brOT 101

For this blog, I was searching for a story that would help me to realize the central theme of OT in a manner that didn't seem corny or cliche. I chose this episode of On The air because it gave a unique story of someone who could personally and professionally identify with occupational therapy.  I was able to listen and learn about an OT, Danielle Watson, who had an experience being in a wheelchair. Her experience was even more unique because she participated in her OT education while maintaining her status in her wheelchair. As I was listening to this podcast, I came to the realization that the whole process that she went to in order to get into OT school was really an entire OT story. Following the story of her injury, she began to discuss the process of applying for physical therapy school and being denied the opportunity because the programs felt that they were not conducive to her injury. Then came occupational therapy. I personally believe that it applies very much so to OT t...

In our class, we had an opportunity to simulate a patient encounter in which we performed the SLUMS cognitive test on an actor in the SIM Lab. Over all I would rate myself as doing good. There were several aspects that I remember that I did not do, such as asking the client if they knew what OT was and also beginning the test by asking if they had problems with their memory. Other than these few stumbles on getting started, I was able to settle in and accurately conduct the test and I feel like I was able to make the client feel as though it was a personable environment. As far as conducting the main questions on the test, I was able to sufficiently go through the exam with more than enough time left before the 10 minutes was concluded. I am most proud of myself for providing an welcoming environment for the client. I felt as though the client was comfortable and it didn't seem as though it was an awkward experience. The only area in which I struggled during the encounter was at th...

It's a weird title but a simple concept. Button Brainz is a game that I designed for a Neurological Aspects class. We were given an object, and told that we must design a game geared towards our client to help them achieve their goals. The result was an OT collaborative project that allowed me to express creativity through very simple means.   In designing Button Brainz, my biggest take-away was not to let the creativity of the design outshine the needs of the client. The first design that I thought of was to have Barbara sew the buttons on to a piece of fabric in the order of the card. However, after further reflection, I found that this method would not be best due to the amount of time it would take her to sew the buttons. Although it would have been client centered in her interests, it would not have been client centered in her functional ability.  In fact, I was able to realize that using the buttons in general is an effective way to engage Barbara's sewing interest....