Occupational Therapy Personal Statement

As occupational therapy services diversified, serving a variety of clients in many different settings and with societal influences, the field began to evolve. During the 1990s occupational therapists began to shift away from reductionist medical model toward a more holistic client-centered approach. Services focused on enhancing individuals’ quality of life across the lifespan meaning before, during, and after therapeutic intervention. The profession began to better acknowledge the value of client education, injury and illness prevention, health screening, and health maintenance (Cole & Tufano, 2008). The field created more preventative initiatives, and focused services on improving quality of life and optimizing the independence of

Most of my professional life to date has focused on working with people with disabilities and in helping them identify and achieve their goals. As an occupational therapist, I had coursework in psychology, but no formal training in counseling. My ability to help my patients reach their highest potential really depended on my professional relationship, or what as therapists we referred to as “therapeutic use of self”. I certainly learned and used specific techniques and assessments over the years to help me achieve better outcomes, but never identified with any specific theory as the framework of my interactions. I recognize there were times when my personality and my skills were a great match and other times when I felt like I just couldn’t figure out the right approach. Thankfully for much of my career, I worked with an interdisciplinary team that included some very skilled psychologists, so I always had the ability to consult.

A clinical situation that has taken place that has enabled me to incorporate the “Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process (3rd Ed.)” (AOTA, 2014) into my approach was when an individual that has had a car accident during an ice storm. We will refer to this individual as Jane. She was a 55 year old housewife that was the primary caretaker of her husband who had suffered a stroke a few years ago. Jane took care of all the home management as well as transportation and health care needs for her husband. Jane was very active in her community as well as her family that lived several hours away.

As an Occupational Therapy Assistant, I will work alongside an Occupational Therapist and work directly with patients. The difference between an OT and an OTA is that OT’s set up treatment plans and perform medical assessments while OTA’s carry out the treatment plans with the patients. In volunteering at rehab clinics, I’ve learned that Occupational Therapists often spend much of their time dealing with paperwork while OTA’s are performing more hands on work with people. Their day includes helping patients in performing rehabilitative exercises within a treatment plan. Occupational Therapy Assistants help people to regain their ability to perform activities of daily living, or ADL’s. These are the core aspects which

To be able to participate in one 's own life, to do the things we want to do, and to competently perform the activities that form part of our daily, weekly or monthly routines, is a common goal for most people.  This not only includes taking part in the basic activities of self-care, such as grooming and dressing, but also extends to our work and leisure activities.  It is through doing things that we learn and develop as human beings.  The occupational therapy profession believes that being prevented or hindered in some way from participating in the activities that are important to us could adversely affect our health and wellbeing.

Children with many different disabilities need the intervention of an occupational therapist; therefore, occupational therapists work in the school systems. Elderly people often begin to lose their physical ability to do certain tasks, so there are occupational therapists working in nursing homes or providing in home care. Many athletes suffer sports injuries that cause them to lose their ability to do daily activities, and occupational therapists are available to them in rehabilitation centers and hospitals. These are just a few of the many scenarios where occupational therapists are available; they can also work in orthopedic centers, colleges, mental health settings, and drug and alcohol settings (Hoffman & Harris, 2000, p. 405). Due to the fact that occupational therapists can often specialize to a certain type of patient, it may be helpful to hold a job in college where one could learn how to work with that group of people. For instance, if a prospective occupational therapy student wants to work in a preschool for students with special needs after they graduate then it may be beneficial to hold a job as an assistant preschool teacher. Similarly, if the goal of an occupational therapy student is to provide their service to elderly people then training and working as a CNA would provide both useful experience and medial

I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Irene Rademeyer, LPT of 1945 Barcelona Drive. Dunedin, Fl. 34698. In talking with Ms. Rademeyer, I learned that she obtained her Physical Therapist license 43 years ago in 1972 (I. Rademeyer, personal communication, June 22, 2015). Ms. Rademeyer developed an interest in this profession from the influence of her mother who was a nurse. Although she did not want to follow directly in her mother’s footsteps, she had a desire to help others in a medical capacity and the independence physical therapists have in managing the care of their patients appealed to her (Rademeyer, 2015). Ms. Rademeyer expressed that she had a desire to be able to change the lives of people by helping them to regain functionality and

Occupational therapists help people of all ages recovering from physical or mental illnesses participate and perform what they want or need to accomplish through works of therapeutic rehabilitation with use of everyday activities in daily life; hence, giving it the name Occupational Therapy. An occupational therapist must look at their patients holistically, not just the part that is causing them problems. Occupational therapists are important as they help people regain their independence in daily activities. This field is projected to be the fastest in growth in upcoming years.

I truly began to understand what it means to take care of someone when I stepped in as caretaker after my father suffered a debilitating stroke. My father's deteriorated state was unforgettable; he suffered from hemiparesis and was incapable of completing simple tasks or communicating his needs. Although we initially struggled with the challenges of his condition, we eventually developed a system to manage his work, nutrition, hygiene, physical exercise, and everyday activities. It was while supporting my father that I witnessed firsthand the overwhelming role occupational therapists play in the recovery process and the hope they can bring to families. His occupational therapist not only focused on my father’s goal of returning to his job,

Occupational therapy is used to help people across their lifespan participate in the activities they want and need to do through therapeutic use of everyday occupations. Common occupational therapy is often used to help children with disabilities be able to be active and participate in school and other extracurricular activities. It is also useful for helping people recover from injury and get back the skills they might have lost, elderly are helped as well. The occupational therapy services mainly include, an evaluation of the person and figuring out the person's goals. It is customized to the person to improve the person’s ability to interact with daily activity, also to see the outcomes to make sure the goals are

I am learning about the significance of being committed to patient care and dedicating your life's work to the betterment of every patient. I possess a strong academic history as well as a willingness to commit my time to uplifting of my community. Even as a student who has had some hiccups academically, I am proving that I can overcome adversity and "keep my eyes on prize". Furthermore, I am devoted to being the future of physical therapy and displaying selflessness, dedication, compassion, distinction and authenticity. I have learned to sympathize and empathize with patients, however, at the same time stand firm in the therapeutic methods that need to be implemented for the patient's

Though this first of many steps is overwhelming, I had to make my first adult decision and choose a college to call my own. Nonetheless, the satisfaction I felt when I discovered that Alabama State University has a well renown occupational therapy program eased all my fears. Upon research, I discovered that 92 percent of Alabama State University’s Occupational Therapy Graduates passed the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. After attending the OT open house on November 15th, I realized that this program would challenge my intellectual abilities as it prepared me for a rewarding career in health science. I know God’s designed me to heal people’s hearts and bodies. Occupational therapy perfectly fits my objectives in my

Occupational therapy is focused on developing creative ways to resolve problems in order to maximize independence, making these skills essential for the job. I am also goal oriented, self-motivated, and have a strong drive for academic excellence. Through volunteering in a variety of health settings, I have developed a great level of patience, as well as strong communication skills. I have experience in designing adaptive equipment through computer aided drafting and engineering courses. Through focusing my projects for these classes on adaptive equipment, I have gained spatial and visual skills, as well as an understanding of the importance of technology in occupational therapy. In addition, I have a very compassionate attitude and desire to help others. I believe that these traits, skills, and experiences, will contribute to my success as an occupational

A clinical situation that has taken place that has enabled me to incorporate the “Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process (3rd Ed.)” (AOTA, 2014) into my approach was when an individual that has had a car accident during an ice storm. We will refer to this individual as Jane. She was a 55 years old housewife that was the primary

This particular moment influenced my understanding of what it is to be an excellent occupational therapist; the personal connection that is built between each patient is a powerful tool that can be used as a guide for the success of therapy.