Hi Everyone!
April is Occupational Therapy month! Many people say to me, “What is OT? Do you help people get jobs?” I am here to tell you that is NOT what an OT does. Occupational therapists help people to be able to do all of the day-to-day tasks in their life. It could be dressing, cooking, eating, and even playing; we call of these different things “occupations”. Since I work with kids, their main occupation is playing.
I became an OT because I liked the holistic approach that this field offers. As an OT I work on the whole person as well as with the family, not just a single part of the body. I chose to work with children because I see so much progress and happiness in my work. The progress children make changes not only the child’s life but also the dynamic and happiness of the entire family.
I have had many memorable moments as an OT but one of my proudest moments was when I worked with a child who had trouble understanding and making sense of his environment. He was climbing on and off all the furniture and objects he could find, and crashing to the ground. His parents were at their wit’s end because their son had gotten hurt several times but never seemed to understand that his unsafe actions were the reason why he was getting hurt. The parents were tired from running around and constantly making sure their son wasn’t going to hurt himself playing in the home and concerned with his constant need for movement and motion – it seemed that their son never got tired.
What I was able to help them realize was that their son was trying to explore his environment and fill some of his “sensory cravings”. When he climbed and crashed on items he got heavy input into his joints which felt good. However, the more he moved the more excited and active he became. The trick was to provide their son with the right amount of heavy, deep pressure without overexciting him which tended to bring out the “hyperactive” part of their son.
By working with this child and demonstrating ways to provide the needed input in order to satisfy his sensory needs, (without causing him to be too “up-regulated”) and showing parents ways that they could meet their son’s needs at home, I was able to help both child and parents have more successful lives. His mother said to me “I thought he was just a wild boy but now I understand that he was doing these things because his body needed them”. I LOVE when families come into our sessions and have that “aha!” moment.