Ron writes:
I don't think it will come as a big surprise to most that there's something
"wrong" with the profession of OT. To me the biggest symptom of this
"wrongness" is the fact that we've been in existence for almost 100 years
and people still don't know who we are.
Ron, Do you know what people who are Geodesists do? How about Industrial Hygienists, system analysts, conservators, archivists, etc. etc. I don't agree that people not knowing what we do is necessarily indicative of some huge "wrong" within our profession. Nor do I think that the fact that we work in very different settings, drawing on different aspects of our theoretical training means that we are not being true to OT. Nurses work in all different types of medical and residential settings, in schools, doctor's offices, insurance companies, psychiatrist's offices, information systems departments, the list goes on and on. How they function in each of those settings, and what particular theories they draw on differ significantly in those very different settings. Nobody questions that each one is still a nurse.
This ongoing complaint seems to be more of internal making than an external problem. The doctors who refer to our outpatient program know what we as OT's do; the rest of the interdisciplinary team in which I work respect our contribution to the patient's recovery. When I worked in school systems and Head Start programs, the teachers valued the contribution we made to the children's development. Does every doctor, teacher, insurance reviewer, potential OT client know or value what we do? No. Does every OT practise OT the way I would like to see it practised, or in a manner consistent with the roots of OT? No. Does that mean that the majority of us are not practising "true" OT? NO. I respect the school system OT, the OT who is also a CHT, the OT working in the various medical models, the private practise OT, the psych OT, the ones reaching out for emerging practise areas in non-traditional settings. Each one is taking! a different approach based on a variety of treatment approaches and theories, most of which are quite valid.
The former governor of NY, Mario Cuomo, is often quoted by a local public radio personality as saying "any jackass can knock down a barn"(I think Cuomo is actually quoting someone else - maybe Truman). I think it is more productive to discuss ways in which we can promote the diversity within our profession, rather than having an ongoing lament about something "wrong" with the profession. How do we let people know what's RIGHT with our profession, rather than complain amongst ourselves about what's wrong with us. I'm proud to be an OT, and that is the message I carry to those with whom I interact.
Ann
