Childhood Memories and Lessons that Influence my Work as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist: Part 1
Below, I will share childhood memories that influence my daily work as a pediatric occupational therapist. Accessing my childhood memories helps me identify with a child’s perspective, even if that child has a specific disability or challenge that I did not experience. When I find myself mystified by a child’s behavior or perspective, I conjure up vivid memories of what it was really like to be a child. Remembering the complexity of my social, emotional and academic experiences helps build a crucial bridge of empathy between myself and my students. My lessons are geared towards older elementary aged students who are mostly in the general education setting, as those are the children…
Why and How Do Pediatric Occupational Therapists Play Games?
Why do pediatric occupational therapists (OTs) play games? Pediatric therapist are often asked why we spend time “just” playing games with our clients. In addition to being engaging to children, games are powerful tools through which we work on a variety of skills including fine motor, visual-motor, gross motor, strength, social, emotional, sensory, and attention, planning and other executive functioning skills. OTs are experts in adapting games to fit a child’s goals. A competent occupational therapist will never “just play” a game with a child. The game itself and many aspects of the game’s set-up will be consciously chosen and adapted on a minute by minute basis so as to support the child’s…