Speaking of.....OT

October - National Awareness Month of ..... "Just before the death of the flowers, before they are buried in snow, there comes a season when nature is all aglow." - said Anonymous Winterfylleth, the Anglo Saxon or Old English name for October, is the beginning of the cold weather, green leaves changing into hues of red and golden yellow, creating a foliage worthy of an artist's palette. Blackberries are in season, cotton scarves and knee-high boots are in fashion and everything is pumpkin flavored. It's a busy month for people decorating their windowsills and porches with ghostly decorations and rushing to find that perfect costume for the much awaited end of the month Halloween, followed by making Thanksgiving and Christmas plans.   Yes, it's a grand month to celebrate not only the changing seasons and Halloween but it's the granddaddy of National Awareness months. Instead of creeping through the internet and walking streets on ends for those ...

Sue Austin: Deep sea diving...in a wheelchair - The title will inspire you and the video will take your breath away. It's the experience of unbounded freedom and joy, as described by Sue Austin that really moved me. The wheelchair brings her freedom and is her best friend. If all wheelchair users thought this way the fear of limitations and being bound in would be eliminated. Freedom is found by creating our own stories, by learning to take the texts of our lives as seriously as we do 'official' narratives.' --Davis 2009, TEDx Women. The following individuals have created their own stories. Aaron Fotheringham, aka "Wheelz", 21 years old, does backflips in his wheelchair. Dick and Rick Hoyt, the most inspirational father and son team have raced in the Ironman Triathlon, many times. Aaron Fotheringham - Dick & Rick Hoyt - You don't have to be disabled to be inspired by what these individuals have done..

http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/01/03/n-occupational-therapy-low-unemployment.cnnmoney OT has graced many headlines in the past: from raising public awareness about the practice and research, bunking/debunking the Autism and vaccinations “myths”, following the successful recovery of Gabby Giffords, to discovering the Ergo Wok (see link below). During the times when the drastically increasing unemployment rates are still plaguing the nation, one profession shows promise to those displaced workers looking for stability and higher salaries. CNN Money reports the Occupational Therapy profession as having one of the lowest unemployment rates: 2%. While nurses are waiting longer to retire resulting in longer waits for some graduates to enter the field and dental hygienists taking up to six to nine months to find work due to slacking demand, Occupational Therapy is reporting a staggering growth in the years to come. Here, just look at the following statistics: In Nev...

..And I'm back!  Sincere apologies folks for not having updated the blog in a long while. There are a few great topics I have been working on to post, however before we get to that I just want to give everyone an update on what's happening in the world of Occupational Therapy. Below are some very important events taking place in the near future. Please get invo lved and help spread our profession of OT! National School Backpack Awareness Day - September 19, 2012 Join AOTA in helping others Live Life To Its Fullest by avoiding the pain and injury that can come from heavy backpacks and bags. Learn safety tips to stay protected from back pain throughout life and teach others how to properly choose, pack, lift, and carry various types of bags. Falls Prevention Awareness Day  - September 22, 2012  According to AOTA, falls are a leading cause of decreased independence, disability, and even accidental death among older adults. Occupational therapy practition...

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FIELDWORK TOOLKIT A list of important items for all your fieldwork and professional needs.  1. Range of Motion and Degrees (MUST HAVE!)   2.  Range of Motion (Angles) 3. Manual Muscle Testing Grading 5 Normal subject completes ROM against gravity with maximal resistance 4+ Good Plus completes ROM against gravity with moderate-maximal resistance 4 Good completes ROM against gravity with moderate resistance 4- Good Minus completes ROM against gravity with minimal-moderate resistance 3+ Fair Plus completes ROM against gravity with only minimal resistance 3 Fair completes ROM against gravity without manual resistance 3- Fair Minus does not complete the range of motion against gravity, but does complete more than half of the range 2+ Poor Plus is able to initiate...