Mental Health Concepts And Techniques For The Occupational Therapy Assistant

The Biological aspects of adolescence is a period of great physical change, marked by a rapid growth spurt, the maturation of the reproductive system and continuing brain development. Adolescence are confronted with all kinds of changes within themselves mentally and physically as well as changes in how the outside world perceives them (Hutchison, 2015, pp 228). These changes can be difficult to handle if the adolescence struggles with a difficult home live, abuse or neglect. It is easy to see that Charlie is having a difficult time as a freshman in high school. He seems introverted, into his books and maybe a little bit socially awkward. He is having a difficult time making friends. He also seems nervous

Adolescence describes the transitional stage in a teenager’s life, from childhood to adulthood, where an individual evolves physically, psychologically, emotionally, cognitively and socially. It is a defined social category that is expressed through immaturity and unpredictability and allows an individual to learn and discover their sense of self and identity. The idea of adolescence came into perspective after children were expected to take on adult roles as soon as they were mature enough to, going straight from puberty to adulthood. As society changed and moulded, so did the ideas about life stages, which is evident in Erikson’s theory.

They are going through transitions in intellectual development and the process and transition of primary to secondary education.’ There are various intellectual skills that an adolescent will learn within this life stage. When in the adolescent life stage, the emotional development norms for an individual is to learn their personal identity and they must leant about who they are about how to control their emotions within the change of puberty. Low self-esteem and confidence issue is often something most teenagers struggle with. With adolescence secondary learning occurs, a person’s self-worth can change within this life-stage due to the social situations that an individual had to be within, also their use of clothing, language and religion etc. The introduction of hormones can often change how teenagers see themselves. Adolescent’s independence that they go through can affect their social and emotional development.

It’s reassuring to the public when they know they have someone to count on for help when it’s needed. In an instant, people go from being completely healthy and independent to vulnerable and sick. So who do people go to whenever their body isn't working physically the way it should? They go to Physical therapist, Occupational therapist and many others; But what I’m interested in pursing as a career is a Occupational therapy assistant.

In this paper I plan to discuss the developmental stages of adolescence. Adolescents are also referred to as "teenagers" or "young adults." Adolescence begins after the childhood stage and ends right before adulthood. The years of adolescence range from 12 years old to 21 years old. The years of adolescence can be quite a roller coaster ride. Young people in this stage encounter a great deal of changes in their life as they prepare for adulthood. I will discuss emotional, intellectual, physiological, and social domains of development and how it relates to adolescents. I will also discuss some helpful tips for teachers to aide in communicating effectively to adolescents and understanding their

Activities of daily living are the main focus of an Occupational Therapist. When people are doing their habits and routines do not think about the way they do something or why they are doing it in a certain way. An Occupational Therapist, however, will watch a person perform an activity and think on the steps he/she is taking and the reason behind the way they are performing it. For OTs, the way people perform a certain task or how they behave is extremely important because according to the theorists of behavior, motor control, and cognitive development each individual most perform and behave according to their stage in life. OT is all about client-centered care and if they would not know how a person is supposed to behave at a certain age how would they realize there is something wrong. In this paper, we are going to try to implement those theories in the behavior of a child.

I do not think that the OT should belittle the OTA as the OTA was probably just afraid they would hurt the child. I do believe that the occupational therapy assistant should have asked for assistance earlier in the therapy if she/he did have concerns. The OT should demonstrate beneficence to the OTA and the patient as it is still a need to be addressed. The OT should explain to the assistant the need of laying prone to and why it is so important to the child. The child may not have the best of insurance and could be on a limited supply of therapy benefits. They could also be so behind in their development just because the assistant was uncomfortable with the tube. This demonstrates justice as it will benefit the child to get the treatment

An example is that the therapist spends a lot of time interacting with the child. Also, the therapist has to make a deep analysis in order to help the patient. Then, I can develop a lot of activities to help children and youth overcome obstacles in their lives. It is easy to engage children and youth in simple activities that are enjoyable and profitable for them. These activities must include play that is the principal occupation for treating children. According to Bendixen and Kreider (2011), in order to achieve a good development, the Occupational Therapist must start the work with children in early childhood. Thus avoiding social isolation and help prevent transition periods in children (Bendixen and Kreider, 2011). In this way I can help children to ensure their well-being, change their behavior and make a positive impact in their lives. The Occupational Therapist plays an important role in the development of cognitive abilities in children. Improving the quality of life for patients is a plus in our profession. This profession not only works with people with disabilities. Occupational Therapist also work with teenagers that are experienced many changes in life. Some of these teenager’s problems are related with their environment. Adolescence is a period where many disorders can be triggered, such as depression, anxiety and anger problems. Occupational Therapist must employ methods to create a sense

Adolescence is a stage where peers tend to have a particularly strong influence on individuals around them. Often times, this is where children first begin to show discrepancies in their ability to resist peer pressure. For this reason, individuals between the ages of 10 and 14 have been shown to fall under the influence of the peer groups they associate themselves with.

Adolescence is the transitional period in a persons life time that links childhood and adulthood. The factors that influence development during adolescence include genetic/biological and environmental/social. There are many developmental issues that take place during the transition from an adolescent to a young adult. The issues of emerging adulthood(18-25) are characterized by new experiences, experimentation, exploration as well as new developmental tasks.

During the adolescence stages, individuals tend to become more distant from their families, especially from their parents as they are experiencing a stage of independence and responsibility. Although adolescence is a stage of independence and self-discovery, family is still an important aspect in

Adolescence is about fitting in. This is the stage of life where kids are being judged by the way they dress, how big their house is, and even the amount of money their parents make. People aren’t being accepted into social groups because they are judged by what they look like and how they live, instead of their personality. As Shane Koyczan states, “We were being told that we somehow must become what we are not, sacrificing what we are to inherit the masquerade of what we will be. I was being told to accept the identity that others will give me,” (Koyczan). This personal experience illustrates to us that people who don’t fit in are dealing with problem by ignoring it and allowing people to have control over them. Instead of reaching out to people

Kelly like many adolescents’ has a myriad of biological changes occurring during this time in her life puberty, sexual maturation, increases in height and weight, as well as changes in her body composition. Even though the progression of these events during puberty is somewhat consistent among adolescents, differences can be found; in Kelly’s case an early growth spurt separated her from her peers. Early Sexual development and dramatic changes in body composition such as weight gain or growth spurts can lead to body uncertainty among adolescents, leading to the development of poor body image which in turn may lead to an increased risk of health-compromising behaviors. Kelly like many adolescents is experiencing dramatic biological changes related to puberty; these biological changes can significantly affect psychosocial development. An increased awareness of sexuality and a heightened preoccupation with body image are significant psychosocial conditions during adolescence. Peer influence is a prevailing psychosocial issue during adolescence; young adults are highly cognizant of their physical appearance and social behaviors, and thus actively seek acceptance within a peer group often changing their own behaviour in order to belong. This is most likely the reason for Kelly changing her appearance and behaviour as she has begun to hang out with a new group of friends with different norms. Early maturing female teens like Kelly are also at increased risk for engaging in

Adolescence is categorized by psychological changes in relation to identity, self-consciousness, and relationships with others (Sebastian, C., Burnett, & Blakemore, S. J., 2008). There are two major aspects when it comes to adolescence: cognitive control and social control. The cognitive control focuses more on supervisory functions such as our working memory, decision making, self-consciousness, and attention distribution; while, the social control supports the individual being more sociable, forming more complex relationships and becoming more sensitive to acceptance and rejection by others (Steinberg, L. & Morris, A. S., 2001). The adolescence period of development begins with the onset of physiologically normal puberty, and ends when an adult identity and behavior are accepted. According to the World Health Organization (2006), this developmental period occurs roughly between the ages of 10 and 19 years old. For my subject, I observed adolescent seventeen-year-old, Caucasian male, Dalton. Our interviews were conducted at a local Starbucks, always under the permission of his fifty-one-year-old father, Thomas. I observed Dalton through a social and physical lens and related the theories of Erik Erikson, Lev Vygotsky, Lawrence Kohlberg, and Jean Piaget to better understand his standpoint in development.

Adolescence is such a defining stage of growing up it has a major impact in who you will become as person. It can also have an effect on things like what you fear, the way you love, in whom you trust, what you believe in, the way you look at the random passers by, everything from what you scavenge for in life to your routines, worries, and even your thought process, all of this things gets affected based on things you go through while growing up. But it isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it can be the most tormentous phase of your life. It can be the phase where you’re the most filled with melancholy, sorrow, loneliness and it may seem as if you’re hopless while you’re going through this so confusing stage of growing up.