sim lab reflection

              Overall, I think my simulation lab today went well but there were some things I wish I could have done differently. Some of the things I did well were engaging with the mother, making eye contact and providing more than 3 sensory activities. When I first walked into the room, I introduced myself, shook the mother’s hand and sat close enough to her where I was not invading her personal space. For the first time prior to a sim lab, I did not experience nearly as many nerves as I normally do. This was a big accomplishment for me because I normally experience a great amount of anxiety before any sim lab. I prepared a lot for the sim lab by researching what SPD was and knowing how to explain what a sensory seeker meant. I think I did a good job explaining SPD and sensory seeker to the mother using lament terms.

              One area I feel I need to improve on regarding my experience today was slowing down my pace when talking to the mother. I found myself talking a lot more than I initially anticipated, which did not leave much time for the mother to ask me any questions she may have had. Although I do not think I did a “bad” job, I will work on verbally describing what I am trying to say without using saying unnecessary jargon. By unnecessary jargon, I mean not saying things just to fill the time. This could potentially confuse the parent.  

An attitude of caring can be portrayed to the parent by an OT by letting the parent know you expect her to have questions and would be more than happy to answer any she may have. It is important the parents know the OT genuinely wants to help their child and that asking questions will not be annoying. Another way for an OT to portray they care is by body position and eye contact. Sitting close enough to the parent is important when going over an evaluation so they can follow where the OT is on the evaluation. Also, the parent may become emotional when hearing something about their child they did not want to hear. Therefore, being close enough to the parent to provide comfort is crucial to show you care and to show empathy.

              After this experience, I am going to slow down when talking to future sim lab and real clients. Slowing down will give the parent more of an opportunity to ask questions and not feel so overwhelmed.  Another thing I am going to work on is verbalizing my thoughts. This is an area I have always struggled with. I am not sure why I have trouble verbalizing what I am thinking but it is something I would like to improve on! Overall, this was a great experience and I think I am getting better each sim lab!

Media project

The assignment I completed for this reflection was the media project. This project was unlike any project I have had before. The reason it was different was because I was randomly assigned a material and required to create an activity with the selected item. To make the assignment more challenging, I was assigned a client with a specific diagnosis to center the activity around.  I found this project beneficial because it required me to think outside of the box. At first, I was unsure what activity I could come up with using a hula hoop. The first activity I had come to mind was to create an obstacle course. However, my client is a 76-year-old female with Parkinson’s disease, so I had to quickly change my idea for safety reasons. This project made me realize that my creative skills are not as poor as I had once thought. It gave me the confidence to create an activity like I have never created before. As a future OT, it will be my job to create an activity out of anything. The “ah-ha” moment for me when completing this project was realizing I could wrap a bed sheet around a hula hoop to resemble a skirt that will also assist with lower body dressing. This was fascinating to me because it does not require many materials but will be beneficial to my client.

              Before completing this project, I did not realize that OT’s can make activities out of almost anything. For example, they make activities out of egg cartons, milk bottles, hula hoops, hot sauce bottles, etc. I knew that OT’s had to be creative and come up with activities, but I feel like this assignment opened my brain up to many different ideas for future activities. Also, I enjoyed talking to my classmates about what ideas they created. It was a fun topic to hear about what everyone came up with because of our unique materials we were assigned. I think this assignment will help me in the future because it required me to use problem-solving and creativity skills. Also, this assignment showed me a new side of what an OT does. I feel excited after completing this project because I know I have the potential to be a great OT!

neuro note 4

For my fourth neuro note, I chose to watch a TED talk on a woman whose father has frontotemporal lobe dementia. The woman in the videos name is Beth Malone and her father has had dementia for over a decade now. The video centers around how she copes with her father’s illness and her process of learning to heal. She considered bringing her father to Oregon to buy heroin and kill him. Although this sounds inhumane, her intentions were to put him out of his pain and not to murder him. Her family helped her realize that was not the best way to go about helping her father. They put him in many nursing homes until he was arrested for pulling women out of their wheelchairs. After that incident, he was kicked out of the nursing home and was moved into another facility. Eventually Beth went to go see a psychic to figure out what she needed to do to cope with the disease that was killing her father. The psychic told her that she needs to resume their roles as father and daughter. This advice really helped her learn to cope and made her more at peace with the situation.

Dementia is a very common disease among the geriatric population. Currently, my great-grandmother has dementia and I know first-hand the pain of seeing a loved one slowly losing their memory. However, optimism is very important in these types of situations. In the video, Beth expresses her struggles before she finally became at peace with what was happening to her father.  As an OT, I will have many encounters with client’s with dementia. My role will these clients will be to assist with their ADL’s and IADL’s. While I will not be able to aid in their memory loss, I will be able to assist in their independence. When working with a client that has dementia, I will also be working closely with their loved ones. I know how important it will be to be empathetic to not only the client but their family as well. I enjoyed this TED talk video because it showed a woman’s raw emotions surrounding her father’s disease. She was not trying to hide anything back and she wanted to be an aid for anyone going through the same or something like her situation.  I would recommend anyone interested in learning more about dementia watch this video!

Malone, B. (2017, June). Retrieved August 19, 2019, from https://www.ted.com/talks/beth_malone_how_my_dad_s_dementia_changed_my_idea_of_death_and_life#t-415812

Neuro Note 3

For my third neuro note, I chose to watch a TED talk on a woman named Danielle Valenti’s story about her mother with Huntington’s disease. Huntington’s disease is described as one of the worst diseases known to man because it makes the person lose their memory, muscle function, and coordination. Also, this disease is known to cause psychiatric behaviors. Danielle’s mother had this disease for two years prior to telling her daughter. The reason her mother kept it a secret was because she did not want to worry her and did not want to be a burden. However, when Danielle found out she quickly wanted to help as much as she could. They transferred Danielle’s mother to a specialized Huntington’s’ nursing home where she lived the remainder of her days. Her mother chose to kill herself by refusing food for 67 days. After 67 days, her body shut down and she passed away. Danielle explains that she had to make the decision to either force her mother to eat or respect her mother’s wishes and allow her to starve herself. Ultimately, she respected her mother’s wishes and did not stand in her way. Danielle explains how that was the hardest decision she probably would ever have to make but she is happy her mother is now at peace. After her mother passed away, she decided to have the genetic test done to see if she was a carrier of the disease. Unfortunately, her results came back positive meaning she will become symptomatic at some point in her life. Danielle explained how after her results she found herself feeling sorry for herself and depressed. However, she did not want to live out the rest of her life waiting to become sick and wanted to find happiness. This is one of the reasons she became a spokesperson for Huntington’s disease.

            I found this video inspiring because of how brave Danielle appeared to be. She stated how everyone advised her against the genetic testing because there is no cure for the disease, and she would 100% get it if she was a carrier. However, she could not move on from her mom’s death without knowing her fate. As an OT, I will most likely encounter a client with this disease, and I think this video helped me understand it better. I chose to do this neuro note on Huntington’s disease because it is somewhat confusing to me. However, after watching this video I feel better informed on the disease. I encourage everyone with an interest in this specific disease to watch this TED talk!



Talks, T. (2015, December 04). Retrieved August 19, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JRwCdmewl0

neuro note 2

For my second neuro note, I chose to watch a YouTube video called “Alex Coriells’ Journey with ALS.” The reason I chose to watch this video is because I wanted to learn more about this disease. This video is a tribute made by Alex’s wife showing the progression of his disease and how he was affected. Alex was diagnosed with ALS is January of 2013 and passed away roughly 3 years later in November of 2015. About eight months after his diagnosis, he required a feeding tube to eat. A few short months after losing his ability to eat and swallow, he lost his ability to walk. He relied heavily on his wife to be his caregiver, while also caring for their three sons. Alex’s family was very important to him and was a reason to find joy in the remainder of his ever-evolving new life. Also, Alex had strong faith in Jesus and believed in his plan.  Throughout his progression, he was able to talk but required assistive technology to be better understood. Alex was able to use his nose for a while but eventually had to switch to the use of his eyes. I think it is amazing there is technology in our day in age that allows communication using body parts other than mouths and hands. Once Alex lost the ability to walk, he had to switch to a wheelchair. I loved how the video was not all sad aspects of his life. For example, parts of the video showed Alex and his three children riding on his wheelchair while going into a store. One thing about ALS that sets it apart from other diseases how it hardly affects cognition. This means that the person’s body is slowing shutting down, but they are fully aware of what is going on and are essentially helpless. Because cognition is barely affected, mental health is a big part of this disease. It is important a person with ALS can hold onto hope and joy, so they do not stoop into a dark depression. Alex did a good job of not becoming too depressed by finding joy in his family and activities like sports. I could tell that he was a great husband and father and is truly missed by his family. However, he is in a better place and no longer in pain.

            Currently, we are learning about this disease in our neuro class. After watching this video, I feel that I have a better understanding of the disease because I was able to see how it affected an actual person. Although this video did not have many facts about the disease, it was beneficial to watch because observation is essential in learning. Personally, I am a visual learner and benefit more from seeing a person with a disease than learning about it through reading. I would recommend this video to people to watch because it is informative and a sweet tribute. The video is somewhat of a tear jerker, but in a positive way because it showed the good in Alex’s life as opposed to the bad.



Henderson, W. (2018, February 03). Alex Coriell's Journey With ALS. Retrieved August 13,  2019,
from https://alsnewstoday.com/2018/02/01/alex-coriells-journey-with als/?utm_source=ALSNews&utm_campaign=856209f0b7RSS_FRIDAY_EMAIL_CA            PAIGN&utm_medium=email&utmterm=0_0593028b75-856209f0b7-71721017

neuro post 1

For this assignment, I chose to watch a movie called The Upside. This movie is about Philip Lacasse, a man with quadriplegia, who hires Dell Scott, a homeless man, to be his life auxiliary. Dell is a successful billionaire who unfortunately suffered a terrible accident while paragliding. The accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, requiring 24/7 care. I was very impressed by the movie because it displayed so many honest emotions from Philip about how he copes with his new life. He requires assistance with every aspect of his life. For example, he needs someone to help him with feeding, dressing, eating and showering. However, he does have a little independence when he is in his wheelchair because he is able to control it with his chin. Dell and Phillips relationship inspired me because they both had to let each other into their lives for the well-being of both. Dell relied on Phillip for his pay check and Phillip relied on Dell to be his care-taker. Towards the end of the movie, Phillip goes on a date but ends up getting put in the friend zone because of his disability. This completely devastated him and ultimately led to Phillip firing Dell and pushing everyone he cared about away. However, Dell does not give up on Phillip and they remained friends for life. I was empathic for Phillip throughout the movie because I put myself in his shoes and I could not imagine dealing with that amount of life change.

              The reason I chose to watch this movie for my first neuro note is because I wanted to further my knowledge on spinal cord injuries. As an occupational therapist, I am going to be working with people with a variety of spinal cord injuries. Over the past couple of weeks, I have learned how different every injury is. Spinal cord injuries not only change a person’s life physically but mentally as well. I recommend people watch this movie because it gives an in-depth idea of what people struggle with everyday when they are paralyzed. Depression is extremely common because of how different their life changes and how reliant they must be on other people. In the movie, Phillip struggles with depression and eventually tries to push every one that is close to him away. I think that part of the movie was important because of how severe his depression became. However, his friends knew they needed him then more than he ever had before. This is where an occupational therapist would come into play. As OT’s it is our job to help clients be as successful as possible in their daily life occupations. As for Phillip, an OT could have helped him find a reason that made his life worth living again. Overall, this movie was fantastic and I recommend everyone to watch it!

Burger, N. (Director). (2017). The Upside [Video file]. United States: Escape Artist. Retrieved July    22, 2019.

hierachy of mobility skills

The order for restoring confidence in mobility is somewhat complicated to understand but after careful review it makes sense the order. The order goes as follows: bed mobility, mat transfer, wheelchair transfer, bed transfer, functional ambulation for ADL, toilet and tub transfer, car transfer, functional ambulation for community mobility, and community mobility and driving. I understand why driving is the highest on the hierarchy because driving requires great attention span. When someone gets behind the wheel, their life is put at risk and the people around them. Also, it makes sense for bed mobility to be at the very bottom because it is the basis for doing everything else. The first thing a person does in the morning is getting out of bed. A person must get out of bed to operate a vehicle. I agree with this approach. I think it makes a lot of sense for the order it is in because each step builds on each other.

              The labs we have done where we are performing transfers have taught me a lot. It would be very stressful to not be able to move by myself and I am grateful the labs are teaching me to help people who cannot move by themselves. I think it is very cool the different types of transfers we have learned. Before lab, I did not realize there were specific ways to transfer a client, especially when they have a spinal cord injury. I am looking forward to becoming an OT and I believe what I have learned so far about the transfers will help me be the best OT as I can be!

blog post 9

Assistive devices are very beneficial to clients because they aid in their mobility. It is important to properly fit a client for an assistive device for many reasons. If the assistive device does not properly fit, then it could hurt the person to use. Also, if the assistive device is not properly fitted to the specific person then it could affect their balance and posture. For example, if a person is using a walker that is 4 inches too short then they would have to hunch over to use the device. In the long run, the walker would hurt the client more than it would be beneficial.

To properly fit a client for a cane the client should stand straight with their arms directly by their side. The handle needs to be in line with the wrist crease, ulnar styloid or the greater trochanter. For the axillary crutches and lofstrand crutches the hand grips need to be in line with the wrist crease, ulnar styloid or greater trochanter when the arms are at rest by the client’s side. The same goes for a platform walker, with the handgrips in line with the ulnar styloid, wrist crease or the greater trochanter when the arms are resting at the client’s side. The same goes for the rolling walker. When fitting for a cane or walker, the elbow needs to be relaxed, and flexed 20-30 degrees. To fit for crutches, the axillary will rest roughly 5 centimeters below the floor of the axilla. For each assistive device, it is important the client’s shoulders are relaxed and not elevated to get a proper fit. Loftstrand crutches are often used for people with long-term disables, whereas platform crutches are often used right after an injury.

proper posture and body mechanics

Proper posture and body mechanics are important for a person to practice for many reasons. Posture is defined as relative alignment of body parts. One of the reasons it is important for a client to practice proper posture and body mechanics is because it protects the spine from injury. The spine is crucial for a person because it provides mobility, stability, transmits and absorbs forces and protects the spinal cord. Another reason proper posture is important is because it prevents less fatigue. When a person does not sit or stand properly it overworks the muscles causing more strain, resulting in excess tiredness. Also, correct use of pushing, pulling and lifting are much easier for a person who practices good posture. Lastly, poor posture can result in abnormal development of bone, muscle, tendons, ligaments, and other soft-tissue. These reasons, among many others, are important to express to a client.

During an intervention with a client, I would first find out how often they sit or stand during an average day. If the client sits in a chair most of the day, I would advise they buy a chair that does not have a back to it, also known as unsupported sitting posture. For example, they could buy a balanced yoga ball so that it would require their back to sit straight up. This allows an open angle between the pelvis and thigh. If the client stands most of the day, I would go over proper ways to stand with correct posture. One way is to stand straight with the shoulders pulled backwards. Also, standing with the arms hanging naturally on the sides of the body will better a person’s posture. I would demonstrate these stances with the client, so they are aware of what it is supposed to look like. Also, I would let the client know every time they are either sitting or standing with poor posture, so they will become self-aware.

Man of the south

In the story “Man of the South”, an old man bets against a young soldier that he can light his cigarette 10 times in a row while running. If the soldier were the lose the bet, the old man would cut off his pinky finger and if he were to win the bet he would win the old man’s Cadillac. Assuming the soldier lost the bet, he would face many challenges regarding daily occupations going forward. Many believe the pinky finger is not very important, however it is significant to daily occupations such as fine motor skills and grip strength.  Since the young man is a soldier, he is required to perform many physical activities that require use of all his fingers to perform efficiently. Some physical activities the soldier must perform are pushups, pull ups and operating a gun. The main problem the soldier will face if he loses his pinky finger is grip strength. The pinky finger is incredibly important for grip strength and for opposition. The fingers align towards the scaphoid bone when making a fist, which will allow for a stronger grip to occur.

The main occupation the soldier would struggle with after losing his pinky finger would be operating a gun. Operating a gun requires tremendous grip strength. If the soldier is not able to hold the gun efficiently enough then his accuracy of his shot could be thrown off, resulting in possibly his life or someone else around him.

              One adaption the soldier would have to get used to is operating the gun minus his pinky finger. To maintain an accurate shot, the soldier would have to put in extra practice to get used to working the gun without his pinky finger. He would need to practice exercises for his fine motor skills and grip strength. Luckily for him, the middle finger is the most important part of holding the gun because that is the finger that pulls the trigger. However, the other fingers are important to because they help stabilize the gun for accurate shooting. The soldier would need to go to a shooting range and practice until he feels comfortable enough to work the gun around other people.

AOTA vision 2025

During the lecture today, we learned about the AOTA Vision 2025 and how we can relate it to public health. The AOTA Vision 2025 is designed for occupational therapy to maximize health, well- being and a client’s quality of life through communication that facilitates participation in everyday living. There are multiple important terms and concepts regarding this vision, with some of the concepts being health promotion, public health, social determinants, etc. I found the lecture very interesting today because it informed me about what exactly the vision entails. One thing I was shocked about was the video profession Flick showed regarding the clients that had a low reading level. I could not believe that clients go through with operations and sign documents without knowing what they are signing or doing to their body. I think it is very important to go over documents beforehand with our clients so that they are aware of everything that is about to happen to their bodies. Overall, I am grateful for the lecture and feel more informed about how to help my clients live their best quality of life possible.

blog post 3

The scapulohumeral rhythm is defined as the ratio of movement between the scapula and the humerus. This interaction is important for optimal movement of the shoulder. It is crucial for the scapula and humerus to work together. A dysfunction will occur if normal position of the scapula to the humerus changes. Also, the scapula works around rotations to the thorax. For full ROM, the humeral head must rotate laterally. Another important fact is that the glenohumeral joint is needed for efficient arm movement.

The scapulohumeral rhythm permits good length-tension relationships. It affects the ROM measurements of the shoulder by every 3 degree of shoulder movement, there is a 1 degree at the scapulothoracic joint and 2 degree at the glenohumeral joint. For example, for full 180 degree of motion there would need to be 60 degrees at the scapulothoracic joint and 120 degrees at the glenohumeral joint. This ratio is defined as a 2:1 movement between the glenohumeral joint and the scapulothoracic joint. If the individual has a properly coordinated scapulothoracic rhythm, there will be about 120 degrees of glenohumeral abduction and 60 degrees of shoulder upward rotation.

blog post 1 revised

Each night before I go to bed, I attempt to do 20 squats. The start position for doing a squat is with my knee, hips, and ankles fully extended and the end position is with my knee, hips and ankles ending in a flexed position. The knee joint for doing a squat is in the sagittal plane about a frontal axis. The orthokinematics of the knee joint are flexion to extension in a closed kinematic chain.  The arthokinematics is the convex moving femur rolling anteriorly and gliding posteriorly on the concave stable tibial plateau. The tibiofemoral joint is a hinge joint. The primary mover for knee flexion is the quadriceps, which performs an eccentric contraction to lower down. When standing back up, the quadriceps act as the primary movers and concentrically contract to extend the knee.

blog post 2

It is important to use bony landmarks and proper positioning for measuring ROM because of intrarater and interrater reliability. We need to be able to know where to place the axis of the goniometer on the client each time so that we measure movement with the best reliability. Intrarater reliability is when only one therapist is measuring the ROM of the client. Interrater reliability is when multiple therapist test the same clients ROM. Increased reliability for ROM occurs in interrater reliability if each therapist uses the same goniometer. However, intrarater reliability is better than interrater reliability. Increasing reliability of MMT should be conducted at the same time of day to avoid carrying levels of fatigue, by the same therapist, in the same environment, using the same patient positions, and following a standard testing protocol.

              The purpose of an MMT test is to test muscle weakness and for data collection. Some factors that effect muscle strength are client factors, environmental factors, physiological factors, and motivational factors. The break test is the most common type of MMT test and is used when the client is placed in optimal position for contraction. The client can either be tested against gravity or in a gravity eliminated position. When the client is testing their ROM against gravity then resistance is being applied. However, if the client has a 3 out of 5 or lower on the MMT scale, they will be tested in gravity eliminated position. Gravity eliminated position is where the client is positioned parallel to the ground. In this position no resistance is being applied. When the client is tested against gravity, they are positioned perpendicular to the ground. “Test position” for MMT is the position in which the muscle is placed for optimal muscle contraction and proximal stabilization.  

biomechanics of doing a squat

Each night before I go to bed, I attempt to do 20 squats. Doing a squat is an example of osteokinematics of a closed-kinematic chain because my feet are remaining stationary while my quadriceps are doing the work. When I start doing a squat, I place my feet hip distance apart and extend my arms directly in front of me. Next, I bend down to where my knees are parallel to my hips and repeat these steps. My legs begin in a flexed position when my legs are hip distance apart and when I squat my knees forward parallel to my hips. My legs then become extended when rising back up to a standing position to finish the squat cycle (backwards motion). The gluteus maximus is responsible for hip extension and the quadriceps are responsible for knee extension.  The movements of flexion and extension occur at the hip, knee and ankle joints in the sagittal plane about a frontal axis. As for arthrokinematics, the moving femur rolls anteriorly and glides posteriorly on the tibial plateau. The moving femur is the concave segment and the tibial plateau is the convex segment. Also, the hip joint is the convex segment and the femur is the concave segment. The hip is a ball and socket joint because the hip glides in a posterior direction. Dorsiflexion is another important movement in the ankle joint to perform a proper squat. Dorsiflexion occurs when the top of the foot is brought closer to the shin. The primary movers of a squat are the quadriceps and the gluteus maximus which forms a concentric contraction. However, the eccentric contraction occurs during the downward phase of the squat when I am lowering my body. The concentric contraction occurs during the lifting part of the phase when I rise to stand up.

Nature-based therapy

The topic I chose to listen to the podcast over was nature-based therapy. I chose this topic because before listening to the podcast I did not know anything about what goes into occupational therapy in a nature setting. The speaker informed that the major clients she uses nature-based therapy with are children with sensory, attention deficit, and handwriting problems. The reason she specializes in nature therapy is because it seems to be very motivating to children.

              The speaker uses nature-based therapy with children with sensory disorders because there are a variety of activities for the child to play with. Some of the activities the children do while in nature is play in water, climb in trees, play in the mud, and hang upside down from objects.

              The children that have problems with their handwriting also benefit from being outside. The speaker informed that for children with this specific problem, she looks at fundamental issues like grip strength and going from near point to far point. Looking at ants is another therapeutic activity because it focuses on the child’s visual perception.

              Lastly, the speaker uses this therapy on children with attention deficit disorders. The reason this therapy is beneficial is because it focuses on unstructured play. Children with attention deficit disorders tend to not like to do activities that have a structured purpose. Therefore, nature helps prolong their attention span with a play task.

              After listening to this podcast, I learned a lot about nature-based therapy and I think it has many beneficial factors. Generally, families are skeptical about this therapy because there are safety concerns associated with being in nature. However, the speaker counters those fears by expressing that there are safety concerns of staying indoors as well. Some of those fears are television, internet, and cyber bullying. Overall, I feel informed on this topic and would love to experience nature-based therapy at some point in my occupational therapy career.

therapeutic relationships

After learning about therapeutic relationships, I feel confident that I will be able to have positive relationships with my future clients. As an occupational therapist it is important to possess the trait of empathy. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in one's shoes and have compassion but without feeling sorry for the person. This trait is important for an occupational therapist because we will work with clients with a wide range of disabilities. Since we will be exposed to people with a variety of disabilities, it will be crucial that the client knows and feels that we, occupational therapist, care about their needs and future well-being. Also, certain traits are important when working with clients. These traits include active listening, respect, empowerment, honestly, empathy, efficient verbal and non-verbal communication, and many more.

Knowledge check survey. 3/14

After watching the presentation today, I was in complete shock about how individuals with intellectual disabilities were treated. I was aware they were put into an institution, however I did not know how terribly they were treated. The presentation hits home for me because I care take for an individual, Sammy, with down syndrome. The thought of Sammy being put into one of those institutions makes my heart hurt. No person deserves to be treated they way they were.

What I learned today that I can relate to the era presentations is how much history changes over time. About 30-40 years ago people were still using derogatory words like "retard, imbecile, and moron" to describe individuals with intellectual disabilities. However, as time has passed people are advocating for a transition of terms to be used. For example, instead of calling someone "retarded" the person should be referred to as "a person with an intellectual disability." Also, advocates are pushing for people first language. This means referring to a person as a "person with down syndrome" rather than a "down syndrome person."

I think learning everything I have so far will shape me into the best occupational therapist I can be. The reason I think this is because I will have an abundance of information and history of the people I will be treating. Also, I can be a better advocate for the IDD community through my knowledge.

OTPF

The OTPF is what defines an OT's practice framework. The OTPF is intended for use by OT practitioners, students, researchers, health care providers and others. The purpose of this is to enhance clients to participate in everyday occupations that will enhance their quality of life. It identifies 3 types of habits: useful, impoverished, and dominating. This document looks at what the client brings to the table. Also, the OTPF has had continual revisions to help guide occupational therapy practices.

my role, occupation, activity, and task

One of my roles I have is being an MOT1 occupational therapy graduate student. One of my occupations for being a graduate student is studying and completing assignments on time. An activity that I do for my occupation of studying is making flash cards. I make flashcards as a way to retain the information I am learning. A task involved in making flash cards would be grasping my pencil/pen when writing on the cards.

knowledge check 9

An occupation that has remained true over time is eating. Eating is an essential part of life that is crucial in order to survive. Over the years, as technology has improved, cooking techniques have progressed. For example, people are now able to cook on stoves, grills, crock pots, microwaves, etc. Also, cooking is considered a social occupation because people enjoy eating with others or at social events.

Why I want to become an OT

In high school, I became a caregiver for the man in the above picture, Sammy. Sammy lives happily with down syndrome, autism, and tourettes. I realized I had a passion for helping people with mental and physical disabilities after being his caregiver, which led me down the path of occupational therapy.