generally live their lives with little support.
For the practice of Occupational Therapy it teaches meaningful, functional, and adaptive life skills; it is a profession that enhances activities of daily living (ADL), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). IADL’s including community mobility, is a critical area for the United States citizens. Driving is an instrumental activity that needs addressed with each client for safety and testing motor movements. Between 2002 and 2012, more than 1.5 million U.S. soldiers returned to the United States after an active duty Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraq Freedom (OIF; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [VA], 2012a). Soldiers are trained specifically to what branch of service they’re going into.
and intrigued by the mind-body connection as well as the importance of human activity and occupation in maintaining mental and physical well-being. At the same time, my desire to work directly with people and be able to make a positive and lasting change to their lives by empowering them and helping discover their strengths and confidence in themselves to achieve their goals, led me to a realization that a career in occupational therapy would be a perfect fit for me. To me occupational therapy is a dynamic, rewarding, challenging, and inspiring field where I can fully realize my skills and knowledge. Having always been a firm believer in the patient-centric approach, I am passionate about providing excellent service to patients by improving their performance, preventing illness and disability and promoting adaptation to life
Occupational Therapy began to emerge in the 1700s, during the “Age of Enlightment”. It was during this period that revolutionary ideas were evolving regarding the “infirmed” and mentally ill. At that time in history, the mentally ill were treated like prisoners; locked up and considered to be a danger to society. It wasn’t until two gentlemen; Phillipe Pinel and William Tuke started to challenge society’s belief about the mentally ill, that a new understanding, philosophy, and treatment would emerge. Phillipe Pinel began what was then called “Moral Treatment and Occupation”, as an approach to treating mental illness, in 1973.
Occupational therapy saved my family. Growing up with a sister with severe spastic cerebral palsy to include both cognitive and functional deficits, life existed on a day to day, hour by hour basis, as we were unsure of challenges each moment would bring. This all changed the moment occupational therapy brought quality of life back to me and my family. My very personal experience defined my purpose to become an occupational therapist, to pay the gift given my family forward.
These factors include displaying an appropriate professional identity, equipping yourself with the three different types of knowledge that ensure greater understanding of clients and acknowledging, accepting and abiding by the occupational therapy codes of conduct. It is the therapist's duty to be aware of these codes of conduct, as they are put in place to ensure safety for both therapists and patients, and to guide therapists on the standards that must be upheld when practicing occupational
Becoming an occupational therapist is my passion and my long-term career goal. Since a young age I have been incredibly inspired and motivated to befriend and help disabled individuals. Having grown up with a disabled mother who benefited from the services of occupational therapy I had the opportunity to see first hand how the experience gave can give individuals like her fulfilling and productive lives. With both parents working as healthcare professionals, including my mother who is now an occupational therapist herself, I see every day how rewarding the field is. Through my life I have had unique personal, professional and educational experiences that have shaped me into a strong candidate for an advanced education in occupational therapy.
I have always had the intense desire to care and look after people from a very young age. I firmly believe that everyone deserves the best quality of life possible and this is what had drawn me to occupational therapy as a career path in the first place. It is so easy to take for granted all the everyday tasks we can do and we seldom consider the effect of not being able to complete them. As an occupational therapist I would be able to make a positive impact on someone’s life and make it possible for them to enjoy their life. I want the opportunity to provide support to people, help them gain independence and watch them grow more confident in their own ability.
The emerging epidemic of HIV/AIDS during the 1980’s emphasizes on the topic of social stigma throughout the film. The lack of understanding many individuals had towards the disease created a division in society. People such as homosexuals, the hemophilia community, and Haitian immigrants were faced with discrimination due to the ever-growing fear of contagion. HIV/AIDS cases were increasing in many parts of the world leading many people to create their own assumptions on how one can contract the disease. Since it is known that HIV/AIDS is transmitted sexually, some cultures considered it as taboo.
Occupational Therapy is a health care profession in which we facilitate maximal independence and quality of life throughout the lifespan. As an Occupational Therapy Assistant Student, I want to be able to make the difference in the individual life to reach the patients goals and helping them back to be independent as possible. “The mission of the University of Charleston is to educate each and every student to their life of productive work, enlightened living and the community involvement.” (The University of Charleston, 2017). Liberal Learning Outcomes helps the student to be able to communicate effectively and engage in creativity in our professional and personal life (The University of Charleston, 2017).
Volunteering at McKenna Farms Therapy Services I was able to observe pediatric occupational therapy sessions. Not only did I get to observe Occupational Therapy sessions, but I observed Hippotherapy sessions too. What I found so unique about McKenna Farms is that they had Speech Therapist, Physical Therapist, and Occupational Therapist all together at one clinic. This allowed me to witness how the different types of therapy fit together and how the therapist would collaborate to find the best way to treat the children. My favorite part was finding ways to communicate with the kids.
It’s been a rough journey trying to find a career that I am interested in for my profession. When I discovered occupational therapy, I didn’t know much about the field. A family friend of mine was the one who introduced, because I always knew that I wanted to work with families and infants. I then did some research and found occupational therapy that specializes in infants. I wasn’t aware that you could be an occupational therapist that works with infants, until the end of my senior year of high school.
Compassion/ Caring defines the desire to identify with of another's experience (APTA,2003). Caring is the concern, empathy, and consideration for the needs and values of others (APTA,2003). Providing care to my patients is different as compared before I started the TDPT course because I became more active in communicating to the other health care disciplines in my facility in improving the patient's medical care and mental care, such as suggesting the time of medications to be taken that will not adhere the patient's physical therapy treatment, patient's nutrition, clearing obstructions in their bedroom for patient's safety, as well as communicating of patient's caregiver to help improve the patient's function, safety, and other psychological issues for good health outcome. Moreover, respecting other culture or beliefs that I have developed, and it is fulfilling that my patients and caregiver recognized and acknowledged my attitude and behavior towards their culture. According to Cahali (2012), a physical therapist should always understand the client's/patient's custom and traditions, which significantly assist in performing the physical therapy goal for every patient/individual for effective
