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Therapy is a profession where a therapist’s primary aim Is to assist individuals to achieve everyday life skills. Often times, many Individuals who need therapy have had circumstantial situations In their lives. This prevents them from participating in daily activities. An Occupational Therapist should be able to help an individual adapt to their specific environment and help create a foundation to improve their quality of life. A task can range from self-care skills such as showing them how to brush their teeth to even more advanced skills such as managing their edged properly.
In order to ensure an individual Is working up to their potential, an Occupational therapist must recognize their capableness and Limitations. Once a therapist assesses their needs, they can create a plan that will cater to their specific necessities. Therapists learn to understand the physical, mental, and social components of an individual and then help them adjust into their life style. An Occupational therapist is not Just someone who helps develop an individual’s skills but also should be a moral and empathic support system.
During my adolescent years, I became interested In the medical field. Many of my family members are also in the medical profession as well. I wanted to pursue a career In the medical field because it is the social norm in my family. However. I started to develop an interest in Occupational therapy when I entered college. My grandfather suffered a severe stroke and was admitted to Parker Jewish Medical Center, a local rehabilitation center. Several times when I visited, he was receiving services by an Occupation therapist.
I was able to see my grandfather’s progress because of his Occupational therapist. HIS Occupational therapist was able to ultimately regain my grandfather’s independence Occupational therapy impacted my grandfather’s life and also inspired me to pursue Occupational therapy as a profession. Throughout my undergraduate education, I have taken courses such as Anatomy, Physiology, and Biology that have expanded my knowledge of the physical body. I have also taken Psychology courses in Developmental and Abnormal Psychology as well.
A close family friend of mine has a son with high functioning autism. He was diagnosed around the age of 3 and Is now 8 years old. He has poor conversational and social skills. However, he and I both share the love for basketball. We are both Nicks fans and watch the games together regularly. We also both play basketball together. Although he can’t interact with me as well as a mainstream child, basketball is something that has bonded us together. He is more willing to be involved in tasks that he has a liking for as well.
Being around him and helping him develop his social kills has shown me that I do possess many positive characteristics that an Occupational Therapist should possess professionally. Occupational therapists should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. I have been able to develop both of these skills through my experiences as a salesman for R&K Verizon Wireless the past couple years. Vive dealt with a wide range of customers and learned the key to success is patience. The skills that I acquired from working at the Verizon store have transferred over to my current experience.
Currently, I’m shadowing an Occupational therapist at Jamaica hospital. Most that her passion was cooking. She felt distraught that she didn’t have the strength to pick up utensils anymore. I have seen Tot’s do several hand and wrist strengthening exercises with her. Besides providing exercises, I realized that I felt most gratified giving her emotional support. I made sure to motivate her continuously and gave her confidence that she would be able to cook again. By seeing her progress, it showed me that I truly belong to this profession.
I believe that my multi-faceted background knowledge and personal experiences have helped me to possess the qualities needed to be an Occupational therapist. Occupational therapy embodies every characteristic that I want in a profession. Most of all, it is one of the most rewarding work fields. Although Occupational therapists face significant challenges, I’m completely dedicated to achieving my long term goal of being able to work with rehabilitation patients. I want to continue my education, expand my knowledge, and grow professionally and personally as well.