Participation is an important piece in the field of occupational therapy. Given that different factors influence participation and when people have a choice in the activity, it increases participation, then the more someone actively participates in occupational therapy, the better their outcome of therapy will be. In her piece, Participation in the Occupations of Everyday Life, Mary Law focuses on this idea that participation in meaningful activity is key to effective occupational therapy. I may not be old and experienced but, I am old enough to be able to relate the information in this article to my life.
Participation can make someone feel more fulfilled in life and can increase their self-esteem by making them feel more capable in the act of doing (Law, 2002, p. 640). In general, participation in extracurricular activities outside of work or school increases quality of life for both children and adults. When children participate in sports or clubs, their risk of smoking, low self-esteem and having difficulty making friends decreases. Adults that volunteer or participate in recreational activities are proven by research to live longer and have higher quality of life. (Law, 2002, p. 641) Speaking from experience, as a freshman in college during my undergrad, all I did was study – I didn’t attempt to make friends or participate in any organizations. As one can image, I can’t say I was experiencing a high quality of life because I needed to be engaging in activities with
Ever since I was a child, people always asked me what I would like to be when I grew up. At first, I would always say that I wanted to become an engineer because of my love for hands-on learning and my exceptional problem-solving skills. However, when I grew older I found that similar spark of fascination in the medical field. I wanted to go into a profession where I could help others and use my love for problem solving and hands-on interest. This is when I became interested in occupational therapy and fell in love with the profession. Occupational therapy has several elements I find passion in such as, the ability to be hands on and help change other people’s lives in a positive manner. My goal in life is to become an occupational therapist and help others live independent lives again. As I work to obtain this goal, I am doing many things such as strengthening my writing skills because this major involves many various aspects of writing. To succeed in this field, one needs to be able to write strong research-based papers and cite all sources correctly. I am striving to master these skills in hopes that I can succeed in and accomplish my academic goals.
The occupational therapy profession shares many objectives across the communities, clients, and families they serve. Some of these aims include: “Developing the field of occupational therapy and enhance the professions capabilities to meet the needs of the entire population, providing evidence on the efficacy of occupational therapy. This includes working with organizations and local communities, incorporating education, research, and practices as a complete whole. In addition, developing a team of professionals that innovates and adapts to the developing health needs of the population” (AOTA, 2013). This includes advocacy efforts with policymakers to ensure continued funding to provide care to individuals (AOTA, 2013). Occupational therapy is a distinctive profession that helps
Without occupational therapists, millions of people would struggle to live their everyday lives. Occupational therapists give specialized assistance to people with physical, developmental, social or emotional problems. This assistance is used to live productive and independent or semi independent lives. Occupational therapists can be used, and is effective for people of all ages. Many people have not heard of occupational therapy and are not aware of the positive impact it has on members of our society. With this paper I want to spread the knowledge that I have on occupational therapy. Many people that could benefit from occupational therapy do not even know that it exists. This career is difficult for everyone involved, but the impact it has
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.
Occupational therapy was founded on the principle that participation in meaningful activity is important to the health of individuals. Mental health is very important to the well-being of an individual and those around them. 450 million people experience mental and neurological disorders around the world. These disorders are the leading 5-10 causes of disability worldwide. As services for individuals with mental illness have shifted from the hospital to the community, there has also been a shift in the philosophy of service delivery. In the past, there was an adherence to the medical model; now the focus is on incorporating the recovery model. (2) Occupational therapy’s focus that taking part in engaging and meaningful activities benefits the mental well-being of the individual.
If students demonstrate these qualities they are more likely to get better grades and get reprimanded less. Students who participate in extracurricular activities or are more active in society and school are much more likely to do better in their academic experience. “During the first semester of their senior year, participants reported better attendance than their non-participating classmates--half of them had no unexcused absences from school and half had never skipped a class, compared with one-third and two-fifths of nonparticipants, respectively.” (http://nces.ed.gov/) Meaning that many students who participate in clubs do better in school. Many clubs in schools require all four of the qualities and more. Also, as students usually feel a sense of ennui in their classes, they will be more excited as the day goes by if they have
Occupational Therapy is a vital segment of the health care field. Individuals in this profession make a difference in the lives of others by helping their patients function effectively despite their disability, illness, or injury. They help by teaching patients many activities of daily living tasks which can include, grooming, toileting, dressing, eating, mobility, and much more! Along with the daily living tasks, Occupational Therapy helps individuals to be productive and successful in ways they want to be, like going school, taking care of others, managing their homes, preparing meals. Most importantly, they help their patients adapt to their environments and increase their independent function by helping them perform tasks with as little help from others as possible. Without Occupational Therapy, some patients with temporary disabilities could have a permanent disability. If individuals receive the Occupational treatments, they can prevent the loss of function.
An Occupational Therapist is a individual that can evaluate, develop, and help people regain and maintain daily living skills. Occupational Therapist work with people that have physical, mental and developmental conditions. The goal of the Therapist is to offer intervention that focus on teaching skills and helping the patient as well as the family on how to adapt and strengthen themselves so that they might be able to overcome physical obstacles. Occupational Therapist work with other health professionals in speech therapy, nursing, physical therapy and social work to ensure that the patients course of treatment aligns with the other areas.
Occupational Therapists “ I believe that the therapist’s function should be to help people become free to be aware and to experience their possibilities” (“Rollo May Quotes”). This is a quote by rollo may, and he trying to let people know anybody is capable to experience possibilities or changes in their lives. Occupational Therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintaining the skills patients need for a daily living. Occupational therapists work with directly providing all the therapy they can to the patients. Pursuing a career as an Occupational Therapist’s is a challenging and great career for those who want to work with children to build bonds and enjoy assigned tasks.
In this day and age, there are so many health careers out there most people don’t even know where to start when looking for an occupation that truly interest them. I’ve spent my whole life not knowing what I wanted to grow up to be and worrying about not knowing what to study in college. This past year I have recently been looking into Occupational Therapy. This form of therapy is to help those recuperating from physical or mental illness that encourages rehabilitation through the performance of activities required in daily life (What Is Occupational Therapy?, n.d.). People who work in this field are referred to as Occupational Therapist.
The concept discussed in The Philosophical Base of Occupational Therapy (AOTA 2011) regarding the necessity and desire for all individuals to participate in meaningful and purposeful activities best applies to Sandy Sewell's successful life despite her hardships she has overcome.. Her story is exceptional because during the time of her childhood a person with disabilities was still regarded as inferior to a non-handicapped individual and were not afforded the same liberties. All her accomplishments she achieved throughout her life confirms the efficacy for this notion. I believe if she did not engage in meaningful activities at a young age she might not have become the amazing woman she is today. The Philosophical Base of the Occupational
Occupational Therapy: Hospital Culture & Environment To observe and understand the culture behind occupational therapy in high stress environments, several interviews were conducted. A majority of the interviews were by Mackey; however, I personally interviewed one occupational therapist. “The interviews were discovery orientated: that is, they attempted to reveal experiences and meanings attached to the world they explored,” (Mackey, 2014). The interpretations from the various occupational therapists were diverse, but there was an apparent culture that existed in the career. There are a few important different areas that pertain to the job and the culture behind it: interacting with co-workers, handling the patients, and dealing with higher in command.
I grew up as an older sibiling who really had no one to express myself with. There are kids who live in secluded areas or just don't have the social skills to find other friends. Organized activites changed my perspective as a young child on how to actually have fun with my other peers. I personally liked playing basketball and was quite decent at the sport, I quickly developed friends who enjoyed the sport as much as I did. After awhile I started hanging out with a variety of different kids who were mutual friends between my friends and I.
Occupational therapy has been in the process of continued development since the 1900’s. With several contributors helping to build the groundwork for creating the awareness needed to bring occupational therapy into the field of health care. Continued research is contributing to the ongoing significance of how occupational therapy is a vital aspect in promoting increased independences in all aspects of healthcare. (Willard, Schell, 2014) With the incorporation of “Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process (3rd ed.)” helps creates the foundation for occupational therapy clinicians as well as other health care providers in facilitating the core believe of occupational and the relationship of health and occupation. (AOTA 2014) Therefore, providing a uniform outline of the various aspects of each individual and how they are interconnected to create the foundation of each individual. With a greater understanding of the foundations of that induvial, the clinician can then facilitate the best therapeutic treatment plan for that individual to achieve their personal goals with unified foundations of care.
It is important for adolescents to participate in extracurricular activities. Student who participate in these activities improve their academic scores and social life. Extracurricular activities can also help reduce many peer pressure related problems. “They enrich the lives of the students, their families and our communities. These activities create well rounded children who learn what their interests and talents are because they have been exposed to such opportunities” (Extracurricular Activities, Blogadmin). For most adolescents extracurricular activities should be required among what they do outside of school.