As we celebrate national Occupational Therapy month this April, our OT’s and COTA’s have written short summaries of how they came to work in the field and why they do what they do.
Here the owner of Connect the Dots, Stephanie Wagers, shares her perspective.
My passion for helping others started when I was young. I have always been extremely empathetic and can easily take on another’s perspective or feelings. This has not always served me well. As a child I could not stand it when I felt like a peer that was “different” was being picked on or bullied. I would try to rescue them. As I got older I still wanted to help others but also became interested in the human body and how it works. I loved sports. At the time the logical choice was to become a physical therapist. So I went to school and pursued physical therapy. I observed in clinics and took the prerequisites and felt unfulfilled. At that point I had not even heard of Occupational Therapy. I remember the day I came across a flyer on occupational therapy. I felt like the cloud had parted and I knew that is what I had been searching for. OT had it all – the ability to help others achieve meaningful everyday occupations with the knowledge of the anatomy and physiology to bring it all together.
During OT school I knew I wanted to work with children. I love to play and be silly and that seemed like the most logical choice. I love children because they are real. They don’t fake their feelings, moods or abilities. I love “fixing”. I love being creative. And most of all I love the sound of a child laughing. My best days are when a child has worked hard in a therapy session doing something that challenges them and has had a great time doing it. I also love the look on parents face when they witness for the first time their child doing something that has been a struggle. I know some may think these tasks are small (taking a bite of a sandwich, taking a bath without screaming or walking across a balance beam). But for some children and parents these feats are huge.
Every day my job brings something different. Some days are hard; tantrums, biting, kicking, spitting and screaming. But the good days make the hard days worth it. I have worked in pediatrics for 18 years. I still love my job. Every day a child teaches me something new. Because children are constantly growing and changing I never know what my day brings, and that keeps it fresh and interesting. I am so grateful to have found OT as my calling!