OT: Create - Motivate - Inspire

The OTPF is the framework for the profession of occupational therapy. It first describes what occupations are. These include activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs), play and leisure, work, education, rest and sleep, and social interaction. Additionally it is broken down into subsections. The first includes client factors which are things that are really important to the client including spirituality, beliefs, body functions, and body structures. Next is the performance skills which include social participation, motor and cognitive skills. After that is the performance patterns which are the habits, rituals, roles, and routines that we participate in on a daily basis. The final subcategory is the context and environment. This essentially means where our occupations take place and the context that they occur (which includes cultural, personal, physical, social, temporal and virtual aspects surrounding our occupations). By examining all of the ...

     Based on the information presented in the era presentations, I found a common theme among all of the decades- that the field of occupational therapy has and will continue to evolve. Over the last few decades, occupational therapy has not only grown as a profession, but it has accommodated the ever changing needs of society. Especially post-war and after the deinstitutionalization movement began, there became a growing need to accommodate individuals living with both physical and psychological disabilities. Looking into the future, I can foresee the field of occupational therapy continuing to adapt to changes in society as it has done since the beginning. Our society has more access to adaptive technology than ever before. Additionally, the baby boomers are starting to age and retire while the younger generation is suffering more from psychological issues. This will also shape what occupational therapy will look like in the future.

Out of the board certifications available through AOTA (gerontology, mental health, pediatrics, and physical rehabilitation), I think at the moment I am most interested in the pediatric certification. I have always had a passion for working with children. After observing many hours in a hospital  pediatric outpatient clinic, I fell in love with the services that were provided and the interventions used with the kids. While it is undoubtedly hard work practicing in pediatrics, I believe there is so much reward that goes along with seeing the positive effects of early intervention. I have also become increasingly interested in the potential benefits of incorporating animal-assisted therapy into treatment session, so I would also consider obtaining the Certified Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist certification. This requires at least 3 years of experience practicing occupational therapy and experience riding horses. It also requires at least 100 hours of direct treatment in hippothera...