Neuro Note 3




      In April, a group of us from the UTHSC Occupational Therapy program attended Joy Prom. This is a prom for individuals with special needs to attend and have loads of fun! They partner volunteers with guests so each individual that attends has a friend and can provide assistance if needed. I was partnered with an amazing lady who has cerebral palsy which is considered a neurological diagnosis. I am choosing this event as my topic for this neuro note because I learned so much from her that night about many different things.
      She uses a power wheelchair as her means of mobility. I could tell she had very good range of motion and control in her arms and wrists which allowed her to control her wheelchair with ease (at least that's how it appeared to me!). When we sat down to eat dinner, I was unsure how independently she would be able to feed herself. She asked me if I could get out her special cup from her bag. We poured her drink into this cup she had brought which had a handle on the side. Because of this adaptation, she was able to drink unassisted. She was also able to hold her utensils and feed herself using different eating techniques which was amazing to see how she was able to adapt her environment to be independent! While we were standing in line to get our picture made together, she told me about all the different programs she was involved in which allows her be very active socially with individuals that may or may not have disabilities. I had not heard of most of the programs she told me about which taught me that education is always so important. As a future occupational therapist, I want to always strive to provide as many resources, programs, and activities for my clients as I can. I think one of the biggest takeaways from participating in this event is realizing a diagnosis can present in many different ways. We met many other individuals that had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and each individual had different characteristics and level of functioning or independence. It is important to remember to be client-centered as each person's needs are going to vary.
      Overall, this event was such a great experience! Not only is it important to provide special events for people who may not normally be able to participate, but it was eye opening and a great learning experience to see disabilities that we will be working with as we become a practitioner. I recommend this event to everyone-especially OT students!

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