EBP Learning Objective Question #1

Learning objective: Organize self and material in order to write a literature review. (study guide #3)

1.     Mikey is in his final year of occupational therapy school. He is currently working to search through, evaluate, and organize literature. When Mikey finishes, he hopes to be able to critically evaluate, analyze, and interpret what he found in the literature. What is Mikey working on?

a.     Mixed method design

b.    Writing a literature review

c.     Grant writing

d.     Practice Framework

Neuro Note #5

With the Stanley Cup Finals currently taking place, I could not pass up the opportunity to write a reflection on a hockey article. The news article is titled "Exclusive: 1-on-1 with injured hockey player, Matt Olson." After learning about spinal cord injuries (SCI) in class and having a guest speaker on the subject matter, I have gained interest in that area of practice. Another reason I chose this article was due to this and wanting to learn and observe as much as I can in the area of SCI.

Matt Olson was a standout hockey player. The very sport he loved and spent so much time on is what caused his life-altering injury. During a game Mr. Olson was at top speed when he ran into the wall. He reflects on the day of the injury and said he immediately knew he could not move. His therapist and doctor talk about Matt's ability to master the therapy activities quickly, mainly because of his training as a high caliber athlete. He finds enjoyment in therapy and being able to work hard at something, even if it is not hockey. The article does not specify the level of Matt's injury, but does describe it as the most severe type of SCI. The doctor says he will be able to strengthen his arms but will likely never gain his leg strength back. Yet he is in therapy working hard on a bike. I googled the different forms of bikes that can be used during therapy for this type of injury. The one shown in Matt's video straps his feet into it so they are moved along with the pedals. This type of bike is called a functional electrical stimulation (FES) bike. The injured muscles are aided in restoration and function through small electrical pulses. The muscle pulses allow for the bike to pedal.

I gained a lot of inspiration from this article. Matt discussed how he still has is same sense of humor and work ethic, and I think that is very admirable after what all he has been through. I recommend this article to any health care professional or to someone suffering from a SCI. I also recommend it to anyone in general who just needs a little pick me up!






Reference:
Exclusive: 1-on-1 with injured hockey player, Matt Olson. (2016, May 19). Retrieved June 01, 2017, from 
http://www.kare11.com/mb/news/exclusive-1-on-1-with-injured-hockey-player-matt-olson/205434233

Functional electrical stimulation. (n.d.). Retrieved June 01, 2017, from https://www.christopherreeve.org/living-with-paralysis/rehabilitation/functional-electrical-stimulation

Parkinson's Disease Media Project

Material Assigned: Cupcake Liners

Client information product was designed for:
Demographics: 76-year-old, married, caucasian, female, retired history professor, living in a skilled nursing facility
Primary Diagnosis: Parkinson's Disease
Secondary Diagnosis: Cataracts and hypertension

Population that could benefit from product use:

• This product can be used as intervention across the lifespan, from children around the age of 4 to geriatrics. 
• The product was designed with Parkinson's and a skilled nursing facility in mind, but could be used with many different populations and settings. From a school, to a mental hospital, to acute care, to outpatient rehab, and more! 

Barriers of targeted population to be addressed through product use: 

1. Lack of social interaction in a skilled nursing facility
2. Cognitive challenge
3. Visual acuity deficits 
4. Poor trunk control
5. Decreased gross and fine motor coordination
6. Intention tremors

Product created: oversized checker board with velcro cupcake liner "checker pieces"

Materials Needed:

• Cupcake liners
• Poster board cut into a square
• Crayons or markers
• Velcro 

Purpose of the product:

Paula has been recently transferred from her home to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) after insurance changes caused her to lose her home care. This transition has been hard for Paula as she has been living with her husband in the comforts of their home for 45 years. She is also used to having much more freedom and independence than what she has now in the SNF. Paula misses being able to keep in touch with colleagues and friends via her computer, which she had open access to at home. Paula also feels that the activities in the SNF are boring and do not challenge her mentally. The purpose of the checkers game is to foremost provide Paula with social interaction. Whether it be played when her friends or husband visit, with her roommate or fellow clients at the SNF, or during an occupational therapy session. Providing an appropriate level of cognitive challenge is another purpose of this product. As well as aiding Paula in maintaining or increasing her visual acuity through correct placement of the checker pieces. Improved trunk control can be achieved through increasing the duration of the activity each time or altering the set up. The game board can be placed on a table, on a wall, or on the clients roll away table on her hospital bed. Increases in client's gross and fine motor coordination, achieved by playing the game either sitting or standing with a support. The client will have to pinch or grasp the checker pieces, as well as reach across the board to place them. Tremor control can be achieved through the use of wrist weights or arm supports. The client could also practice strengthening the non-dominant hand. The checker pieces are velcroed down, this prevents the pieces from being knocked around if the hand begins to tremor. Since cupcake liners can be bought in bulk at a low cost, they are easily replaced if one becomes torn. This product is great for intervention throughout the stages of Parkinson's disease as it can be graded up or down as needed. 

Take Away-Pat Summit- Dementia

Katherine's case study was on Pat Summit, go vols!!!! Growing up in Knoxville and going to all the Lady Vols games growing up, I was excited for this case study. I have looked up to Pat Summit for a long time. As big of a celebrity that she is in East Tennessee, I remember her diagnosis being kept very privately. Katherine did a good job telling us about her battle with dementia. Coach Summit had a medical history, having suffered from rheumatoid arthritis as well as having six miscarriages. It is believed she ended up passing away from an infection. Her battle was short as she passed away five years after being diagnosed.
During her early onstage time she continued to coach, but she began having issues calling plays. She said that numbers were the hardest for her. Coach Summit was in denial of her diagnosis, but was eventually encouraged to retire. She often lost her keys multiple times a day, and even left her car on while she went into a game.
During early stages it would be important to help with patient education, stress, and gaining mental strength. During middle stages an OT could work on sequencing, ADLs, motor skills, home modifications. An OT can not do much for the client during late stages of dementia, but care giver education can really help in this process.

Neuro Note #4

After discussing sexuality in class a few weeks ago, I overheard some classmates discussing an article that they had read on the topic of sex and disabilities. After getting the name of the article and hearing more about it I decided this would be a great article for a neuro note. The article is titled "Fucktionality: Why Sexual Function Should be Part of Occupational and Physical Therapies for Disabled people" by Andrew Gurza.

First off, every future/current OT and PT needs to read this article. Mr. Gurza uses such a blunt and straight forward tone, there is no beating around the bush. He describes a failed attempt at sex and the first time he asked his OT about it. When he brought it up with the OT, she became extremely awkward because she had never been in that situation before. I am lucky to have already touched on the subject in one of my OT school courses. However, there is so much more for me to learn. I started my learning experience by reading some of Mr. Gurza's other articles. I hope I can continue to explore this topic and become educated so I can help someone one day and not be caught off guard. Sexuality is such a big part of a person, and although it is not usually discussed openly, I think as a future OT I should make it comfortable to discuss. It is something everyone goes through and should not be something to be ashamed of!
So, as I previously mentioned, I highly recommend this article for anyone in the health and rehab field. However, I think it can be particularly beneficial for occupational and physical therapists as we work with clients to regain strength and increase functionality in daily tasks. I hope to reflect back on this article and topic throughout my career.

Direct website link: 

https://www.kinkly.com/2/13660/sexual-health/health-professional/fucktionality-why-sexual-function-should-be-part-of-occupational-and-physical-therapies-for-disabled-people

Reference:

Gurza, A. (2016, June 22). Fucktionality: Why Sexual Function Should be Part of Occupational and Physical Therapies for Disabled People. Retrieved May 23, 2017, from https://www.kinkly.com/2/13660/sexual-health/health-professional/fucktionality-why-sexual-function-should-be-part-of-occupational-and-physical-therapies-for-disabled-people

Direct website link: https://www.kinkly.com/2/13660/sexual-health/health-professional/fucktionality-why-sexual-function-should-be-part-of-occupational-and-physical-therapies-for-disabled-people

Take Away- Richard Pryor- Meghan Mincey

Meghan did her case study on Richard Pryor. Mr. Pryor was a comedian and performing was his main occupation. He was 36 at the time of his diagnosis and was very active in his career as a stand up comedian. Prior to diagnosis he suffered from a heart attack and had a triple bypass surgery. He also had a very rough childhood and was a trouble maker from a young age. Mr. Pryor was a heavy smoker and drinker, which could have potentially played a role in his diagnosis.
Following his diagnosis he suffered from depression and even tried to commit suicide once. As we discussed his goals, we discussed having him perform a short stand up from his power chair. Since his throat muscles were weak he could strengthen his throat muscles by screaming and other exercises. He also had memory loss, which would interfere with him memorizing his show. Activities to help in building and maintaining memory would be key to get him ready for a performance.

Good job Meghan!

Take Away- Huntington's Disease- Woodrow "Woody" Wilson Guthrie

Ellen's presentation on Woody Guthrie was very insightful on Huntington's Disease. Woody was a singer and this played a major role throughout his diagnosis. He was able to use music as a form of therapy. It also altered his music style. He always said he never sang a song the same way twice, this is because his disease often altered his voice and memory. Woody also struggled with hand coordination, making playing instruments or holding a microphone difficult. His irregular musician schedule would cause difficult in treatment and therapy sessions as he was always traveling. Traveling also became more difficult the more his disease progressed. As Woody's disease progressed he had violent behavior outbursts and lost his problem solving skills. Woody's mother was never officially diagnosed, but it is believed she also suffered from Huntington's Disease. She was placed in a psych ward. Woody stated that he thought he had what his mother had before he was officially diagnosed.
Good job Ellen!

Foundations Course Takeaway

What a fun introductory course to occupational therapy school. I really enjoyed this course because coming in I obviously thought I knew what OT was. However, through this course my understanding of OT and the field in general has grown exponentially. I really like how we started the course looking at it from a broad perspective, the history and the foundation of the field. As it went on we got more specific, adding theories and the OT process. This helped to ease me into graduate school and my understanding of OT. I enjoyed the open dialogue of this course and how it was comfortable to give an opinion and speak out or it was comfortable to sit back and listen to classmates. I liked the exam formatting for this course as well, as we didn't have to rely only on our multiple choice test taking skills. The short answers really gave me a chance to reflect and show what I know! I am excited for the class next year, as I think our class made great recommendations for this course. I can't believe I have finished my 3rd OT class! I will always remember this course as I continue my journey to an occupational therapist. 

Case Study Takeaway- Amanda Jones

Amanda Jones was Lauren's "client" for her case study on myasthenia graves. Amanda was diagnosed at age 33 and she is currently still living with the disease at 37. This allowed Lauren to reach out and talk to her, which I thought was REALLY COOL. Myasthenia gravis is a disorder that attacks neuromuscular receptors. Amanda believed she had this disorder long before her diagnosis but it was often misdiagnosed as anxiety. Misdiagnosis is very common with MD as its symptoms are very similar to other disorders.

We discussed ideas for her to continuing to pursue her passions as a photographer, wife, and mother.  Since she is easily exhausted we discussed ways to lessen the work required. For photography we talked about her using a tripod so she would not have to carry around her large camera. She could use a nanny or assistance at home with her baby and house hold chores so she can spend her energy in her actual relationships as a wife and a mother.

Lauren did a really good job!

Neuro Note #3

Retrieved from: http://www.acapela-group.com/transfatty-lives-a-film-about-als-by-patrick-obrien-to-have-world-premiere-at-tribeca-film-festival-2015/

For this note I decided on watching the film Trans Fatty Lives. I love a good Netflix documentary and after hearing classmates discuss how good this film was I figured I would give it a shot! I am so glad I watched the film after learning about ALS, as I was able to see what I learned in class and through my diagnosis snapshot from a person's first hand experience. To further my learning, I reviewed back on this material and added notations in from what I learned from watching this film

Patrick O'Brien was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 30. Patrick was young and just beginning an exciting artistic career. He loved to make films and loved to make people laugh. To keep his spirits up after his diagnosis, he decided to make a documentary of himself and his journey with ALS. The name of the film, TransFatty Lives, came from Patrick's nickname given to him for his love of donuts. Patrick was thriving having graduated from art school and becoming a very popular New York City DJ, filmmaker, and visual artist. Patrick fell in love and had a son as a result. Although his relationship with the mother ended, his son continues to be one of his biggest motivators.

As a future occupational therapist this film gave a great insiders perspective. We often learn about these things but nothing beats watching it first hand and hearing a clients side of the diagnosis. Patrick uses assistive technology to keep as much independence as possible. Through an eye tracker he is able to use his computer screen, this allows most importantly for him to communicate. Patrick also relies heavily on humor to keep his spirits up.

I highly recommend this film, especially to those entering the health profession or those just wanting to learn more about ALS.




O'Brien, P. (Director). (2015, April 16). TransFatty Lives [Video file]. Retrieved May 14, 2017.

Case Study Take Away- Stephen Hawking

Sarah did a really good job on her presentation of Stephen Hawking and his battle with ALS. I thought it was really cool to hear about how he communicates and mobilizes. He has a "laser" attachment that synthesizes his speech for him, simply from the movement of his cheek. I am interested in looking into this further on my own time. I also thought it was interesting how early he was diagnosed, at age 21. Like my client with Parkinsons Disease, Michael J. Fox, Mr. Hawking has access to top notch services and equipment. I am looking forward to learning more about ALS!

(10) Presence

I read the article "The Power of Presence" as a preparatory activity for class. This was very motivating for me to read. I often find myself struggling with the correct words to say or actions to take. Presence, however, is something I can do.
I have been dating my boyfriend since high school, and while this is not a long time in the big scheme of life, I feel like I know him and his family very well. Last winter his mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. During this time I was in one of my most challenging semesters of college, taking 21 hours and trying to complete all of my applications for grad school. My boyfriend ended up taking the semester off and moving home from Nashville to be with his mom. I always felt pressured to say the right things or give the right pick me up gift. This was not pressure from my boyfriend or his family, just pressure I put on myself. I guess society made me feel as though I should be doing something more than simply being there. I noticed though, he was less stressed from just being together. His family was bombarded with meals and gifts, so they did not need that from me. He really did just need the simple presence that I could offer.
I describe myself as an extroverted introvert. I do not like to discuss my emotions, much less be emotional in public. I am very good at acting as if nothing is wrong. So when I think of unfortunate times in my life, the most meaningful people are those who were right there along side of me.
I hope to reflect back on this article throughout my career and in future relationships with family and friends. I really do believe in the power of presence!



Article: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5064534

(9) Personal Cultural Circle Chart

Today in foundations class we discussed culture. I feel like this is a topic I have learned about in school my entire life. However, every time I hear it, it seems to mean more and more to me. The highlight of todays discussion was when we made the personal cultural chart, as pictured above. I wanted to break this down a little bit further and how I believe these things will alter my path as an occupational therapist...
I will start with the most simplistic of the bunch, I am a food lover. This started when I was really young and my uncle (who was in his mid-20's at the time) would babysit my sister and I. When we were at his house we would always watch food network. You can ask my roommates, if the Today Show is not on, I am ALWAYS watching the food network. I used to get embarrassed by this when I was in middle school because it was not one of the "cool" shows everyone else was watching. I appreciate good food, I love to cook, and I love to watch food network. I would love to work this into my future as a therapist.
Puppy lover is pretty self explanatory. I love my dog, Rosie, and miss her everyday that I am in Memphis. While I do love all other dogs, no dog beats out my sweet pup! I hope to one day work animal therapy into my career path.
Sister and daughter are very important to me. My sister is graduating with her doctorate in pharmacy this weekend, so I can thank her for always motivating me to do better and push harder in school. My mom is also a pharmacist and works harder than anybody I know. My dad is a police chief and has always been such a good example of a leader. If I can combine a part of all three of them into my future career, I will be golden.
Finally, my faith. This is what sets the basis of my life. I will always be able to lean on this and use this to guide me through tough situations to come. Whether they be cultural issues or not. I know I cannot go wrong if I rely on my faith!

Emerging Areas in Occupational Therapy

The field of occupational therapy is quickly growing! With this growing comes more practitioners, more knowledge, higher degrees, and new areas of practice. This makes it so exciting to be a student and learn about all of the areas I can potentially work in and even specialize in one day. While browsing the AOTA article on emerging areas of practice I came across Autism in Adults. I immediately knew this is what I wanted to choose to research a bit further on.

I will start from the beginning, this summer I worked right alongside this population in Knoxville, TN! As I mentioned in a few of my earlier blog posts, I interned in therapeutic recreation with the City of Knoxville. Our main goal was to provide programming for adults with disabilities. Once these adults age out of the school system, their resources to programming become extremely limited. So, when I saw this on the list for emerging practice areas for OT I was pumped! My eyes were open to all the work that is to be done this summer and my heart is really with that population.

As discussed ont the AOTA website, adults with autism need assistance to transition into adulthood and being more independent. An occupational therapist could help them improve their quality of life and have meaningful relationships.

I believe this emerging area of practice aligns perfectly with AOTA's Vision 2025. It is about providing accessibility. It is about collaborating with adults with autism as well as the community. It is about being effective and providing the best quality of service to these deserving individuals. It is about leadership, for the occupational therapist going into this field as well as the adults lives we will be touching.

I cannot wait to continue to follow this emerging area of practice!


https://www.aota.org/Practice/Rehabilitation-Disability/Emerging-Niche/Autism.aspx
http://www.aota.org/AboutAOTA/vision-2025.aspx

(8) Fletcher Cleaves

In our Neurological Aspects course we had a guest speaker, Fletcher Cleaves. Talk about motivation! It is sad that it takes stories like Fletcher's to remind you how truly blessed you are. Not only did it remind me how truly blessed I am to have a working spinal cord, but also to be in the profession of occupational therapy.

Fletcher Cleaves was in a car accident, resulting in a spinal cord injury and ending his football career. The positivity radiating from him definitely rubbed off. Although still bitter about how it happened, Fletcher has such a good outlook on life. When talking with us, he discussed how the occupational therapist helped him keep a positive outlook when everyone else was telling him he could not do it all the time. Fletcher was able to find humor in his situation, and what a gift that is! Before his accident, Fletcher already had an incredible work ethic from football. So, when he was paralyzed he transitioned that work ethic to being as strong as he could be in his new body. Surpassing milestones many said he would never get to. Fletcher had such a fun-loving personality, I hope our paths cross again someday!

If you are reading this and do not know who Fletcher is, you can watch his story here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kBaLbubNd4&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop

Take Away Blog Post

Today was my case study on Michael J. Fox and his battle with Parkinson's disease. My group was very intrigued with this case, which made it fun to present. One of our biggest talking points was home modification. Michael J. Fox has a net worth of $65 million, which would allow a lot of room for home modifications as the disease progresses. We also discussed ways for him to still be involved in activities he enjoys like advocating for his foundation, playing with his dogs, acting, and hanging out with family. One thing I hoped for was a more clear picture of what his current status was. However, he seems to be private about his personal status. Although very outspoken about the disease as a whole and finding a cure. I enjoyed discussing my case with my group!

Neuro Note 2

I had the privilege to attend a Memphis Rolling Grizzlies basketball practice with my fellow classmates this week. This is a group of athletes, some with a spinal cord injury and others without. I think this is one of the most inspiring parts of the Rolling Grizzlies, the fact that those with a SCI can compete and work on an evening playing field as those without. All participants are in a wheelchair for the game, disability or not.
The fact that we had just discussed SCI in class allowed this experience to be an extremely beneficial supplement to my learning. I was able to pick up on things, like the height of the back of the wheelchair, that I would have not known to look for before. Most of the athletes had very low backs on their chairs, showing that their injuries were in the thoracic or lumbar regions allowing for trunk control.
This is an event that I would definitely recommend for fellow occupational therapist to attend!

(7) Documentation

Today in Foundations class we began to discuss and get hands on practice of documentation. I slightly panicked at first, crossing my fingers that I remembered all of the grammatical rules I learned back in elementary and middle school. After getting over my official nerves this activity made me excited! It was another step closer to being a future professional. Although documentation can seem a little bit intimidating, I think immersion is the best way to improve.

Goal writing was also something we worked on during our documentation lab. During undergrad I took a couple of classes that focused around goal writing. I feel pretty confident with goal writing. I am interested to see if there are major differences between goal writing formats used for occupational therapy versus therapeutic recreation.

Cameron's Case Study Take Away

Cameron discussed Will Traynor, the main character in the movie Me Before You. Will is a quadriplegic suffering with adapting to his new life style. One thing I had not previously considered was the occupational therapists role in adapting his sexual lifestyle. As mentioned in the movie, this is a big part of his occupational profile.

I also think the monetary access Will had could allow for an occupational therapist to make an even bigger change. Will had a lot of wealth which would give him access to the best of the best when it came to technology and rehab. It would be important for the therapist to help Will get involved with activities he used to enjoy before the injury.

Neuro Note 1

I am going to preface this with the fact that I am a big fan of romantic comedies. So, when I saw the option to write a Neuro Note on the book, and now movie, Me Before You I jumped on it.

The author, Jojo Moyes, created a great conversation starter.  It also shows a glimpse into how a severe medical illness can alter a person, as well as their families, lives. The main character, Will Traynor, becomes quadriplegic after being hit by a motorcycle. Prior to his accident, he was very active in extreme sports and was a successful businessman. His family hires a caretaker, Lou Clark, to watch over him and to make sure he does not harm himself. Will had wanted to go through with assistive suicide to end his life. Lou spent time exposing him to all of the things he could still enjoy while being in a wheelchair. Lou and Will ended up falling in love, however, this was still not enough. Will ended his life through assistive suicide.

This movie allowed me to see the benefits an occupational therapist could have on someone suffering like Will. In this situation, an OT could have shown Will all of the adaptive opportunities for him to still be able to participate in extreme sports. An OT could have assisted him in the discovery of new ways to partake in his hobbies. The family also could have benefited from assistance as they went through this process with their son.

Moyes, J. (2012). Me before you. New York: Pamela Dorman Books.

(6) Adaptive Sports

As I previously discussed on my blog, I have my undergraduate degree in Therapeutic Recreation. Through this major I was exposed to some of the best hands on experience I could dream of. One area in particular that has stuck with me is adaptive sports. I spent the summer of 2016 working as an intern with the City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation. My main focus throughout this internship was to increase adaptive sport opportunities for residents of the Knoxville community, mainly adults. Talk about a life changing summer! We implemented a walking club, bocce ball, basketball, volleyball, kickball, tee ball, dodge ball, disc golf, power soccer for younger participants in wheelchairs, beep kickball for participants with low vision, and so much more.
As I have started my journey as an occupational therapist I hope to be able to continue working with this newly discovered passion. There is no better feeling than seeing the pure joy and excitement on a participants face when they hit that ball for the first time!

(5) Lifelong Learner

In my foundations course this week we discussed the topic of being a lifelong learner and what that meant for us as future professionals. This is something I had not put much thought into when I was in undergraduate studies. I feel as though this topic has been continually stressed these first few months of graduate school. The thought of being a lifelong learner brings out my inner nerd. I cannot wait to find my niche and do what I can to be the best I can in my chosen area.
I also enjoyed discussing the differences in learning as a student and a professional. This, too, is something I did not consider as much in undergrad. I have enjoyed my time as a student but I am looking forward to the freedom of learning and exploring as a professional one day!

(4) Clinical Reasoning

In class today we discussed the topic of clinical reasoning. I feel like, especially as a student, this is something we have all thought about before. I have always worried if I would become a "natural" when it came to occupational therapy, and I feel like clinical reasoning is a big key to this. When getting my observation hours before graduate school I got to spend time with a lot of OT's, both seasoned and new to the profession. While the seasoned vets seemed to definitely have more experience with clinical reasoning, the newer OT's were still impressive. The whole time I am thinking "HOW do they know how to do this".

After todays Foundations course I feel much more at ease. I know that "embracing the gray" is ok and often the best learning tool. I know that there are three different elements that play into clinical reasoning: scientific, ethical, and artistic. I also know that there are many types of clinical reasoning that can be useful in an array of different situations.

(3) Therapeutic Recreation

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) was my home before coming to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). During orientation, the summer before my freshmen year, I happened across the perfect major. I had applied as a biology major, thinking that was the best track for me to get into occupational therapy school. All I have to say is, thank goodness for my advisor. She introduced me to the major of Therapeutic Recreation.

Therapeutic Recreation is very similar to the field of occupational therapy. Instead of the focus being on occupations, it focuses on using recreation as a form of therapy. Not only was it the most fun and hands on major at UTK, I have already noticed how prepared it made me for grad school.

While being part of the major I got the opportunity to attend 3 different camp experiences, work in a special education classroom to plan activities, and intern in 3 different facilities. All of these directly benefiting my future as an occupational therapist.

(2) BRAVE Sharks

I grew up participating in the sport of competitive cheerleading. As cheesy as it sounds, I believe the sport shaped me into who I am today. It taught me determination and commitment, gave me the best of friends, and opened my eyes to what dedicating a little bit of my time could mean to someone else.

I always had a passion for working with those with disabilities. I enjoyed volunteering with groups like the Special Olympics and Challenger League Sports throughout high school. I wanted to combine this passion with my passion for cheerleading.

I grew up in the gym, cheering from 2nd grade all the way through my senior year. When I was younger my gym had a cheerleading team for athletes with special needs. However, at some point in my 10 years at Premier Athletics that team ended.

My senior year, myself and a friend decided to bring it back. Our team was going to be called the Brave Sharks. We got the coaches behind us and they trusted us, two high school girls, to get the team up and going. We were able to do so, and I am happy to say that 5 years later the team is still going strong!

I will carry the lessons I learned from this experience with me for the rest of my life. I learned how to be in charge and lead my peers. I learned how to be a better cheerleader. I learned how to communicate with parents and event coordinators. Most of all, I learned so much from the athletes I got to work with. Cheerleading is about having fun and I loved watching the sweet boys and girls shine when they got on stage!

(1) Why I want to be an OT

Why I want to be an OT...

Wouldn't it be cool if I could tell you that I have always known I wanted to be an occupational therapist? Wouldn't it be cool if I said I knew what occupational therapy was at a young age? Wouldn't it be cool if I could tell you a personal story about how occupational therapy directly impacted my life?

I cannot really do any of the above. However, I am blessed to have still discovered this wonderful profession. I first heard about occupational therapy on a bus to a track meet my senior year of high school. For my honors anatomy course I was presented with the task of shadowing someone in the medical field that had a career that interested me. Unlike the rest of my classmates, I did not want to shadow a doctor or family friend. I really wanted to find something that sounded like a career path I might follow. While on the long bus ride, I googled statistics about health professions. This is when I came across occupational therapy. I instantly knew this is who I wanted to shadow.

Fast forward a few weeks and it was my day to go shadow at a local children's hospital outpatient center. I have to admit, it was kind of like love at first sight. I remember leaving and going home to spend a few hours googling to find out as much as I could. After an undergraduate major of Therapeutic Recreation and a Minor in psychology I am so excited to finally be in Occupational Therapy School!

Response to "A Given Perspective"

I am responding to the blog "A Given Perspective" which can be found at this web address: http://justmycurrentperspective.blogspot.com/p/read-blog.html

Through this emotional blog I found nothing but motivation for my future. Motivation to be the best occupational therapist I could be, the best caregiver, the best daughter, and more. As an OT student I found this an appropriate time to learn from this series of blog posts. Right now I am a sponge in the OT world just starting to soak up all of the knowledge I can, and boy did this make me want to be as prepared as possible. I do not ever want to let my clients or their care givers down.

After only a few months of OT school I have learned the importance of goals. However, this blog really gave perspective as to what the lack of a clarified goal can do to a patients motivation. I hope to develop my skills and be able to provide individualized treatment plans to my clients in order to keep them engaged. I also hope to always be able to relate treatment back to a common goal for both the client and caregivers.

Aimee Mullins TEDMED response

Aimee Mullins talk was very motivating for me, I cannot imagine how those in a similar situation would feel after hearing her speak. When she opened with the thesaurus findings of "disabled" in the 80s it was very emotional. I would like to think that people have become more accepting and understanding of disabilities as knowledge has increased. However, she also read an updated 2009 entry and although slightly better, it was still belittling. I am sad to report that now, in 2017, the thesaurus is still crushing to read. Here is what I found: http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/disabled?s=t

Synonyms for disabled

adj incapacitated

• handicappedstar
• infirmstar
• paralyzedstar
• weakenedstar
• woundedstar

• confinedstar
• disarmedstar
• hamstrungstar
• hurtstar
• lamestar

• maimedstar
• sidelinedstar
• stalledstar
• wreckedstar
• broken-downstar

• decrepitstar
• helplessstar
• incapablestar
• laid-upstar
• out-of-actionstar

• out-of-commissionstar
• powerlessstar
• run-downstar
• worn-out

I believe this goes to show how much room is left to educate and improve. As a future occupational therapist I hope to continue to advocate for those with a disability and educate those without so they understand the ABILITY.