What makes a good occupational therapy

The phone rang, and I answered it. The voice on the other side seemed to be a mixture of emotions—frightened, scared, disturbed. It was our next door neighbor, who went to the same high school as my sister. I just saw it happen and the ambulance took her away. They were just about to finish their junior year. Because I am 5 years older than them, they often came to me for advice for just about everything. Jennifer had been an honors student, pushed hard by her parents who wanted only the best for her.

She was also a talented dancer who had taken classes since she was very young, and in high school, she was teaching younger children at a local dance studio. As I looked at her from the window of the intensive care unit, it was hard to believe that it was the same girl, now fighting for her life. Jennifer was in a very deep coma, and no one knew if she would ever come out of it. Her parents, relatives, and friends took turns around the clock, keeping watch over her in case she woke up.

It was a miracle that she survived the accident at all; she had been walking across the street after school when a car did not stop for her at the crosswalk. At the impact Jennifer bounced off the windshield head first, but instead of landing on her head she landed on her backpack, which helped cushion her fall. Her hit to the head was from the secondary impact. Her parents had always wanted her to go to a good college and get a good job. Now, all they wanted for her was to survive and, if possible, have a normal life.

As an answer to many prayers, Jennifer woke up. She could barely talk or move because of an upper motor neuron injury as a result of her hitting her head against the pavement. Due to her brain surgery, the surgeons had to shave a portion of her long hair. They did such fun things to help her regain her motor skills, such as baking cookies, trying to walk her dog, who came to visit her at the hospital one day—things that she enjoyed. And Jennifer got better. Slowly, she regained her ability to walk and move in a functional way—initially not as well as she used to, but she was able to get around.

At this point in time, I had to be out of the country for 6 months, and when I came back Jennifer was walking normally again, and had started her senior year of high school. Students interested in a career in occupational therapy can choose from a variety of undergraduate majors including psychology, anatomy, biology, anthropology, kinesiology, sociology and liberal arts.

What is OT? Pediatric occupational therapy helps children gain independence while also strengthening the development of fine motor skills, sensory motor skills, and visual motor skills that children need to function and socialize. Children with sensory processing disorders can benefit from pediatric occupational therapy. The answer is NO. We are not permitted to diagnose any disorder. Typically occupational therapists are the specialists in conditions affecting the elbow, wrist and hand.

Physical therapists treat anything spine related, and other body parts including the foot, ankle, knee, hip. Both professions treat the shoulder. Occupational therapists treat injured, ill, or disabled patients through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.

They help these patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working. Physical therapy, also known as PT, focuses on helping improve your movement, mobility, and function. A physical therapist may do this by using a variety of exercises, stretches, or other physical activities. Occupational therapy, also known as OT, focuses on helping you perform daily tasks more easily. But in theory, yes the OT association says an OT can perform soft tissue massage and electrotherapy as part of pain management as an advanced scope of practice.

I made the choice that I wanted to have numerous opportunities to help people regain wellness and continue with a healthy and purposeful life.

Occupational therapy treats the whole person and engages him or her in work, self-care, and play so that the deficit or disability can be at the best level possible. Occupational therapy is a good career choice for anyone who wants to get into the healthcare field and work directly with patients to make their lives easier.

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Other times occupational therapists move objects for their clients. Anything that is functional—ADLs, transfers, etc.

You enjoy helping others : Occupational therapists do nothing but help others. They help them in all aspects of their lives. For example, some clients need help learning how to balance their checkbooks and mastering other money-management skills, while other clients may require help learning how to regain motion in their fingers so they can button up a shirt. Nicole L. Fundamentally, occupational therapists need that helping part within their personality.

Some will require more help from you than others, but all clients need their occupational therapist to be on top of it all. Many clients are pessimistic, frustrated, moody, and even suicidal. Some clients may have mental conditions preventing them from doing simple things such as brushing their teeth or tying their shoes.

It may take one client a month to get into a morning routine, while it may take years for another client to get it. People do not need a therapist who is harsh, irritable, impatient, or unforgiving. They need someone who is warm, who understands, and who cares about their well-being.