Blog 18: Third Answer

Content

EQ How can an occupational therapist best prepare a 4-8 year-old child

 with special needs to thrive in a social environment?

Answer #3 An OT can improve the child's self-awareness through various methods.

Detail 1 Self-awareness is when a person has the ability to be aware of his or her own cognitive functions, and the ability to self-monitor and self-correct behavior. An individual with impaired self-awareness may be unmotivated, uncooperative, displays poor judgement, and fails to see the need for compensatory strategies.

Detail 2 Goal attainment scaling (GAS) is a method to measure an individual's performance; it can be used to monitor one's participation. This is allows client-oriented goal and a track progress for the OT. An example, from OT practice is that the client, Samantha, set out a goal for her to maintain an appropriate volume voice. The OT would supervise and score her based on her behavior.

Detail 3 The other method OT practice mentions is video self-modeling (VSM) which is based on a theory where children learn social skills through watching. A child would watch him or herself perform a desired behavior. Like the GAS, the client or child would set a goal for themselves, in which they will practice.

According to Jennifer Flemming, a senior researcher in occupational therapy, "Self-Awareness".

According to Lauren Foster and Kelsey Lueger, from the OT practice magazine, "Model Behavior".

Conclusion Using one of the two methods to  increase a child's self-awareness will allow the child be conscious of his or her actions towards other, improving social skills.

Blog 10: Senior Project, The Holiday

Content:

1) Over break I worked on my independent component which is an online class, Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience. I worked on two lectures which both had a video lecture so I took notes on that.

2) From the lectures I saw, the most important thing I learned was that cognitive neuroscience is the study of how cognitive processes can be explained by the structure and function of the brain. This was the most significant to me because this is what the basic idea of the course is which will be beneficial to my senior project because some OTs work with the cognition skills of clients. Knowing about cognitive neuroscience would allow me to understand the brains influence on how you respond.

3) I would seek assistance from OTs at Casa Colina in the Children's Service Center because they are the OTs that help kids who need to help to do things differently because of whatever medical issue they may have.

Blog 9: EQ

Content

1) I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.

2)
     a. What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?

• No, because it isn't specific in terms of healthy weight loss for who. The question should incorporate an age and gender so research won't be too broad.

     b.  What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?

• Yes, because it is specific in being particular about a conviction in a criminal investigation. You wouldn't want to specify criminal investigation because research would end up being to narrow.

     c. What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?

• Sounds almsot good. I think if specify what satisfaction is, like if they are happy with it or just "meh" about it. 

     d. How can an Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?

• Yes, because I don't think you have to specify an area of chronic pain. It can just be general but it would still work if it the pain is specified.

3)  How can an occupation therapist best prepare a child, with special needs, for day-to-day living?

Blog 8: Research and Working EQ

Content

1) What is the best way an OT can evaluate a patient in transitional care post-brain injury? 
I'm most likely going to change my EQ because I'm going to be working with OTs for children. I want to change the question to What is the best way to improve a child with disabilities cognitive and fine motor skills?

2) EQ: What is the best way an OT can evaluate a patient in transitional care post-brain injury?

• Educated Observations & Assessments; the evaluations are different for OTs and for the patients depending on their conditions. Educated observations would consist of the knowledge of the brain because the brain does not function properly post-brain injury, affecting cognitive and motor skills. Observations would note a patients progress. After that an assessment could be given to test their progress of certain actions such as evaluating home management skills.

3) The most important source I've used that helps me answer this EQ was my interview with Keri Garcia. 

4) My mentor is Sarah Meredith at Casa Colina, I shadowed with her in the Transitional Living Center and this related to my working EQ by allowing me to observe patients in transitional care post brain injury.

Blog 5 Project Reflection and Working EQ

Content

The Pentagon:

(1) Positive things that have happened as a result of what I've completed so far:

• After my summer mentorship at Casa Colina I better understood what occupational therapy does and is which has helped me pick my senior topic. As well as help me decide what career I'd like to pursue. 
• The first few research checks have also helped me understand the different ways occupational therapy can help an individual, like a person that has experienced a stroke.

(2) EQ Content

• My interview with Keri Garcia, an OTR/L at Casa Colina, increased my knowledge of occupational therapy by explaining the different types of occupational therapy (hand, acute, community-based, rehab, etc.) and by talking to me about what she does. Keri specializes in Home, Community & Transitional Living therapy post-brain injury. After a patient has done rehab in the hospital, the patient transfers to someone like Keri to prepare them on how it will be like living at home. I also learned that Hand therapist work from the elbow down and Acute therapist is more attentive to patients. Patients who work with Keri, their goal is to be stabilized enough to live more independently whereas a patient's goal in acute care might just be to be able to sit up right independently.

(3) What has worked

• I think my summer mentorship has worked well for me because it has allowed me to get to know a lot of the staff in a department which made it much more simple for me to get an interview.

(4) What hasn't worked

• Getting quality research was a bit rough in the beginning but I found a website where I can get some pretty alright articles for now. I'm working on finding a book about occupational therapy. Probably rehab or transitional therapy because I have better resource connections for that area. 
• Applying to Casa Colina to be a volunteer hasn't worked much either. I applied late in the summer so I have to wait to see if any spots open up in October. As well as not being old enough to work in the department that I'd like do more research in (transitional care).

(5) Finding Value

• "How can an Occupational Therapist best evaluate a patient in transitional care with post-brain injury?" I would try to research the different evaluations occupational therapist use to asses patients because there is no specific way to evaluate a patient.
• For mentorship, I plan to mentor with the lady I mentored with over the summer. 

2013 2-Hour Presentation Reflections

Literal:

1) Presentations 

• Day 1
• Bobbie- Marathon Running
• Day 2
• Lucas- Designing a Haunted Attraction
• Danielle- Horticulture (Floriculture)
• Day 3
• Gawen- Criminal Investigation
• Mariah- Social Media Networking
• Day 4
• Ivy- Art Curating
• Day 5
• Joseph- Firefighting
• Arista- Fashion
• Day 6
• Dolores- Theater Technician
• Day 7
• Jose- Music Journalism
• Eric- Marine Conservation Bio
• Day 8
• Dina- Bootcamp
• Lauren- Homelessness
• Day 9
• Amber- Equine Assisted Therapy

2) I had a question if there always had to be more than one answer for senior presentations, but it was answered so I have not questions as of now.

Interpretive:

3) Based on seeing the 2-hour Presentations, the most important part of the senior project is to do as much research as possible, record all the information and organize it accordingly. I found this as the most important because, the whole senior project is research, so one would need to keep all the information attained organized for senior presentation. Information should be organized to also help reach time for senior presentations so no material is repeated. 

Applied:

4) I am considering on doing my senior topic on dietetics or nutritional science, which is basically the study of human nutrition and other sciences in preparation for designing and managing nutrition programs, because I find the influence of food on the human body interesting, and I hope through the project I will learn more about why certain foods are good for certain people [ie. why should people  with kidney disease eat only certain thing].