OT Observation

When shadowing at an early intervention clinic, one of the OTs I worked with spent a ton of time with Theraputty. Since talking about the importance of using meaningful activities, it makes me question the extent of use for it. But at the same time, at such an early age, are meaningful activities as 'meaningful' to a 2 year old as compared to a school aged child. So from that standpoint, I can see the reasoning behind her actions. Some meaningful activities were used, such as feeding, and play based activities but they weren't the main event. I also shadowed a therapist that worked at a private school in Little Rock for children with special needs and the experience was the complete opposite. His sessions were almost completely full of meaningful activities. We were tying shoes, pouring water from a milk jug into a cup (the clients mom wanted her child to be able to pour himself a glass of milk without spilling it) and working on handwriting. I learned a ton from him including how to give the child an option of what he wants to do. He would write the activities to be accomplished that session down on scraps of paper and let the kid scooter over to the papers an pick one out. I'm glad I got experience with each side of the spectrum and will use it in my future practice.

Reflection on "Au-some Swimmers: The Role of OT in Swim Lessons for Kids with Autism"

This podcast truly helped me understand the importance of seeing an activity through an "OT lens". When I initially thought of swimming, I assumed it would be a predominantly leisure activity. But by looking through the OT lens, there are so many more components of the activity that can be transferred to other tasks or occupations. As Nick Murray explained in the podcast, teaching a child with autism to swim not only teaches them that activity, but works on other skills, such as sequencing, sensory processing, and motor function, that are important for the development of that child.
One example he gave really hit home for me. He told a story about a child with autism who hated getting his head wet. Not only does that make the task at hand, swimming, difficult, but also can make the daily task of showering or washing his hair difficult. By easing him into the idea and allowing him to pour water on the lifeguards head, making the whole experience fun for him, he warmed up to the idea and made progress towards the ultimate goal, submerging underwater and eventually swimming. Not only does this progress show up in the swimming pool, but I can see it transferring into his daily hygiene routine. To me, that's the beauty of our profession. We use meaningful activities to develop skills that will help in future activities and child development.