Origin of an OT

The OTPF  is a summary of inter-related constructs that define OT practice. What this means is that it is it categorizes and explains different abilities or skills that an OT would focus on when treating a client. The OTPF's purpose is:  o    Establish a common language o    Improve standard of communication o    Focus on occupation, health & wellness o    Guide evaluation, intervention, & outcomes o    Highlight OT’s scope of practice o    Align with global language used by the WHO, including ICD billing codes  What all this means is that the OTPF is here to break down all the categories of abilities and skills. It can be difficult and chaotic to keep track of what activity is part of what occupation. The OTPF cleans it up. It allows people to navigate through with ease, allowing for more people to talk about OT and what they can get from it or why they could use it. Personally I believe the OTPF is a Godsend! it makes things so much more clear and w

World War II was the first big break for OT. With a lot of men going to war, America turned to the women to be the "bread winners". They held together the economy by taking on factory jobs, changing the day to day occupations for the average woman. OT was introduced as a form of rehabilitation for returning soldiers. With mainly women in the workforce, they were the predominant gender in this field. After the war, America thrived. The war was credited with getting the country out of the Great Depression. With the economy doing so well, and the mass amounts of wounded soldiers returning, the country started to put more emphasis on medical research. Many Acts were also put into place to help further funding and programs for those in need of rehabilitation (mainly for veterans), such as the Vocational Rehabilitation Act. A big supporter of this funding was FDR, setting up loans and grants for veterans in order to get them rehabilitated and back into functioning society. Over

When looking through the AOTA website about Specialty & Board Certifications I found myself being pulled toward Seating and Mobility Specialization (SMS).  I had a 6 month long internship/ educational experience in Ghent, Belgium when I was  a junior in college. This gave me the opportunity to work directly with clients. I found myself exhilarated when I got to work with clients who had prosthetics or where wheelchair bound. Something about the engineering of it or the practice of learning how to become mobile again, but in an entirely new way was just fascinating.  I feel that in order to commit to a certification one must feel a strong desire for that field. The application process will be straining and won't seem worth it if you don't believe in that category. I believe SMS is something I am willing to put the in the effort for.