Hello All: I want to clarify that my below comments are NOT about ANYONE on this list. They are just general comments directed to the list.
Thanks, Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 To: OTlist <[email protected]> Subj: [OTlist] Occupatiaonl Experts? RC> I think I've written on this before, if so bear with me. RC> I graduated from OT school in 1997. During my education, I never RC> remember hearing the word "occupation". Everything I learned about RC> occupation initially came from the book, "Enabling Occupation: An RC> Occupational Therapy Perspective". This book changed my practice. A few RC> years later, I began teaching at a University where I developed, wrote RC> and taught courses on human occupation. There is at least one of my RC> students on this list and she can testify that the human occupation RC> course was about human occupation theory. Basically, the course was RC> about how and why humans engage in occupation/life. I am certainly a RC> long way from being an expert, but I know more than the average bear RC> about human occupation. RC> The reason I type all the above is because when AOTA came out with their RC> Practice Framework, OT's INSTANTLY were pronounced "experts" in human RC> occupation. I have disagreed with that assertion since day one. RC> Messages that I read in OT-related publications and websites reinforce RC> the notion that most OT's are only minimally versed in occupation. I RC> constantly read about "activities" being referred to as occupation. Or RC> about engaging patients in occupation when in reality they are the same RC> old patterns of treatment. In essence, old practice patterns are now RC> being called by a new name. Here's an example that I JUST found. RC> "Occupations All Around You" RC> "Would you rather stand and reach for plastic cones, or stand an reach RC> up to hand up decoration for a wedding to increase your balance and ROM" RC> It's great that this OT at an ALF facility is using things besides RC> cones, but having someone engage in an "occupation" to increase their RC> ROM is NOT occupation. For as long as I've been practicing, OT's have RC> used such activity (i.e. the recent "silverware" messages" to engage RC> patients in balance activity. Basically, the author is taking the same RC> old stuff and couching it in a new term, "occupation". RC> I really struggle to see how OT can be "experts" in occupation when RC> they've never been deeply educated on the subject. Here's a definition RC> of expert: "An expert is someone widely recognized as a reliable source RC> of knowledge, technique, or skill whose judgement is accorded authority RC> and status by the public or their peers." RC> Expertise is not something that's easily given. It's something that you RC> "earn", isn't it? To me this is just one more example of where OT say's RC> one thing but then does something totally different. RC> Just for reference, I've copied the table of contents for my lecture RC> guide on human occupation. The formatting is messed up, but it give some RC> idea of the topics. There is a lot more that could be added to syllabus. RC> ==================================================================== RC> Practicing Occupation-Based Practice RC> Barriers RC> AOTA Position Papers RC> Occupation: RC> Occupational Performance: RC> Independence: RC> Understanding Occupation and Occupational therapy – RC> Order and Disorder in Medicine and Occupational Therapy RC> Meaning and Occupation; RC> Searching for and finding meaning in our lives RC> Carl Rogers; (developing a therapeutic relationship) RC> Occupational Competence Across The Lifespan RC> How Do We Discover Meaning In Life: Flow RC> What is life? RC> How Do We Create A Life Worth Living: By Understanding What RC> Creates And Impacts Flow Experiences: RC> The Model of Human Occupation RC> The Human System RC> Organization of Human Systems RC> Enabling Occupation RC> Seven Stages Of The Occupational Performance Process Model: RC> A Step-By-Step Approach To Occupational Therapy Treatment. RC> Person-Environment Occupational Performance Model RC> Foundations RC> The person – understanding motivation and self- perceptions RC> Applying the model - general concepts RC> ===================================================================== RC> Ron RC> -- RC> "... as a profession that offers unique services that are ideally suited RC> to meet the health, participation, and quality of life needs of people RC> of all ages, occupational therapy is well-positioned to succeed and RC> flourish in the 21st century." [Fred Somers, AJOT, April, 2005, p. 127] RC> "The part of convalescence that I found most profoundly humiliating and RC> depressing was [OT]... I was reduced to playing with brightly colored RC> plastic letters ... like a three-year-old..." [AJOT, April, 2005, p. RC> 231] -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ************************************************************************************** Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. www.otdegree.com/otn **************************************************************************************
