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....

Motivation is a component within humans that gives us a reason why we are doing what we do. There are many aspects to motivation and in order for individuals to achieve goals, they must know what their motivation is. This motivation can be for the cause of other or self and can change over time as our desires are matured. Motivation is particularly important to occupational therapy because our whole practice is centered around achieving the answer to the following question: How do we get you back to doing what is meaningful to you? In the article, Anything is Possible, we find a young woman who has a passion for diving. The particular reason why this article caught my attention is that there is a unique component to her current diving situation. She sustained an injury in which she accumulated quadriplegia. The beginning of this article highlights Elizabeth Frost as an avid diver who travels all over the world scuba diving and is well on her way to earning a prestigious certification...

Inside the O'Briens is a novel that gives an inside look at a family dealing with a diagnosis of Huntington's disease to Joe O'Brien. Joe is a husband to a loving wife Rosie, and a father of four children who are all around their twenties. During the first half of this book, the depth and impact of Joe O'Brien dealing with his diagnosis is addressed. Joe must deal with his changing role in the family, and his changing role as he begins to figure what he, as a veteran in the police force, will be sent to do with this diagnosis. This book really gives light to the psychological aspect of the diagnosis. As roles are changing and what his everyday will look like is changing, Joe goes through a range of emotions in dealing with the consequences of his disease. As the book progresses, it shows the impact of the diagnosis goes much wider than just Mr. O'Brien. His family must deal with the 50% chance that they may have acquired the disease. Some of them desire to get teste...

Alex's story of his journey with ALS is indeed a moving one. It is incredible to see how rapid the deterioration of ALS occurs. This assignment originally caught my eye because of the fact that the cause of ALS disease is unknown and usually occurs very quickly leading to death. Diseases like these catch my attention because I believe that many times individuals with a disease that cause certain decline in the body get overlooked in a therapy setting due to the fact that regardless of the therapy that occurs, decline in the client will still happen. However, it is vitally important to remember that regardless of the deterioration that will occur in the individual, that individual is still a human and they are not hopeless. This can obviously be seen in Alex's case. Alex can be seen throughout the documentary interacting with his kids and his wife. Specifically theres is a segment within the documentary when Alex is playing "Hungry Hippos" with is son and has adapted t...