Reflecting and Researching

REFLECTING AND RESEARCHING

Throughout the process of creating this blog, I have learned a good deal of information not only about Occupational Therapy but also about myself as a researcher. Our assignment this week - since it is our last assignment- is to reflect back on this process of blogging and list the top 3 things we learned about our chosen career and also ourselves as researchers, and the top 3 questions we still have about our occupation. I have learned so much about occupational therapy through this experience that it was hard for me to choose only 3 of them, but the 3 I chose are as follows...

TOP 3 THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: 

1) The specialties within occupational therapy:

• After learning about many different specialties in occupational therapy, such as pediatric, geriatric, rehabilitation, mental health, hand, etc..., I was able to get an idea of what each different specialty had to offer and to decide which ones I would be most interested in. Pediatric, geriatric, and rehabilitation all interest me and are topics I plan to look into more as I continue through my education.

2) A broad knowledge of both physical and mental disorders is required in any branch of occupational therapy: 

• I learned that no matter what branch of occupational therapy a person may decide to pursue a career in, a broad knowledge and understanding of both physical and mental disorders is essential. An OT could deal with patients with autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, cerebral palsy, stroke victims, patients with developmental delays, and many other conditions.

3) A loving, caring, and patient attitude is an essential characteristic for any occupational therapist:

• Because of the many conditions listed above are not all conditions that can be eliminated through treatment, only improved, occupational therapists must have loving and caring heart for their patients, as well as patience. In pediatrics this might mean being patient with a rowdy child, in geriatrics it could mean understanding that their patient will be slow and needs his/her time, and in mental health it could mean dealing with a patient who has his/her good and bad days with their disorder. And in every branch of OT, it is imperative to show that each patient is cared for not only as a client but as a person as well.

TOP 3 THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT MYSELF AS A RESEARCHER:

1) I am capable of determining when to use certain sources:

•  Before this assignment, I would have thought that any source is a good as the next. But, through our multiple assignments requiring us to use different research methods to find specific types of sources such as peer-reviewed journal articles, newspaper articles, and blogs, I learned that some sources are more suited for your purpose than others. For example, I wrote a research paper about how those in the horse community talk about two different events that they compete in and I used blogs as my main sources. These blogs would not have been as appropriate if I was writing a factual paper about the differences between the two events.

2) I am a curious researcher:

• Because our blogging assignment required so much researching, we obviously spend a lot of time on many different sources. Throughout the progression of my researching, I started to find that I would begin researching one topic and find a good source, but by the end of the night I would be writing my blog on something completely different with a new source. This is because as I would read the first source, I would find something that would make me wonder about, which I would then research, find a new source, and start the process all over again.

3) I can enjoy researching:

• Through this process I have learned that researching isn't always boring and something that I don't like doing. What I learned from our blogging experience is that if you can find something that you are interested in or that you may be involved in in your future, researching can actually be quite interesting. Before this class, every research project I was assigned was given a specific topic provided by the teachers- who were more than likely the only ones in the class who had any interest in the topic whatsoever- which gave me a negative view on all researching. But, since we got to tailor our blogs around our interests, it made researching my topic an interesting and informative process for me which I didn't think was possible.

3 QUESTIONS STILL REMAINING:

1) How exactly does Occupational Therapy work in the US Army?

• I wrote a previous blog post about OT in the US Army and stated that I would be receiving more information from my uncle in Germany. Unfortunately, my uncle in his family have been in the process of moving houses and he has been unable to contact me. I am interested to see what he has got for me though!

2) How long do patients with mental disorders attend occupational therapy?

• Throughout my blog, I realized that I never spoke about how long patients usually continue therapy. I know that the time duration of therapy will mostly depend on the individual patient, but what about those with incurable mental disorders? Do they continue to attend occupational therapy for their whole life? Or, maybe they go until they or their family can learn to cope with the disorder at home? This is another answer I'm interested in finding the answer to.
  

3) How do Occupational Therapists treat patients with Schizophrenia? 

• I do not know much about schizophrenia besides what I occasionally see in horror movies, so it would be very interesting to learn how this disorder is formed, what it causes, and how occupational therapists treat patients diagnosed as schizophrenic. 

Art Therapy Exercises

ART THERAPY EXERCISES 

For this weeks open blog post, I found a website with many helpful art projects that serve as a fun project for kids as well as a therapeutic project. These art projects help children and adults suffering from stress, trauma, unhappiness and other mental conditions to cope and rid their lives of the negative aspects. The article that I found provides 100 different exercises to try at home to help yourself, your child, or anyone else suffering from these conditions. The different art projects are separated into categories according what trait the projects help to obtain to get rid of. The categories are as follows (I have also included an example of one project under each category to better explain their purpose): 

Emotions 

•  Design a post card you will never send: Write a post card expressing your unresolved anger towards someone that is not meant to be sent

Relaxation 

• Paint to music: Paint a picture while listening to your favorite music in order to calm yourself and relax

Happiness

• Take photos of things you think are beautiful: Take a picture of things that you think are beautiful, even if nobody else likes them. Frame them for a constant reminder of the beautiful things in life. 

Portraits

• Create a body image sketch: If you have body image issues, create a sketch of how you feel about your body and allow yourself to see how it matches up to the reality of how your body actually is

Trauma and Unhappiness

• Draw a place where you feel safe: Draw a place where you feel you are always safe and do not have to worry about anything else in life

Collaging

• Create a motivational collage: Create a collage full of things you find motivational and hang it somewhere that you can see it daily to motivate yourself 

Self

•  Build your own website: Create your own website where you can express all your own personal views, ideas, and concerns

Gratitude

• Create a family tree of strength: Create a family tree showing all the people that you are connected to and that support you in life

Inside the Mind

• Draw your dreams: Since you can learn a lot from what goes on in your dreams, keep a journal and write down what you dream and use it as inspiration for a painting or drawing

Miscellaneous

• Make art out of recycled materials: Use materials that have meaning to you to create a new project to show how you can remodel and reevaluate your life. 

 To me, these art projects are all very interesting and sound like great ideas, but I'm not sure how effectively they would help cure someone's mental conditions in reality. I find there would be issues like... what if the person is not artistic at all? Then art therapy probably won't have the biggest effect on them. Or, maybe some people will not be able to see the underlying meanings of why they are creating these art projects and what they are trying to learn about themselves through the process, which would again make these projects somewhat pointless. However, everyone is different and maybe this type of therapy can greatly help someone to cope. It can't hurt to try! And, even if they don't help, then at least you just made a fun art project for the day!

If you would like to see the complete list of art projects, go here >> 100 Excellent Art Therapy Exercises

WORKS CITED

"100 Excellent Art Therapy Exercises For Your Mind, Body, and Soul." Nursing Schools. 9 January 2011. Web. 15 April 2013.

Practicing Your Knowledge

PRACTICING YOUR KNOWLEDGE

This week, our objective was to attempt a hands-on experience in our profession and to speak about the differences between learning from this hands-on experience and learning from written or spoken sources. For my hands on experience, I attempted ultrasound therapy on my own leg. I chose to try this skill because I have always been interested in ultrasound technology and I am currently considering switching my major from Kinesiology to Diagnostic Medical Sonography which is based on this technology. Ultrasound therapy uses an ultrasound machine that sends high-frequency sound waves into your body through the "probe" -the hand held device shown above.  The person performing this therapy places a hypoallergenic gel on the area being treated and uses the probe to send sound waves deep into your muscles and tissues, creating a heating, tingling sensation. This heat helps increase the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the targeted muscles/tissues and speeds the healing process.

Being involved in many sports throughout high school, I have been in the physical therapy office many times. And, my physical therapist Kim Spranger - who I interview for another blog post in February- has performed this ultrasound therapy many, many times on my arms, legs, and back. Through attempting this skill on my own, I learned that while it may look really easy, it does take some experience to get it right. To start, I learned quickly that if you use too much gel, it can create quite a mess and you'll have goop running all over your patient. Next, I learned that you need to have a good understanding of the anatomy of the body to be able to place the probe in the right places in order to treat the patient most effectively. When Kim performed this procedure on my I could feel the heat hitting exactly where my problem area was, but when I tried, I couldn't get it to feel quite the same way. Eventually, through several failed attempts, I began to improve and perfect my ultrasound therapy skills.

Through this experience, I learned the difference between learning through a hands-on experience and learning through a written or spoken source. By using a written source, I was able to learn and then explain to you how ultrasound therapy works, not exactly how to perform the skill. I wouldn't have been able to observe and explain to you what happens internally during ultrasound therapy and what makes it effective by simply performing it. But, by attempting the skill myself, I learned how to perfect the skill, not an understanding of how it works. I learned that it takes some experience to get used to, which I think is the case in almost any situation. The biggest thing I learned however is that a combination of both written/spoken sources and hands-on experience will be most beneficial when learning something new. Through doing this, I learned how to perfect ultrasound therapy and I also understood the way it works. Had I only attempted to learn in one way, I would be missing out on a great deal of important information.

WORKS CITED

Newell, Lori. "What is Ultrasound Therapy?" eHow Health. Demand Media, Inc. 1999-2013. Web. 11 April 2013.

Occupational Therapy and Video Games

 

BENEFICIAL ASPECTS OF VIDEO GAMES IN OT

While brainstorming ideas for this week's open blog post, I came across another writer's blog post about iPad, Xbox, and Wii games having beneficial occupational therapy aspects for young children. This was very intriguing to me because in all my human development and psychology classes so far, I've learned that a child should not spend his/her time on media, but rather playing outside with toys or other children. So, what is different about these games that makes them beneficial to other games and media such as watching TV? The games that the blogger listed are... 

IPAD 

• Temple Run and Fruit Ninja (for visual tracking and task concentration)
• ABC tracing and Dora ABC's (for learning the alphabet) 
• Cookie Maker and Pizza Maker (for following multi-step directions)

XBOX

• Kinect Dance Central (for strength and gross motor imitation)
• Kinect Sports (for hand-eye coordination and timing of movements) 
• Kinect Training (for strength and endurance)
• Dance Dance Revolution

WII

• Wii Fit Plus (for body awareness)
• Wii Sports (for hand-eye coordination and timing of movements)

Through the list of games provided, it was clear that each game provided certain tasks such as following directions, learning letters, and even balance and coordination to help with the child's development. These games do not have any violence and are interactive unlike television cartoons children may like to watch, which makes them beneficial compared to other games and TV. And, because they are video games, the child doesn't even know that they are practicing essential skills for development in their life, they just think their playing a fun game. For this reason, games like these can be very beneficial to young children and can make stimulating a child's development fun for their parents as well.

 WORKS CITED

"12 iPad, Xbox, and Wii Games That Help With Occupational Therapy." The Friendship Circle Blog. 19 March 2013. Web. 9 April 2013.

Remixing Knowledge

REMIXING KNOWLEDGE: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

The objective for this week's special blog post was to find a source that was created by a professional in our chosen career that is a remix and to use RAIDS to read and respond to that remix.While searching for my source, I found this brochure for "OT at Home"  that caught my eye. 

RAIDS: Revision Arrangement Invention Delivery Style

Revision:

• Independence as the worst thing to lose (not physical characteristics)
• Occupational Therapy services in the individual's home instead of just clinical/hospital settings

Arrangement:

• "Whats the worst thing to lose?" is the largest to catch the readers' attention
• Highlighted recommendations also to catch the readers' attention and to persuade them to try the service 
• Services and contact details placed in the middle and also highlighted to draw more attention

Invention:

• Adapting an individual's home to accommodate their needs instead of only treating the individual
• Independence as the worst thing to lose as an individual

Delivery:

•  Brochure

Style:

• Informational
• Advertisement
• Eye Catching (Bold colors and large words)

Through my critical reading of this brochure, I have concluded that the audience for this source is those in need of occupational therapy, more specifically older patients instead of children and infants. I came to this conclusion because the services offered are more suited for adults and elderly people such as "Return-to-work assessments and advice," and "Nursing and Residential Home assessment and advice."  The purpose of this brochure is to advertise OT at Home. They emphasized the many services they provide, along with personal reviews of their services using bold colors, font, and font size to draw the readers' attention. The use of these different rhetorical strategies caught my eye, which shows me that they are effective strategies to help promote their business and bring in more clients.

WORKS CITED

"Occupational Therapy at Home." Photograph. Occupational Therapy at Home. N.p. N.d. Web. 2 April 2013.

Tools in Occupational Therapy

TOOLS IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

For this week's open blog post, I decided to look at the different types of tools used in occupational therapy. I have mentioned several times that occupational therapists use unique tools and devices for the treatment of their patients, but I have never specifically identified these tools. After researching, I compiled the tools that I found in the list below...

• Sock Grabber
• Long Handled Sponge
• Long Handled Shoe Horn
• Elastic Shoelaces
• Universal Cuff for holding a Spoon 
• Weighted Vest
• Pencil Grips
• Adapted Scissors
• Slant Board 
• Mini Trampoline
• Heavy Teddy Bear 
• Brushes

Each patient's needs require different equipment for treatment depending on their condition. These tools are used to not only treat patients but also make their everyday activities easier to accomplish. For example, the spoon cuff helps someone who cannot hold their spoon to eat, the elastic shoe laces for those who can't tie their shoes, and the pencil grips for those who can't hold onto their pencil. Although these tools seem quite simple, they can make the world of a difference to a patient who needs them when they are applied correctly. 

WORKS CITED

Sundstrum, Kelly. "Occupational Therapy Tools for Kids." eHow. n.d. Web. 28 March 2013. 

"Occupational Therapy Frequently Asked Questions." Allied Health World. 19 January 2010. Web. 28 March 2013.

Creativity in Occupational Therapy

THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVITY IN OT

For this week's open blog post, I wanted to expand on the idea of unusual practices that I began to explain in my special blog about Patch Adams. I found that in the past, occupational therapists used arts and crafts as a form of treatment which helped them both physically - improved strength and coordination- and mentally- increased self-esteem and improved social skills. This reminded me of the way Adams treated his patients. However, as the profession grew and became a larger part of the medical field, occupational therapists began to get rid of arts and crafts in their practices in order to establish an identity for their profession in the medical field. This also reminded my of the movie because of how the professionals in Adams field of practice did not accept the unusual ways in which he treated his patients and tried to get rid of him. In the present day however, the importance of creativity in occupational therapy is becoming popular again and is being reapplied to the practice. What I learned blogging today was very interesting and was also a good research experience. I liked to be able to build off of something I already researched and find out more of the background information. I think it makes the process of writing more interesting which then comes across in my work, making it more interesting for others to read. 

WORKS CITED

"Creative Occupations in OT: The Benefits of Creativity." Weebly.com. N.p. N.d. Web. 24 March 2013.

Noting Cultural Assumptions

PATCH ADAMS AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

For this week's special blog post, we had to find a portrayal of our chosen career in popular culture and discuss the cultural assumptions made about our job in that portrayal, as well as how popular culture views our job and the people who work in it. I chose the movie Patch Adams. Although it is not specifically about occupational therapy, I found that it shared many similarities.  In this movie, a young and troubled man named Hunter Adams admits himself into a mental institution. Because of his experiences there, Adams commits himself to becoming a doctor and later attends medical school. Once in medical school however, Adams is disgusted by the way that patients were so "coldly" treated which in turn "alienates" the patients from their caregivers. What happens throughout the rest of the movie is what I find to be similar to occupational therapy. Adams is determined to heal his patients through laughter and provide them emotional relief. He "clowns around" with his patients and gets to know them on a personal level which lifts the moral of both the patients and the hospital staff. I find this similar to occupational therapy because throughout therapy, occupational therapist have to come up with new and sometimes unusual ways to help heal their patients and while doing so build a strong relationship with them as well. Unfortunately in the movie, Adams' unorthodox ways of treating patients is not widely accepted by the other professionals in the field, who later try to bar him from practicing medicine. 

Through this portrayal, I found that they are trying to show that patients need more than just medicine and tests. They need laughter and love. In this movie, the patients and hospital staff love Adams and the way he treats them, but the "higher up" professionals that he was earlier disgusted by for being only cold and clinically professional with their patients, do not approve of his unusual practices. The cultural assumptions that can be made about Patch Adams are occupational therapy are that sometimes treatments are just plain unusual and can seem like they are not even treatments at all. But, these unusual practices can work very well and help the patient both physically and mentally even though they are not the "professional" ways in which people are used to.   

WORKS CITED

"Patch Adams: Synopsis." Fandango. AMG. n.d. Web. 24 March 2013.

Occupational Therapy Schools in Michigan

MICHIGAN OT SCHOOLS

Whenever I talk to others about the choices I need to make in college, I'm given the same response every time: "You have tons of time to think about it, you'll figure it out." Well I can't speak for the other freshmen here at MSU, but I already feel a bit rushed. A good chunk of my 2012-2013 schedule were classes already specifically for my major (Kinesiology), which became a bit of an issue when I was still deciding if it was the major I wanted to be in. All I could think was: "I don't want to get far into one subject, decide it's not for me, and realize all those classes are now wasted time and money." While I'm sure now that I want to stay in Kin, that doesn't make me feel any less rushed. Now I'm already looking at what graduate schools I would like to go too. I would love to stay in Michigan, so I decided to search which schools in Michigan offer a master's level degree or higher in OT. On City Town Info, I found that Calvin College, Eastern Michigan, Grand Valley State, Saginaw Valley State, Wayne State, and Western Michigan all offer a masters degree or higher. On this website, it also stated that Battle Creek, Saginaw, and Ann Arbor have the highest percentage of jobs relative to their population, while Holland, Lansing, and Niles have the lowest. This information, while not in depth was very helpful to me because now I know the possible schools that I should look more into, and a job outlook for areas around Michigan as well for after I complete my schooling.

WORKS CITED

"Michigan Occupational Therapists: Schools and Careers." City Town Info. n.p. n.d. Web. 16 March 2013. 

Arguments in Occupational Therapy

CULTURAL AWARENESS IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

While searching for a scholarly article about arguments in occupational therapy, I came across an interesting article published in The British Journal of Occupational Therapy called "Cultural Awareness in Occupational Therapy: The Chinese Example." In this article, Katherine Hopton and Helen Stoneley found that in a comparison of Chinese culture and occupational therapy philosphy, occupational therapy in the United Kingdom was influenced by the Western health care system that it developed in. Hopton and Stoneley talk about the importance of occupational therapists being culturally aware, and state that this importance is due to the idea that key concepts and terms used in everyday practice of occupational therapy may not be "culturally generalizable." 

Through my research so far, one of the main ideas I have learned about occupational therapy is that different patients have different needs, and these different needs require different styles of treatment. Because this idea is so important on an individual basis, I can understand how it can also be very important on a cultural basis. Cultures differ in many ways: the food they eat, the morals they value, the jobs they work, etc... A therapist who is not culturally aware may be more susceptible to making their patient feel uncomfortable or simply not providing the most efficient type of therapy for the patients combination of individual and cultural needs. It is an occupational therapist's job to help each patient to live healthiest and most independent life that they can, which would become difficult if the therapist has no knowledge of what their patient's home life consists of. For these reasons, I support Hopton's and Stoneley's views on the importance of cultural awareness in occupational therapy. 

 

WORKS CITED

Hopton, Katherine, and Helen Stoneley. "Cultural Awareness in Occupational Therapy: The Chinese Example." The British Journal of Occupational Therapy 69.8 (2006): 386-9. ProQuest. Web. 16 Mar. 2013. 

The Oprah Winfrey Controversy

OPRAH WINFREY AND SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER

While searching for a controversy in occupational therapy for this week's special blog post, I came across Oprah Winfrey which made me curious. What does Oprah have to do with occupational therapy? Well, it turns out that the whole controversy stems from an episode of the Oprah Show where she talked about a challenged boy with sensory processing disorder (SPD) who's mother explained had both hypersensitivity and hyposensativity. She also explained that her son found it pleasurable and funny when other children were hurt and in pain. What angered advocates of SPD about this was how Oprah may have led others watching the show to believe that all children with this disorder were violent and behaved in the same way. They say that SPD affects different children in different ways which were not shown on the Oprah Show such as movement, social skills, school performance, and many other functions. They also disapproved of how Oprah never explained how SPD could be treated. They understand that the main focus of the show was more about the struggles of the young boy's life, but would like to see SPD more clearly and specifically explained and represented.

WORKS CITED 

Orenchak, Meghan. "The Oprah Winfrey and Sensory Processing Disorder Controversy." North Shore Pediatric Therapy. 8 March 2011. Web. 13 March 2013.

Occupational Therapy: Hand Therapy

HAND THERAPY

While searching around the internet for a topic for this week's open blog post, I kept coming across something called hand therapy. Although I have gone through other specializations of occupational therapy in my previous posts, I have not yet looked into this one. The title "hand therapy" can be deceiving. Judging by the name, it sounds as if hand therapists only work with the hands. However, they also work to rehabilitate the wrist, elbow, and shoulder girdle. Hand therapy requires much more experience than just occupational or physical therapy. To become a hand therapist, a personal must have at least 5 years of experience working as an occupational or physical therapist and at least 4,000 hours practicing hand therapy. Hand therapists also have to pass a test in advanced clinical skills and theory of upper quarter rehabilitation, and re-certify every 5 years. This field is very beneficial because if you think about it, how much could we really do with a loss of functioning in our hands and upper limbs? Just about every job that I can think of requires well functioning hands in someway, and it is a hand therapist's job to help those who have lost that function to regain it as soon and as completely as possible. 

WORKS CITED

"The Recognized Specialist in Hand Therapy." HTCC. Hand Therapy Certification Therapy, Inc. N.d. Web. 11 March 2013.

Reading Artifacts

READING ARTIFACTS: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

For this week's special blog, we had to identify an artifact that represents our chosen career and explain how this artifact may teach others about our profession. When looking for an artifact that represented occupational therapy as a whole, I found it to be very complicated. No one artifact stood out to me, which made me realize that just looking at occupational therapy as a whole was too general for this topic. So, I decided to look into pediatric occupational therapy. To begin, I simply Googled pediatric occupational therapy just to see what kinds of things would pop up. Immediately I noticed everything was full of bright colors and little hand prints. But, the objects that stood out to me most were the colorful building blocks used in occupational therapy. I created a CR&R for this artifact as follows..

CRITICAL READING

Preview: They are little colorful blocks
First Impression: They are little blocks with numbers or letters on them for kids to play with and stack. They are a typical toy for little kids.
Close Reading:

• Key ideas: The blocks are colorful to attract a child's attention. They have numbers or letters  on them to predispose children to the alphabet and number line for future learning. They are large enough to not cause a health/choking hazard but also small enough to be easily played with by children.
• Connections: In pediatric occupational therapy, OT's use many toys such as these blocks to test/treat children. When I think "pediatrics" I think children...when I think children I think of toys like colorful building blocks..

• Questions: How are these blocks used to teach children? Why are they used? How do building blocks represent pediatric occupational therapy?

Summary:  Building blocks are little colorful blocks that children like to play with and can also be used in occupational therapy to test or treat them.

CRITICAL RESPONSE

Key Question: How do building blocks represent pediatric occupational therapy?
Detail Analysis: How are building blocks used? What can they be used to test? In what way do they demonstrate a child's growth through occupational therapy?
Interpretation: Building blocks can be used to test a child's coordination in stacking them, or it can check their spelling. Building blocks can be used as a metaphor to a child's development: Through OT, therapists are making sure children have all the right "building blocks" to develop into a normally functioning adult.
Synthesis: Building blocks, like other "toys" (as children see them) or devices used to treat a child can represent pediatric occupational therapy. They are a way to help a child get past any injury/defect/disability that may be slowing them down. 
Final Synthesis: Building blocks represent a child's growth through occupational therapy. At first, they are just random blocks, but over time children learn to stack them or spell words with them. In the beginning of therapy, a child's development is like the random blocks, but overtime as the child's problems are resolved and the therapist/parent learns to treat them, all the pieces start to come together and the child can develop fully. 

Through this final synthesis, people can use building blocks as a way to think about a child's development through a pediatric occupational therapy program.

WORKS CITED

"Building Blocks." kidSPOT. Online Image. 26 February 2013.

Occupational Therapy: US ARMY

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN THE US ARMY

For this week's open blog post, I decided to look into how someone could become an occupational therapist in the U.S Army. It is something that is always in the back of my mind when I think of where I am going with this career. I went directly to GoArmy.com and found very helpful information. 

DUTIES 

Occupational therapists in the U.S Army have opportunities to work in U.S Army medical centers along with community hospitals and clinics or field medical units. There are many duties listed that an OT must be ready to do. The duties are as follows: conducting battlefield unit needs assessments in order to determine the mental health status of the unit, apply treatment to soldiers suffering from combat and operational stress, treat upper extremity neuromuscular injuries and disorders to return solders to the optimal level for duty, help to advance performance by providing energy conserving and work simplification procedures, supervise occupational therapy technicians while treating, and serve as a commander of companies, battalions, brigades, and medical treatment facilities.  

REQUIREMENTS 

Requirements for Active Duty Members

 In order to become an occupational therapist in the U.S Army, you must have a bachelor's degree in an accredited occupational therapy program, along with completed field work. You must also be certified by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, be between the ages of 21 and 42-although wavers may be requested for age- and be a U.S citizen. Students who are graduation from an accredited school within 6 months may apply for U.S active army service. 

Requirements for Army Reserve Members

Members of the Army Reserve must have permanent U.S residency and a license in occupational therapy along with the requirements above.

To me, the army is a bit of an intimidating thing. I respect those who enlist in the military greatly, but I'm not sure if it is something that I can do. After researching, I see that there is a lot more requirements then I had originally thought to become an OT in the U.S Army, however it would be a very rewarding career and I can't think of a group of people who deserve the best care more than our soldiers. This topic is still somewhat unclear for me, so I decided to ask my Uncle who is a psychiatrist on a U.S Army base in Germany. I plan to post my further information when he gets back to me!

WORKS CITED 

"Occupational Therapist (65A)." U.S Army. N.p. N.d. Web. 21 February 2013.   

Observing Community

OBSERVING COMMUNITY 

At Michigan State University, there is an organization called the Pre-Physical Therapy Association or PPTA. Their goal is to prepare pre-physical therapy students for their future career as well as grad school. They also involve pre-occupational therapy students as well. I chose to interview Aliisa Paquette, a  physical therapy student who has attended events for this group. I asked her the following questions...

What do you think is PPTA' s main goal?

"They really try to prepare the group members for grad school and for their jobs in the future."

How do they try to accomplish this goal? 

"They bring in a lot of guest speakers, both occupational therapists and physical therapists. It helps to get the perspective of someone who has experience in your career choice. And, just recently there was an offer that if you were an active member of the group you could have the chance to take a free GRE test."

What kind of events does the PPTA host?

"They have meetings monthly with pizza and pop, it kind of serves as their socials too. They also do fundraisers like Relay For Life and fundraisers at different restaurants. Besides that, they have guest speakers come and give presentations."

Can you give a specific example of an event that you attended? 

 "Ive been to a fundraiser at Mongolian Grill, a percentage of the proceeds went to PPTA. It was a really fun time and for a good cause."

The PPTA group seems like a very informative group. It's main purpose is to help students prepare for further schooling and future careers. While helping students, they also reach out and help other organizations with a good cause such as Relay For Life. This to me says that they really value helping others. They take time out of their day to make the lives of others easier and make a difference. 

WORKS CITED 

Paquette, Aliisa. Personal Interview. 20 February 2013.

 

Occupational Therapy: Physical Rehabilitation Specialization

PHYSICAL REHABILITATION OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 

This is my 4th week of exploring specializations of occupational therapy for our open blog assignments. The final specialization I will research is physical rehabilitation. Occupational therapists in this field work with patients who suffer from physical disabilities due to illness, injury, or disability. They provide their patients with treatments and/or instructions to help them relearn to do daily tasks, or be able to return to their workplace. Someone who wishes to work in this field should take classes such as kinesiology courses, and courses on physical disabilities and rehabilitation. Each specialized field within occupational therapy may require special equipment and devices, and requires a therapist with an open mind that can come up with new gadgets and new ways to use the devices to help their patient. Though each area requires different areas of learning and somewhat different mindsets, each area is trying to reach the same goal: To help their patient live the healthiest and most independent life possible.

WORKS CITED

"Overview of Occupational Therapy Specializations." Education Portal. n.p., n.d, Web. 11 February 2013. 

Exploring the Writing Process

PHYSICAL/OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY WRITING PROCESS

When I learned that for this week's blog assignment we had to interview a professional in our field, one name popped immediately into my mind. Kim Spranger. Not only is she my physical therapist, she is my best friend's mom, and someone who I look up to tremendously. She cares so much about each one of her patients and genuinely wants to help them in anyway that she can. She did so much for me through my high school athletic career, and I would love to learn more from her now. Kim works closely with occupational therapists and is very well educated in their field along with her own. So, although she is not an occupational therapist, I chose her as the professional that I would interview.

 When I asked Kim what kind of writing occupational therapists use, she explained to me several different procedures. The first she explained to me was specifically for occupational therapists working in an educational setting with special education students or those with an "OT issue" such as having a hard time with handwriting or even tying shoes. Occupational therapists in this setting have to write whats called an IET or Individualized Education Plan, which is what they plan to do to help the child. The second type of writing that she explained to me is more of what she does daily as a physical therapist. Initially when the patient comes in, Kim said she spends about 30 minutes after the patient leaves writing her evaluation toward treatment care plan. She does this by writing a SOAP note. SOAP stands for: Subjective (note the patients words as they tell you how they feel), Objective (an overall physical examination) , Assessment (assess the patients condition based on the S and O information), and Planning (Plan the treatment). Then, after every ten treatments, Kim writes a note to the physician, explaining how the patient is doing, what treatments are being used, and how much longer she believes is needed. She explained that this is a short, very goal-oriented writing used to inform the physician of the patient's progress. She also explained that in the future, she believes this type of writing will be replaced with new electronic medical records. However, she believes that the writing she does is the art of trying to communicate effectively, and is an important part of her job. The third and final form of writing she informed me of was for patients for diseases such as lymphedema. For these types of patients, Kim writes detailed instructions on what types of therapy they need to be doing for themselves, so that twenty years down the road, they can pull this paper out and know what they need to do.

This style of writing differs from the types of writing we've looked at so far because this type of writing doesn't involve several drafts. Kim does not need to write a shitty first draft about her patient's condition, then ponder on whether she should add a more attention grabbing opening scene, rising tension, or climax at the end. She does not need to take her time and write drafts 1-5, she simply needs to write the facts so that the physician can best meet the patient's needs.

WORKS CITED 

Spranger, Kim. Personal interview. 13 February 2013. 

 

Occupational Therapy: Mental Health Specialization

MENTAL HEALTH OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

This is my 3rd week of exploring specializations within occupational therapy, and this week's subject is mental health occupational therapy.  OT's in this field work with patients with mental disorders, mental stress, substance abusers, and patients with many other related problems. They can help with specific task such as getting on the right bus, correctly using/spending their money, and dealing with mental stress. For patients dealing with depression or substance abuse, OT's can help find them jobs that are at a tolerable stress level, and can help the patient deal with their illness. Like every other specialization in occupational therapy, you need at least a master's degree. To become specialized in mental health, it does not seem as rigorous as the procedures needed to become specialized in pediatric or geriatric occupational therapy. Additional training might be required, but I did not find that you need additional schooling after years of work or additional licensing to work in the mental health field. It is very important to have patience and compassion while working in this field, because patients may be very slow to show any forward progress. But, once progress is shown and the goal of helping a patient live a healthy and independent life is met, it is a very rewarding experience for both the patient and the therapist.  

WORKS CITED 

Lanette, Jen. "What Do Occupational Therapists Do in Mental Health?" eHow. Web. 10 February 2013.

Considering Delivery and Style

CONSIDERING DELIVERY AND STYLE

This week, we were asked to find a blog, a trade journal or newspaper article, and a scholarly article written by a professional in our chosen field. We were then asked to compare the differences in their styles of writing and delivery in order to compare their audience and purpose. I found an online blog about occupational therapy and compared it to a article I found from The Washington Post and an article published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT). The biggest difference I noticed right away is the how formal each of the writings were.

BLOG

The blog entries were written in the most informal way. There was so specific structure I found that they stuck to. The informality, to me, suggests that they are writing for an audience such as the general public or anyone who is interested in learning the basic facts about occupational therapy. They don't necessarily use terms that only professional occupational therapists would understand and don't go into incredible depth and detail in their blogs. Their purpose is more to introduce people to world of occupational therapy and give them general knowledge about the different topics they write about.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

The article from The Washington Post was written more formally then the blog entries. The writer was writing to an audience like the general public, but mostly those in or around Washington D.C. The purpose of this article was not to teach people about occupational therapy, but rather share a very inspirational story with others about a triple-amputee who formed a life long bond with his occupational therapist. The use of dialogue in this article also shows another difference in the style of writing, and is appropriate due to the fact that they are telling a story, not just writing something informational.

 JOURNAL

The AJOT article was the most formal of all three writings. They used very formal language and structure, and more in detail descriptions. The researchers used words that only other professionals or researchers with an already developed knowledge in occupational therapy would understand, such as "socioderagraphic variables, anthropometric measures, and Peabody Developmental Motor Skills, Second Edition." The audience they are writing for is a more professional and educated group than the blog, and it is not for someone who is just beginning to learn about occupational therapy. Their purpose is to publish their studies for other professionals and researchers in the field to read and review.

Compare their styles here - Blog , Newspaper Article ,  AJOT article

WORKS CITED 

Bellows, Laura; Davies, Patricia; Anderson, Jennifer and Kennedy Catherine. "Effectiveness of a Physical Activity Intervention for Head Start Preschoolers: A Randomized Intervention Study." American Journal of Occupational Therapists. 67.1. (2013): 28-36. Web. 2 February 2013. 

"Sensory Food Aversion or Picky Eater." Occupational Therapy. Wordpress. Web. 2 February 2013.

Ruane, Michael. "Triple amputee and occupational therapist for bond of bothers during soldier's recovery." The Washington Post 4 December. Web. 7 February 2013.  

Occupational Therapy: Pediatric Specialization

PEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

For this week's open blog post, I will continue to explore the specializations inside the field of occupational therapy. Last week I researched geriatric occupational therapy, and this week I will explore pediatric occupational therapy. Pediatric occupational therapists work with young kids who have problems in movement, coordination, and cognitive functions. These kids could have muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic injuries, and a variety of many other problems. Pediatric occupational therapists work in many settings such as hospitals, schools and educational facilities, and healthcare facilities. Since their patients are young kids and infants, pediatric occupational therapists often turn their therapy into a type of game since the kids are too young to understand otherwise. Playing games also helps the children stay interested in their therapy. Just like in geriatric occupational therapy, it is important the the child's family is involved in helping them and is dedicated to making a change in the child's life. To become a pediatric occupational therapist, you must have at least a master's degree in occupational therapy, and most programs require three or more years working experience. Also, you must attain a license from National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) before you can become a pediatric occupational therapist. 

Today I learned that a specialization in occupational therapy takes a unique set of skills that have to be polished through years of work. But, all those years of work will pay off in the end. A child has his/her whole life ahead of them and shouldn't be slowed down by a defect or disability. I think this field of work is a very special job.

WORKS CITED 

 "Pediatric Occupational Therapist." Pediatric Occupational Therapist. N.p, 2009-20013. Web. 2 February 2013.

Questions about Occupational Therapy

 QUESTIONS ABOUT OT

For our assignment this week, we were asked to come up with ten questions we had about our chosen career, then to find a textbook that could answer as many as possible. After searching in MSU's library, I found a very useful textbook that I was able to use to answer all of my questions. The only minor problem is that the textbook I used was published in 1983. But, I found that though some information was outdated (for example the second way in which you can become a COTA, question #5) the majority pf information provided was very helpful. So, the ten questions I thought of were as follows... I hope you learn something new!

1. What is the official definition of occupational therapy?
• The very first definition was written in 1914, but there have been many definitions of occupational therapy throughout its history. The first formal definition declared in 1922 was "any activity, mental or physical, definitely prescribed and guided for the distinct purpose of contributing to, and hastening recovery from, disease or injury." This definition was revised in 1923, 1924, 1972, and 1981. It became a very long definition that can be summarized as "the study of human occupations (self maintenance, productivity and leisure) and the management of the adaptive behavior required to perform these occupational functions"
2. When did occupational therapy begin?
• The National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy was founded on March 15th, 1917 by a group of seven people.
  
3. Who founded occupational therapy? 
• George Barton, Susan Cox Johnson, Isabel Gladwin Newton Barton (George Barton's secretary and wife), Eleanor Clarke Slagle, Susan Edith Tracy, Thomas Bessell Kidner, William Rush Dunton, Jr., M.D., 
4. How can you become a OTR (occupational therapist, registered)? 
• There are two ways to become an OTR: Graduation from an AMA/AOTA accredited OT program, or professional education outside of the US and completion of the requirements to sit for the Certification Examination for Occupational Therapist, Registered. 
5. How can you become a COTA (certified occupational therapists assistant)?
• There are two ways to become a COTA: Graduation from an accredited program for occupational therapy assistants, or have been granted the status of a COTA by the American Occupational Therapy Association prior to 1976 
6. Is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) the same to an OT as a PTA is to a physical therapist?
• COTAs assist OTs in the evaluation process and must be supervised by the OT during the rest of the program.
7. What is the general process of evaluating a patient?
• Referral or Initial Evaluation (does the patient have potential in occupational performance?), Analysis (will the patient benefit from OT?), Formative Evaluation (what is the patient's entering level?), Plan (what is the patient's problem and what techniques can you use to help?), Program (When can the patient be scheduled, what supplies are needed), Summative Evaluation (How has the patient improved, should the program be stopped, continued, or revised?), and Discharge ( should the patient be discharged?)
8. What are the main goals of an occupational therapist?   
• The main goals can be summarized as: To evaluate human behavior and function in terms of occupational performance and the required adaptive behavior; to support optimum health based on the individual's needs; to develop, improve, or reestablish normal occupational functions throughout the lifespan; and to prevent or minimize dysfunctional occupational performance and adaptive behavior.
9. What kind of facilities do occupational therapists work in?
• Hospitals and institutions, clinics, schools and educational facilities, community centers, nursing homes and residential centers, community agencies, national societies, correctional facilities, workshops, private practice, and industrial settings.  Each of these main groups can then be split into smaller subgroups.
10. Which facility do the highest percentage of occupational therapists work?
• Most occupational therapists work in general hospitals.

 WORKS CITED

Reed, Kathlyn L. Concepts of Occupational Therapy. 3rd ed. Baltimore. Williams & Wilkins, 1983. Print.

Occupational Therapy: Geriatric Specialization

GERIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 

 

For the next few weeks of my open blog posts, I would like to look further into four specialized areas of occupational therapy: Geriatric, pediatric, mental health, and physical rehabilitation. I will dedicate each week to discovering more in detail what each area of specialization has to offer. For this week, I have chosen to dig deeper into geriatric occupational therapy. The goal of a geriatric occupational therapist is to help their elderly patients be able to maintain the most independent life that they can, for as long as they can. Most elderly patients would love to stay in their home as long as possible and occupational therapy can help them to do so. Occupational therapy is very affective with geriatrics because not only do therapists help their patients, but they also counsel the patients' community (family, neighbors, friends, etc...) to ensure that they are doing what they can to help the elderly stay independent.The most common conditions that geriatric OTs work with involve arthritis, strokes, body replacements of the hip and knee, dementia, depression, and many other conditions. They work to prevent these conditions, or care for them if they are already there. They also help the elderly with daily activities that are required in order to live independently such as bathing, dressing, eating, laundry, shopping, and many other daily activities. And finally, they help to provide activities for their patients to avoid having them slip into social isolation from others. OTs encourage new social activities that are mind-stimulating to avoid this and also dementia.

After researching this topic, I have found that there are so many beneficial aspects of geriatric occupational therapy. I have a certain soft spot for older people, and I believe (especially after learning in detail how much geriatric therapy helps) that helping an elderly person be able to live the best life that they can and feel like they can still take care of themselves would be such a rewarding feeling.

WORKS CITED

Susan Berg. "Geriatric Care & Occupational Therapy." eHOW. N.p. Web. 28 January 2013.

Mary Reilly: OT Legend

 

MARY REILLY: OT LEGEND 

While looking for a biography or memoir of an OT, I stumbled upon Mary Reilly, who seemed to have a very big impact on the world of occupational therapy. In 1937, Mary Reilly attended Boston School of Occupational Therapy and received her certificate in 1940. Some of her many life accomplishments include serving as director of occupational therapy in Detroit at the Sigma Gamma Hospital School, becoming a Captain in the US Army Medical Specialists serving as a civilian therapist, attending USC and UCLA to further her schooling in occupational therapy and education, and many more. After receiving her own education, Dr. Reilly later redesigned USC's master program for occupational therapy using her own philosophical and theoretical knowledge and ideas instead of just using technical skills, and became the head of the department. Mary Reilly reshaped the way people studied occupational therapy forever.

Read the full bio here!

RHETORICAL ELEMENTS ADDING EMPHASIS

There were many rhetorical elements that helps to emphasize Mary Reilly's success and other aspects of the field. First off, the title "Mary Reilly: Remembering a True Legend" is interesting and introduces the point of the paper immediately: Mary Reilly was a very successful person. But why? The first paragraph then explains more thoroughly the point of the paper: Mary Reilly was very successful in the occupational therapy world, and it sums up her life in a way that makes you want to continue reading to learn more about her life's work. It is structured in a chronological way that emphasizes her growth in her career, and reflects on her life showing what all of her contributions meant to the world of occupational therapy.

WORKS CITED

"Mary Reilly: Remembering a True Hero." AOTA. N.p, 30 March 2012. Web. 25 January 2013.

"1968- Mary Reilly and Occupational Behavior." 24 September 2010. Photograph. Flickr.com. Web. 25 January 2013.

Occupational Therapy vs. Speech and Physical Therapy

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY VS. SPEECH AND PHYSICAL THERAPY

 

For the first open blog of this semester, I thought I would start out by looking at some statistics of occupational therapy compared to the related careers: speech and physical therapy. I Found a great article that summed it up very well for me. Thought it is not the most recent information (January 26, 2011), I believe it still shows the relationship between the three different fields of work. Overall, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010-2011 edition),  Physical Therapy holds the highest amount of jobs out of the three with 185,500 jobs in 2008, along with the highest median annual salary of $72,790. However, there are probably more PT jobs then actual practicing PT's because many of them work part time in multiple settings at one time. Occupational Therapy follows with 104,500 jobs and a salary of $66,780. The majority of OT's worked in hospitals, public or private schools, nursing facilities, and other healthcare practitioner's offices', and depending on which setting you work in, the salary can vary. Finally is speech therapy with 119,000 jobs and a salary of $62,930.

I was very interested in how these three careers compared to each other and lets be honest, who isn't interested in learning what their salary could be in the future. But, being mostly interested in occupational therapy, I am very curious to see how these numbers will change in the years to follow until I hopefully will be looking for a job in this field. Hopefully they will go in my favor! 

WORKS CITED

"Some Interesting Facts about Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists." Centra Healthcare Solutions N.p, 26 January 2011. Web. 22 January 2013. 

"Average Annual Salary for Occupational Therapists." Chart. Web. 22 January 2013

Occupational Therapy in Popular Culture

 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN POPULAR CULTURE

After hearing that our objective for this week's post was to find a portrayal of our chosen career in popular culture, my first thought was immediately "uh-oh." However, it didn't take me long to find what looks like a very interesting movie that is related to Occupational Therapy. Although I wasn't able to watch the entire film, I was able to find summaries and trailers to get an idea of what it might be like. "The Intouchables" is a French movie based on a true story about a millionaire, Phillippe Borgo, who becomes a quadriplegic after a tragic paragliding accident and is in need of a live-in caretaker. A young, African American/Muslim ex-convict, Driss, was one of the many people being interviewed for the job. Having had no intentions of being hired, and only wanting a paper signed that said he was looking for a job and was rejected in order to keep receiving unemployment benefits, he was surprised to find that he got the job. Driss learns the extent of Borgo's disability and spends every moment by his side as his occupational therapist, psychologist, matchmaker, and many other roles. Together they bring excitement, meaning, and love back into Borgo's life.

If you'd like to watch the trailer, check it out here! > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34WIbmXkewU 

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE

In Occupational Therapy, it isn't surprising that their language consists mostly of medical terminology. First there is the obvious abbreviation OT, which stands for occupational therapy, and live-in carer which was used in "The Intouchables." There are also many other terms that pretty much mean the same thing in any medical field. But then, there are simple words that may not be specific to the world of occupational therapy, but I find they have a totally different meaning to therapists and patients in the field. Words like "Free." What does "free" mean to an average American?  Maybe being able to buy a home, get a job, and live the life that they want for themselves. For an occupational therapist, helping a patient feel free might mean teaching them to walk again, or just be able to feed themselves once more. In "The Intouchables," Driss helps Phillippe Borgo feel free again simply by treating him as if he was a normal person and not showing any pity towards him. They also use the word self-care, something Borgo could no longer do for himself. To a healthy American, the ability to care for themselves might be something they take for granted or wish someone else could do for them. I know I wake up in the morning wishing someone could dress me, feed  me, do my hair and make-up, and carry me to class. But, for someone like Phillippe Borgo, being able to care for himself again might be his biggest dream. So, while they may not be words specific to OT's, they certainly bring about a whole new meaning when dealing with a person in need.

WORKS CITED 

"What Can A Movie Teach Us About Occupational Therapy?" Centra Healthcare Solutions. N.p, 29 June 2012. Web. 18 January 2013.

"The Intouchables." IMBd. N.p, 17 January 2013. Web. 18 January 2013.

About Me/My Relationship with Writing

ABOUT ME

Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog! So, just a little background information about myself: My name is Jamie Seppanen, I'm currently a freshman at Michigan State University, and I am majoring in Kinesiology. I've always enjoyed math and science in school and I've loved sports all my life, so Kinesiology fits my interests pretty well. Blogging is not typically something I would considering doing and the reason I am writing this blog is because it is a writing assignment for my WRA 150 class. However, I am actually very glad that this is something I am required to do, because although I'm sure about KIN, I am not sure what career path I want to follow after I complete my undergraduate degree.I have been considering Occupational Therapy and would like to explore the career more, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Throughout this blog I will attempt to expand my knowledge, and yours, of the world of occupational therapy. I will learn and share with you all of the different pathways this career can take you, and the many benefits that can come from being an OT.  

MYSELF AS A WRITER

Although I am writing this bog, I have to admit that writing and I have never exactly been friends. I’m not a very creative thinker, and I have a hard time getting my thoughts to translate to my work in a well-thought out, organized way. Also, being more of a math and science type of girl, I am just not very interested in the subject, which sometimes comes across in my work. My goal through this class and writing this blog is to find a way to make writing come easier and to be able to be excited about writing instead dreading it. I will do my best to write interesting entries that you will enjoy reading, but I'll admit that I need some improvement, so please bear with me here as I polish my writing skills! I hope my blog is something you will come to find both enjoyable and informative!