Can anyone give me information on Pediatric Occupational Therapy?
I currently work as a pediatric occupational therapist in a school system, but I've also worked as a pediatric OT in private practice and at a hospital. All three settings are a little different, but there are several similarities. The day usually starts between 7 and 8 in the morning. You will have a regular "caseload" of children that you see at scheduled times during the day. You will also likely have an evaluation slot in your schedule to evaluate new children to see if they are eligible for OT services. Part of your day will consist of dealing with the parents and/or teachers of the children you work with, and another part of your day will be spent in documentation. Documentation is very important to keep a record of your evaluations and daily treatments with children. Working with kids requires a bit of creativity, and most pediatric OTs are constantly gathering "tools" for their practice toolbox, whether it be activity ideas, toys and equipment, or evaluation or screening tools. OTs (at least good ones) are always learning new strategies and techniques so they can be as effective as possible at their jobs. I read in my "free time" and go to continuing education courses on a regular basis to further my knowledge. Salary depends a lot on where you live, and also depends on what area of practice you go into. As a rule, private practice generally pays a little better than working for the school system or a hospital. I would highly recommend finding some pediatric clinics in your area to go observe so that you can get a true picture of what an OT does on a daily basis. It's a fun and rewarding but endlessly challenging career. For more information on salaries, job outlooks, and general information about occupational therapy, check out the information about OT on the Occupational Outlook Handbook, available at http://www.bls.gov/OCO/.
Should I become an Occupational Therapist or an Occupational therapy assistant?
I answered a very similar question last year so I copied it here. "Honestly, I think it depends a lot on your current situation and your personality. An Associates degree to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant is a lot cheaper and you will make decent money after graduation. You will also have less paperwork and hassle in your daily career which is definitely a bonus. Down side is that you need an Occupational Therapist to supervise your work.For me, however, getting my Master's degree in Occupational Therapy was definitely worth it. There are more jobs available to me and I have more freedom because I don't need anyone at the company to supervise me. I also make more than enough money so paying back my student loans and living comfortably is not a problem. Also, I'm a home health Occupational therapist which means I spend a good half of my day (while driving to my clients' houses) getting paid to listen to music and audio books and the other half making a meaningful difference in peoples' lives. Pretty much the perfect job if you ask me.Written Jun 1, 2015 • "
What is it like to be an occupational therapist?
Occupational Therapists help people to live their life as independently as possible despite of their limitations caused due to injury or any ailments. Their prime goal is to help people carry out daily task independently. They can work in hospitals, schools, skilled nursing facilities, private clinics etc.Being an Occupational Therapist I really enjoy my work as I help people to achieve their life goals by making them to do purposeful activities. There are many cases where Occupational Therapists play vital roles. There is flexibility like I can work in paediatric, geriatric, hand therapy , neurology and psychiatry, vision therapy, sensory integration therapy etc. I can also do specialisation in these fields. It gives immense satisfaction to me when I help people in achieving their life goals. However like any other profession Occupational Therapists also suffer some problems and it differs from place to place.In a country like India, there is less awareness amongst people about this field. Most of the time they confuse it with physical therapy, even most of the doctors also are clueless about this. When I tell someone about my profession, I also have to tell them the difference between an Occupational Therapist and a Physical Therapist.Though Occupational Therapists are highly paid professionals in foreign countries, they are underpaid in India. Most of the therapists go to USA, UK, Canada or Australia for better opportunities due to high job demands and attractive salary.Occupational Therapists also sometimes have to face emotional and physical stress, mostly when some of the patients stop showing improvements and they reach a plateau. Then whatever you do nothing works. Long work hours, patients misbehaviour and heavy patients also add to the problems. There are also chances of infection due to body secretions.So all in all it depends from person to person how well they can cope up with challenges, solve problems effectively and how proficient they are in their work.
Is there anyone that can help me break my OCD germophobia?
I've had severe OCD since I was 10 years old. I'm now 28. Over time, my OCD takes on different shapes and compulsions. In the last year, I've developed quite a phobia of germs. It's gotten so bad that I can no longer leave my house or go out into public. I have a doctor and I take medication, but it doesn't work. Life is so bad that I can't touch ANYTHING without washing my hands and I wash my hands more than 50 times per day. Everything is so hard... I'm considering hanging myself because I can't fight anymore. I look at pictures of myself that I've had from a few years ago showing me doing all kinds of things... vacationing in Mexico, working and hanging out with friends, laughing and being in public... fearless and indestructible. I get so depressed and I wonder how I got to this. Is there anyone who's experienced this and gotten over it? How did you do it? Could you tell me anything that would help me?
What strategies can a parent learn to deal with an extremely spirited 5-year-old child with oppositional defiant disorder or ODD?
On home days/weekends, my child sits down and writes a schedule of what he wants to do. We negotiate and shake on the final schedule. I do my best to honor the schedule he creates and the day goes much more smoothly.The fewer unexpected transitions, the happier we all are.I am also fond of, “this needs to be done by ___ o'clock. At what time would you like to do it?”Be sure you have support from a good occupational therapist, not just talk therapy. They will give you tips and tricks that work. It's their job!
My daughter is 11 months old. She is not crawling and not standing also. I am worried. What do I do?
Not all children are created equal.My son never crawled. He scooted a little bit. At around 11 months he started pulling himself up. Prior to that, he would only stand if we stood him up. My wife used to say it was great, she could leave him in the middle of the floor with a bunch of toys and not worry whether he would get in trouble.At his one year appointment, the doctor was worried. “He should be crawling by now!” she told us. But when we put him on his tummy, he went stiff as a board, started screaming and immediately rolled over. She sent us to occupational therapy. My wife spent several frustrating weeks with a therapist who tried to force him to crawl. No luck. I told her to stop. It was frustrating him, and her both. I told her, “He will walk when he’s ready, crawling really isn’t important.” The doctor disagreed. “His development will be slowed!” she told us.One day, I came home and he was “hopping” between two couches. They were just far enough apart that he had to let go to reach the other. He was having a blast! My wife had put toys on each couch and he was alternating for over an hour.A few days later, he insisted that I “help” him to walk around the house in his little one year old voice. At least that’s what I thought he was saying. Soon he was taking steps and not much longer, toddling along.He is now 4. He’s a normal 4 year old. He loves learning. He runs and runs and runs. He crawls for fun now when playing. He has an extraordinary memory for things he’s interested in, he’s fully potty trained and he’s very verbose. People comment often that his vocabulary is above average.Let me summarize the point of the above: There is nothing wrong with asking a doctor or pursuing physical therapy. On the other hand, don’t presume that because your child isn’t walking as soon as your friends child, there is something wrong. Children will walk when they are ready. Some will learn to crawl after the fact. There is nothing wrong with this. Yes, you should push your child, but don’t frustrate them, and don’t get worried if they aren’t interested.Good luck, take a deep breath, and stop worrying!