Student Blog
What are OS/OT?

Cardboard Creativity ⟩
November 14, 2016, by Jessica

Classes What are OS/OT?

Hello again!

As you may have noticed from my past few posts about the pediatrics course, it is very hand-on and interactive. Each week our professors try to make the content come to life for us, so it really makes the material stick. This past week, we focused on learning about adaptive seating and mobility devices (i.e., walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, etc.) especially built for children with disabilities. As you may have predicted, customized adaptive seating and mobility devices are REALLY expensive, and children often quickly grow out of their devices. What’s amazing is that there are organizations out there that specialize in building adaptive devices out of cardboard, since it is both cost-effective and customizable. I know what you’re thinking — cardboard, really?  It sounds like it would be flimsy, but these professionals have found ways to reinforce the cardboard so it is sturdy and durable. Check out Adaptive Design Association, if you’re interested in learning more about this! They have some cool videos in their learning library for each step they take to make customized equipment with cardboard.

In the spirit of creativity (and competition), our professor asked us to choose any piece of equipment in the classroom and adapt it for a child with disabilities — using cardboard. After building it, we had to “sell it” by presenting an infomercial. These infomercials were hilarious, to say the least. Here’s a photo of my team’s adaptive design — we decided to adapt a scooter board by adding a cardboard back and strap in front for trunk support. Since this is for a child, we decided to add some fun decorations to make it look like a submarine, aka the “USS Chan.”

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Feed Me! ⟩
November 7, 2016, by Jessica

Classes What are OS/OT?

This past week in pediatrics, we discussed OT’s role in feeding intervention. I knew OTs were involved in feeding, however I didn’t realize how common it is for OTs to address feeding in all types of pediatric settings — hospital, clinics, schools, etc. This can truly be a specialty area of practice, and you can get Advanced Practice in swallowing and feeding in the state of CA. In fact, one of our elective courses, OT 575 Dysphagia Across the Lifespan, counts for 24 of the 45 recommended hours of continuing education to obtain this advanced practice certification!

In lab, we were asked to practice feeding one another these kid-friendly foods, and analyze the different motor movements we were using while eating these foods of various textures. Also, it was a good opportunity to try baby food for the first time. Figured it might be a good idea to try something I would be feeding to someone else. What I learned: baby food takes like cold soup.

Trying new foods and going out to eat with friends and family is one of my favorite occupations. Food has always been a very communal experience for me. Growing up, my family would always eat our meals together around the table, and family get-togethers would always revolve around food.  Nowadays, meal times are opportunities to reflect on the day with my fiancé or to reunite and connect with old friends. I love going out to eat at new restaurants to try food from different cultures. As a typically-developing human being who has never had issues with feeding or meal times, I take for granted that it is not always this easy for everyone.

This is where OTs come in — we can help children who have difficulties with feeding so that they can participate during family mealtimes. Whether it’s working on oral motor skills or getting children to eat a greater variety of foods, we have a pivotal role in helping families make mealtime a little more enjoyable.

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Play All Day ⟩
November 1, 2016, by Jessica

Classes What are OS/OT?

Hey everyone!

I apologize for being offline for a while — things have been so busy this semester with midterms and events! I wanted to update you all about another one of the awesome resources we have here at USC — our pediatric therapy gym! We are so lucky to have the equipment and resources to be able to practice what we’re learning in an interactive, hands-on way.

A few weeks ago we had our Sensory Integration lecture and lab, where we got to learn about the theory behind Sensory Integration therapy and interventions we could use during treatment. For those of you who don’t know what Sensory Integration therapy is, it is both a theory and intervention based on USC alum’s Jean Ayres’ work. It focuses on how a child’s body integrates sensory information (vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile) in order to navigate their environment effectively. Through Sensory Integration therapy, the goal is to facilitate an adaptive response, which is a successful goal-oriented action on the environment. For some children with sensory issues, their bodies and brains may not be integrating the sensory information from their environment effectively or efficiently, which can affect a child’s ability to participate in their occupations, such as play.

This is what I love about OT — what looks like “play” is so much more complex and layered than what it seems. And as OTs, we can use play as a means and ends in our treatment sessions with children, since play is one of their main occupations!

Here are some photos from our Sensory Integration lab, where we actually got to jump on all of the equipment and try it out for ourselves! Doesn’t it look like hard work?

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Be a Bookworm! ⟩
October 27, 2016, by Kimmy

School/Life Balance What are OS/OT?

One of my favorite occupations is reading. In my spare time, there are few things I find as comforting as curling up with a good non-textbook book in one hand and maybe a warm latte in the other. Keep on reading to hear about some of my recent reads with OT themes . . .

After completing the adult rehabilitation immersion, I found myself intrigued by first-hand accounts of people living with physical disabilities. During the summer, I read “Stroke of Insight” by Jill Bolte Taylor, whose story has now become a widely-viewed TED talk. As a neuroanatomist, Dr. Jill provides a unique perspective of her cognitive impairments in real time while she experiences a stroke herself. The book details the cerebrovascular accident itself, as well as her long path to recovery.

In addition to exploring non-fiction, I have become a fan of novels that capture the disability or different-ability experience. Jodi Picoult has been a long-time favorite of mine, as her books cover controversial and profound topics. She evidently devotes a great deal of effort to researching the conditions and situations presented in her novels. Her books have covered a range of illnesses and disabilities that OTs may be interested in, from pediatric leukemia and organ donation in My Sister’s Keeper, to osteogenesis imperfecta in Handle with Care, to Asperger’s Syndrome in House Rules. Similarly, Lisa Genova has found a niche within the disability fiction genre. So far, I have read Left Neglected, about the effects of a traumatic brain injury. I also read Love Anthony, which involves a story about autism, among other emotional themes. Both authors have discussed the extensive research necessary to accurately write about different conditions and the effects they may have.

One of my ultimate goals is to be a lifelong learner. I find reading to be one way to constantly continue learning — outside the classroom walls, beyond graduation. Both non-fiction and fiction books are capable of presenting disabilities and life circumstances through new perspectives. The more we consume the words of others, the better we are able to construct our own thoughts. The better we construct our thoughts, the more effectively we serve clients. I definitely believe the best way to open your mind is to open the cover and start flipping those pages!

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Happy World OT Day! ⟩
October 27, 2016, by Alyssa

Videos What are OS/OT?

Greetings! Hola! Bonjour! Ciao! 你好! Today we locally, nationally, and internationally celebrate our wonderful profession and all of the work that we do! Fight on!

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