Hi Joan,
in Australia we might call you a "stirrer" for that kind of comment i.e.
someone with a predisposition towards gentle leg pulling ; - )
I spent yesterday morning engaged in a presentation to the Australian
Assoc of Hand Therapists. Title of the workshop session was Ergonomics
and Computer Access". Content was 50/50 lit review and equipment demo.
Lit review section was primarily research concerning social and
psychological/personality factors that predispose to computer work
related UL trauma and the best management thereof. There's a growing
body of excellent studies around to show that many of these type of
extremely costly injuries (both in terms of compensation/loss of
business but also in the worker's loss of capacity to engage in
occupations right across their lives) are related to the whole person -
not just the structures of their ULs and the ways they use them. My
reading of the audience receptiveness to this was "excellent". For Hand
Therapists (most of whom but not all were OTs) they seemed to have a
very good grounding in thinking Occupationally - and not cutting up
people's activities into nice little cause and effect pathways.
In the course of my employment I've known a few other Hand people who
tend to bristle quite openly at the suggestion that they've sold out OT
in some way. I'm afraid I can't recall the name at present; but isn't
there a pioneer of OT who said something like "Occupation is (wo)man
using (her)his hands to shape (her)his life" - apologies if I've got
this quote completely wrong - but sure it's at least vaguely on track!
And on the issue of the L's and the R's - in my state of Victoria, OT's
aren't required to to be registered. We can be "Accredited" - which
means we submit our CPD (Continuing Professional Development) Plan to
our National Association; but it's by no means compulsory. I'd make the
necessary points easily with all the presentations, reading and projects
I'm required to do do as part of my job - frankly though, I'd rather
give the fee they ask to my chosen charity. Since I've just got a
Bachelor of OT (four year degree course) I choose just to sign "OT" like
your mate from Argentina as well.
cheers,
David Harraway OT
Joan Riches wrote:
>From one perspective this 'play' looks like hand therapy to me and what
my young cowboy was doing was not play. His personal goal setting got
him through his therapy which was preparing him for almost all the
occupations he will perform for the rest of his life. He was not the
only stakeholder in this. Working for the knots certainly made my life
easier because without them it would have been much harder to achieve
the goals of his teacher, his family, his team mates, the school board,
the provincial government, the taxpayers. This is equally true with a
somewhat different configuration for the seniors I treat who cannot
begin to articulate their goals in the way you are demanding but whose
personal goals for comfort, for safety, for inclusion, for meaning in
their lives help me to serve them and the goals of the community in
which they live. We are a social species, we live in community. As a
profession we can facilitate the potential occupational performance of
our society by addressing occupational dysfunction in individuals, and
in social structures. We have gone through a period of being imprisoned
in the medical model. We are getting out. Do I not remember you
advocating for a client who needed social support? - that was
Occupational Therapy. This is who we are.
The US is not the only country in the world nor is AOTA the only
national association. Students are being taught occupation - witness the
post from one of the new members on the list.
Joan Riches B.Sc.O.T., OT(C)
Specialist in Cognitive Disability
Riches Consulting
High River, Alberta, Canada
403 652 7928
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Ron Carson
Sent: October 25, 2008 3:41 AM
To: Veronica
Subject: Re: [OTlist] ideas for fine motor warm ups for HW students? A
story- long
You see, this is why OT is a PERFECT fit with kids!!! Kids love to
play and play is therapeutic!!!! I often wish I had become a peds
therapist!
Ron
--
Ron Carson MHS, OT
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