Allie's OT Blog

   The OTPF, which stands for Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, is one of the major tools that OTs utilize today. It summarizes all of the most important ideas that guide OT practice, identifies the scope of practice for OT, and gives OTs a common language to improve communication within the field. The OTPF highlights domains of concern, or areas that OTs are concerned about and address.  All of these domains influence how a client might perform their occupations, or daily meaningful activities. We usually don't even think about most occupations that we perform on a daily basis unless they are taken away or there is a barrier that makes completing that occupation more difficult. The OTPF guides OTs in their evaluation, intervention, and assessing outcomes of patients with the overarching goal of "supporting health and participation in life through engagement in occupation."

   Throughout the presentations given in class today regarding the history of occupational therapy, one character that stood out to me was Dr. Gary Kielhofner. He is responsible for creating the Model of Human Occupation, first published in 1980, which is the most widely used theory in OT research and practice today. This model aimed to explain how human occupation is motivated, patterned, and performed. It emphasizes that humans are complex and many factors contribute to human occupation, including the context or environment in which it takes place.    While Dr. Kielhofner is responsible for the foundation of this theory through his master thesis, it has been built upon my numerous others throughout the past few decades, evolving into what it is today. Just as OTs can work in a variety of settings and with many diagnoses, the Model of Human Occupation can be used for traumatic brain injury, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and dementia as well as in hospit...

   The Board Certification that interests me most is in the area of pediatrics. Of all my observation hours that I completed for the OT school application process, the pediatric hours stood out to me the most. Occupational Therapists play such an important role in the development of their pediatric clients as well as in the lives of the client's parents, which is such a unique opportunity to make a difference. I also completed an internship at a pediatric clinic during my undergraduate career, and over time was able to connect and build relationships with the children there. Kids bring an air of freshness into the room that can really alter other's perspectives about what is most important in life. Even in the midst of scary diagnoses or sever physical disabilities, there is a sense of lightheartedness and innocense in children that I think many adults could learn from.    An area that I specifically would love to work and specialize in is in pediatric oncology. Thi...