Activitiy Analysis

After hearing so much about everything that goes into planning therapy sessions with clients, I was looking forward to doing my own. I decided to pick making trail mix as my activity to work with fine motor skills and simple sequencing for cognitive skills. The overall analysis took longer than I had expected. There was a lot to think about when planning an activity! Although my activity went shorter than I expected, I think my group enjoyed it. My other group member’s activities were bow tying, making Rice Krispy treats, and making guacamole. Needless to say, today we ate some yummy snacks! Not only did I learn by creating my activity analysis, but also it was fun to be able to come to class and implement our activities to see the changes we should make for the future. Hands down today has been my favorite day of class thus far!

Memphis Rollin' Grizzlies

After talking about different spinal cord injuries in class I found myself very interested in the different sports that have been altered to include people in wheelchairs. My class was invited to the Memphis Rollin’ Grizzlies practice and I was very excited to say the least. After going to the Memphis Rollin’ Grizzlies practice, I knew exactly what I wanted to write my next neuro note on. I had always heard of adapted sports for people in wheelchairs, but have never experienced it first hand.

            During this practice, I saw the Memphis Rollin’ Grizzlies scrimmage a game of wheelchair basketball. The amount of upper body strength and athleticism that went into this sport was incredible. They had to not only coordinate the sport of basketball, but also play while in a wheelchair. Their drive for the game was so inspiring. These guys did not let their various disabilities keep them from playing basketball.

            I am so glad that I followed up on my interest of the sport and went to practice to further my knowledge. I think my biggest take away from this blog post is to always encourage people to continue doing the activities they enjoy in some form or fashion. Some of these guys started out their adulthood with different goals, when a sudden accident altered their life forever. They didn’t let there knew way of life stop them from playing basketball, but found a different way to play. To be a better occupational therapist I think it is important to know about different community opportunities to better engage and encourage clients. Many people do not know that activities such as wheelchair basketball are available in their communities. As OTs, we should make the public more aware of these kinds of activities and involvement!

Ethics

In class we were given the definition of ethics as, “the study of how judgments are made in terms of right and wrong, the philosophy of human conduct.” Although that seems to be a very direct definition, it still leaves plenty of room for grey area in the clinical setting. As future a practitioner, it is my responsibility to determine what is right and what is ethically wrong in any given situation I come across. Luckily, AOTA has provided a Code of Ethics for practitioners as a guide for OTs. This guide helps provide consistency within the profession along with putting the accountability in the public light to educate the general public on what they should expect from occupational therapist. Having a Code of Ethics within the profession promotes the integrity of the profession as a whole. It also provides protection for practitioners and consumers across the general practice settings.

Lifelong Learner

After being in OT school for just a few short months I have learned that occupational therapist are lifelong learners, but what does that really mean? When I first heard the phrase, I thought it just referred to formal education such as going on to get my doctorate later in life.  Being a lifelong learner does not mean just going to school to get another degree, it’s continuing education voluntarily.  This could be for personal interests or for a specific job. After talking about this topic more in class, I have realized it is pertinent for out professions to continue our education. In order to be the best practitioner I can be, I must be up to date with new therapy techniques and the research behind it to best treat my clients. Not only is it important for our practice setting, it is also outlined in AOTA for OTs to commit to being lifelong learners. I am so excited to be in a profession that puts such emphasis on being successful practitioners in treating our client with the utmost support!

Spinal Cord Injury Case Study: Tyler

Tyler Densfod is a 23 year old in the Air National Guard. On June 11, 2016 Tyler was participating in a drill when a fatal accident resulting spinal cord injury occurred. His T7 and T8 spinal vertebrae were broken resulting in paralysis from the waste down. After time at the Regional One Trauma Center in Memphis, Tyler was transported to the Shepard Center in Atlanta for rehabilitation. During his time there, he received PT and OT 4-5 times a day. During his sessions with the occupational therapist, he worked on ADLs such as: getting dressed and brushing his teeth. Tyler was discharged from the Shepard Center 3 weeks after he was admitted. Upon discharge, Tyler made one of his primary goals to be able to drive again. He has been able to achieve this goal by using the technology of an adapted car. After hearing Tyler's story it makes me realize how important occupational therapy is for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Tyler speaks highly of his time with OT and has stated that if he regains any functioning in his lower limbs he plans to utilize occupational therapy.

Me Before You

As I sat down to write my first Neuro Note, I first skimmed the suggestions that my professor provided for my class when I saw the movie, Me Before You. This was a movie that I had seen when it first came to theatres and had never really thought about the neurological aspect of one of the main character’s paralysis.

Me Before You is a movie about quirky, optimistic woman, Lou, who takes on a new job as a caregiver to Will Traynor to help financially support her family. Will Traynor is a wealthy, cynical man whom became paraplegia after a devastating motorcycle accident. Although he was pessimistic at first, he soon enjoyed Lou’s company and began to look forward to her visits. Before Lou arrived, he did not have any goals or social interactions. She started taking him out in public, planning trips, activities, and learning about his overall interests. It was amazing the affect it had on his mental health. Will desperately needed a motivator and someone to encourage him to still participate in meaningful activities. To me, this movie really portrays just how much social interaction can affect someone’s mental state. Lou’s encouragement and care for his well being really made an impact on his life. Will did not have an occupational therapist, but it makes me wonder how the quality of his life could have been enhanced had he been introduced to OT in an outpatient setting.

After doing some research in occupational therapy for people with paralysis I think it could have impacted his life drastically. An occupational therapist could have helped him make goals, develop routines, and encourage community engagement. An OT could even provide opportunities to educate in peer resources and self-advocacy. Lou had a lot of occupational therapist qualities about her and I think that has a lot to do to the role she played in his life.

After writing this blog, I now realize how important social interaction is and a better understanding of an OT’s role in providing therapy to a person who is paraplegic.

Moyes, J. (2012). Me before you. New York: Pamela Dorman Books.

Occupational Therapy and the Care of Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2017, from http://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Professionals/RDP/spinal-cord-injury.aspx

Universal Design

After numerous courses over the years, I believe I am plenty familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act and how it gives people with disabilities the right to have equal access to and in public places. However, I never thought why can’t there be a universal design that allows everyone accessibility? Before our class a few weeks ago, I was unaware what universal design truly meant. Universal design is, “The design of products and environments to be usable by all people.” This improves access for all people, with and without disabilities.  After learning about this design, it makes me wonder why here in the US, we don’t go more toward this type of settings in our schools and businesses.  In public places where the entrance is a great big staircase, they meet ADA regulations through a ramp in the back where people who are in a wheelchair have to enter. The majority of the backs of buildings I have been have been gross and typically where the trash goes out. Are these owners implying that in the back with the trash is where people with disabilities belong? I think as a country, we should aim more towards universal designs rather then just meeting ADA standards.

Clinical Reasoning

Today in Foundations class, we started talking about clinical reasoning and the importance of it in occupational therapy. Before today’s class, I had never really thought about just how much goes into clinical reasoning, but now the process of making scientific, ethical, and artistic decisions are much clearer. To determine the scientific element, it is similar to using the scientific method like what I used for my science projects in grade school. We first have to determine what we know, then think of all of the possibilities for that client. To think of the different possibilities and outcomes for a client, OTs must think back to previous cases and academic material, such as textbooks, to help them better understand what could be effective for the client.  The questions we think to ask the client comes from careful assessments and analysis from what we as OTs know. When looking at the ethical element of clinical reasoning, we must weigh things to decide what should be done in that ethical dilemma. We must use our gut instinct to realize the urgency of the client and if it could be detrimental to his or her recovery process or overall health. How you decide what to do when you meet a challenge is determined by the artistic element of clinical reasoning.  You have to be able to read the situation and determine if humor or silliness is appropriate. There is no clear-cut answer for any of these, so to have better clinical reasoning we must embrace the gray area!

What Does "Disability" Really Mean?

After reading “What does ‘disability’ really mean?” for class last week, it got me thinking just how deteriorating that word is. The author, Max Chis, talks about the meaning of the word and how it automatically implies that a person is lesser than ‘normal’. Terms like  “Lack of,” or “not” are the literal definition of the prefix dis. Just by using the word disability already automatically puts a negative connotation on someone just because they may learn or do things differently.  As occupational therapist, we need to look at what a person can do and their strengths to be able to build and work on their weaknesses. Just because someone is different does not make them any less of a person and that should be recognized.

Resources:
Chis, M., Hoff, J., & Firn, G. (2016, December 7). What Does 'Disability' Really Mean? Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://themighty.com/2016/12/what-does-disability-really-mean/

Person First Language

Although the Person First Respectful Modernizaion Act of 2006 has been put into place nearly 10 years ago, the majority of the population here in the US has yet to recognize respectful language for everyone. When you use "Person First language", this puts the person before the disability. If I broke my arm, I wouldn't expect to be referred to as "broken arm Valerie", and a child with autism should not be referred to as the "autistic child". We should recognize individuals as just what they are- people, not their disability. I think as OTs and OT students is important for us to be examples in using Person First Language and to educate the general public on exactly what it is and how it plays an effect on our society.

Resources:
Person First Language: Guidelines. (2006, July). Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://odr.dc.gov/page/people-first-language

Health Promotion

The American Occupational Therapy Association’s Vision 25 states, “Occupational therapy maximizes health, well-being and quality of life for all people populations and communities through effective solutions that facilitate participation in every day live.” I think as a future OT it is essential to be aware of the profession’s goal and do my best to try to work towards achieving that purpose. In order to achieve this goal, I think OTs needs to be more involved in community-based settings to be able to reach out to all populations and try to educate people about health. I did not realize the general lack of knowledge about health until I begin leading exercise and health promotion groups. Many people in my groups said that they couldn’t exercise because they could not afford a gym. They were baffled when I showed them different chair exercises and ways to work out in the home. This made me realize how important education in health literacy is and how much it is needed in our society.

4/5 Daily Challenge

Although this is only our second Neurological Aspects class, I am so fascinated with all of the material that has been presented to us this far. Fortunately, I have not personally known anyone with an TBI, but after the past few classes I have realized just how sudden they can drastically change a person's life. The little I do know about TBI's have been primarily about the person with the diagnoses, rather from the family members perspective. After listening to the podcast, "Help me remember", it gave me the point of view of the family's side of the TBI. For me, it was absolutely heart breaking listening to her husband and children's testimony of the everyday struggles and obstacles resulting from the brain injury. I feel like in clinical settings we often just look at the patient's everyday struggles, so hearing the other side was really sad and an eyeopener. I know there is not a cure from TBI's, but it makes me wonder what kind of therapy would an occupational therapist due with Dawn? Would we work more on improving her memory and coping skills? Or, would we work more toward setting reminders and organized calendars? It also makes me wonder what happens to people that do not have such a broad support system like Dawn does.

Resoonse to Aimee Mullins' Ted Talk

After hearing Aimee Mullins' Ted Talk today, I am honestly shocked that our society still puts such a negative emphasis on the word, 'disability'. In a country that seems to be so understanding of differences, it is baffling to me that a person that is considered to have a 'disability' can be looked down upon without knowing an individual's circumstance. Person's with disabilities are more alike then different, and I think it is important that we as OTs are advocates to let that be known. It is not fair that our society can often put people down because they are different when really they have so much potential.