{"id":14734,"date":"2019-05-03T09:29:42","date_gmt":"2019-05-03T14:29:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/quadcities\/?p=14734"},"modified":"2019-05-03T11:12:22","modified_gmt":"2019-05-03T16:12:22","slug":"through-the-eyes-of-an-occupational-therapist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/quadcities\/uncategorized\/through-the-eyes-of-an-occupational-therapist","title":{"rendered":"Through the Eyes of an Occupational Therapist"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>As someone who has chosen to become an Occupational Therapist (OT), I am used to people not knowing exactly what I do. Often times, people assume that my responsibility is to help others find their own jobs\/occupations \u2013 other times; I just receive blank stares as I attempt to give a textbook definition of my job description. Throughout these many interactions, I have come to realize that the two words that I most frequently use when describing my job to others are \u201cfunctional\u201d and \u201cindependence\u201d.<\/p>\n

As human beings, we have an innate drive to be independent and to be able to participate in meaningful activities \u2013 or occupations \u2013 of our choosing. These meaningful activities\/occupations can include anything from basic activities of daily living (ADL\u2019s), such as dressing, undressing, meal prepping, bathing, and toileting; to participation in age-appropriate social\/leisure activities, such as: playing sports, singing, playing video games, holding a conversation with peers, or playing a musical instrument. When a person is unable to achieve or maintain functional independence \u2013 oftentimes due to forces outside of their control (i.e. disability, injury, sickness, etc.) \u2013 this negatively impacts their self-esteem, self-perception, personal development, and overall well-being. As an OT, my job is to help each individual achieve their highest level of functional independence through means of personal and environmental adaptations, the teaching of new-skills, re-teaching\/enhancing of old skills, and educating patients\/families.<\/p>\n

The ability to be functionally independent enough to be able to participate in ADLs and meaningful activities of one\u2019s choosing helps to bring a sense of fulfillment and purpose to an individual\u2019s life. This need for independence can be seen in some children as early as toddler-hood. In my own experience working with children, I\u2019ve had my fair share of outbursts from kiddos yelling \u201cHey! Let me do it!\u201d or \u201cI want to help!\u201d \u2013 I am sure many of you parents can relate!<\/p>\n

All OTs, new and old, share the same passion for helping others. The feeling that is created at the moment that a patient is able to achieve a new milestone is indescribable! I believe that I was drawn to GiGi\u2019s Playhouse due to this shared passion. During my brief time here at the Playhouse, I have been able to observe and facilitate most of the programs offered. Upon reflection of my experiences with these programs, I can confidently say that they are all therapeutic and offer great benefits towards each participants\u2019 strive for functional independence!<\/p>\n

The following are my own accounts of how each program, that I have observed, directly relates back to Occupational Therapy:<\/p>\n

Family Speaker Series<\/strong><\/p>\n