SG the Future OT

            After watching the presentation on assistive technology, watching the TED talk on “Why We Need Universal Design”, and listening to the “Glass Half Full” podcast on “Leisure Exploration and Creativity with Veterans and Service Members”, I have learned about the importance of creativity in the field of occupational therapy. Assistive technology does not have to be as high-tech as it may sound—rather it is often low-tech, but it allows clients to be able to do something they might typically struggle with. The ability to come up with small changes that can make a difference in the client’s experience of an activity takes creativity. In the TED talk, my favorite quote was “The existence of disability forces you to come up with new solutions—it does not impair you”. As occupational therapists, we will need to help enhance a client’s creativity so that they can participate in activities that they find meaningful. ...

Every morning I drink my coffee. First I flex my arm at the shoulder to reach for the mug in the sagittal plane about the frontal axis. Then I simultaneously flex at the elbow and extend at the shoulder to bring the mug towards my face. Both of these actions are done in the sagittal plane about the frontal axis. Finally, I perform ulnar deviation or abduction at the wrist in the frontal plane about the sagittal axis to tilt the mug so that I can take a sip. When performing elbow flexion, the prime movers are the biceps brachii, the brachialis, and the brachioradialis, and they all concentrically contract. In this open kinematic chain, the humerus forms the fixed convex surface, and the olecranon of the ulna forms the moving concave surface. The surface of the olecranon moves anteriorly on the surface of the humerus. The head of the radius is also a concave surface moving on the fixed convex surface of the humerus, so the surface of the radial head also glides anteri...

In a client-practitioner relationship, it is important to find the perfect balance. A practitioner should respect the client's preferences, actively listen, and make the client feel empowered, but there is also a line that practitioners need to be aware of so that they can maintain a therapeutic relationship. A therapeutic relationship does not mutually benefit the client and the practitioner as a friendship does-- it focuses on helping the client. As a future practitioner, I will remember to be conscious of my body language by making eye contact, keeping an open posture, and nodding. Both verbal and non-verbal communication are essential skills in a therapeutic relationship. Empathy will help allow me to be more present with my clients and empower my clients.

            Dr. Kiesling’s presentation on the history of disability was very insightful. My main take-away from the presentation is that the fight for civil rights for people with disabilities has come a long way, but it is important for us to keep advocating for people with disabilities. He brought up a good point that many of us, if we live long enough, will become disabled when we get older, so it is interesting to take that approach to fuel your desire to advocate for people with disabilities. Additionally, accidents happen, and anything could happen in the blink of an eye.             During the Era Presentations, quite a few groups talked about the events that sparked occupational therapy. Many of these events were related to soldiers coming back from war which caused an increase in people with disabilities and injuries from the war. We discussed that it was very dif...