...KEY WORDS discriminant analysis handwriting occupational therapy child validation studies In this study we sought to validate the discriminant ability of the Evaluation Tool of Children’s Handwriting– Manuscript in identifying children in Grades 2–3 with handwriting difficulties and to determine the percentage of change in handwriting scores that is consistently detected by occupational therapists. Thirty-four therapists judged and compared 35 pairs of handwriting samples. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to determine (1) the optimal cutoff values for word and letter legibility scores that identify children with handwriting difficulties who should be seen in rehabilitation and (2) the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in handwriting scores. Cutoff scores of 75.0% for total word legibility and 76.0% for total letter legibility were found to provide excellent levels of accuracy. A difference of 10.0%–12.5% for total word legibility and 6.0%–7.0% for total letter legibility were found as the MCID. Study findings enable therapists to quantitatively support clinical judgment when evaluating handwriting. Brossard-Racine, M., Mazer, B., Julien, M., & Majnemer, A. (2012). Validating the use of the Evaluation Tool of Children’s Handwriting–Manuscript to identify handwriting difficulties and detect change in school-age children. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 66, 414–421. http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2012.003558 ...
Words: 4774 - Pages: 20
...J A Collaborative Approach to Fall Prevention By ANGELA MERRETT, PATRICIA THOMAS, ANNE STEPHENS, ROLA MOGHABGHAB and MARILYN GRUNEIR The four partner organizations formally recognized their commitment and shared vision through a letter of agreement, which specified a framework, definitions and terms for their respective roles and responsibilities. The letter of agreement was intended to foster a sense of belonging among the group and identify leadership and governance for the project. The two site coordinators were responsible for preparing and coordinating the ethical review applications and letters of support. The team decided to use the existing practices of community service providers. To facilitate referrals of participating patients, the team first identified the existing service pathways. The hospital medical director distributed an overview document to inform emergency department physicians of the project, and the clinical nurse specialist reviewed the referral process, protocols and documentation with nursing staff. ore than ever, health-care providers need to communicate with each other to stay informed about the services clients receive. Working in collaboration is essential to the delivery of effective, efficient and timely care (D'Amour, Ferrada-Videla, San Martin Rodriguez, & Beaulieu, 2005; Interprofessional Care Steering Committee, 2007). We all had roles on the Geriatric Emergency ManagementFalls Intervention Team (GEM-FIT) project, which was aimed...
Words: 3372 - Pages: 14
...To be diagnosed with a chronic disease during a person’s life span is difficult to cope with, as changes must be made to roles, occupations and activities undertaken in daily life. At the age of 21, Jessica was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, MS, which is a chronic autoimmune disorder that is caused by the breakdown of myelin in the central nervous system. As a result of the MS, Jessica has had to change and modify many of the occupations, which she participates in, such as personal care and socializing. Not only has the Multiple Sclerosis affected Jessica herself but is has also had an impact on her relation with family and friends. The environment that Jessica lives in had both enable and limited her to adapting to aspects of the illness. The nature and prognosis of the disability: As stated in the introduction, Jessica suffers from Multiple Sclerosis or MS, for short. MS is the body’s own immune system attacking the neurons in the brain and spinal cord (MS Australia, 2005). So far, Doctors have found about four different types of Multiple Sclerosis ; relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis, secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis, primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis, and relapsing progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis is characterized by unpredictable relapse and new symptoms appearing or the existing ones becoming worse. Secondary Multiple Sclerosis is seen in those who have relapse-remitting Multiple Sclerosis and they develop a...
Words: 1364 - Pages: 6
...Why do you choose OT as your career? Hi everyone, I have never written a Personal essay before and this is the only part I am missing to complete my application. I need help please!! I became occupational therapist assistance first because I wanted to make sure this is what I would like to do. "Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." This quote by William James has such as strong significance for me, mostly because I truly believe that no matter how a person helps another; you can have the opportunity to make a positive impact on that person's life. This is why I want to pursue a career in the field of Occupational Therapy; because I would like to make a difference in someone's life. I have always had a desire to help others, I completed my cota degree and I was preparing to apply for my social worker degree, but for some reason I decided to wait, partly because I had a feeling that I needed to make sure that the career I was choosing, truly reflected on who I am as a person and my professional aspirations. I had never heard of occupational therapy until I started working in an Early Intervention program and also had a very personal experience that allowed me to discover such a life-changing career. Last year my grandfather suffered from a fall, which resulted with a fractured light dementia. My grandfather, who had suffered from several fall previously. My grandfather has always been my hero, serving in the Military as a general doctor for many years,...
Words: 698 - Pages: 3
...information remains daunting. Similarly, employers attempting to assist the process are often awed by the extent of collaborations involved in integrating employees with mental health issues back to work as well as concern about compliance with human rights legislation. Needed accommodations in terms of approach to the work itself are often simple; however substantiating the need for adjustments is more complex. This case study introduces a model to support the development of shared goals and shared understandings for return to work (RTW) among workers with mental health concerns, employers, co-workers and therapists. The model of occupational competence is used as a basis to guide dialogue, identify challenges and generate solutions that take into consideration a worker’s preferences, sensitivities, culture and capacities in relationship to the occupational demands in a given workplace environment. A case study is used to demonstrate the potential utility of the model in assisting stakeholders to strengthen collaborations and partnering to achieve a shared understanding of worker and workplace needs. 1. Introduction Disclosure of mental health issues in the workplace is influenced by multiple factors including intrinsic and extrinsic issues. While there is legislation that protects a worker’s right not to disclose health information in the workplace, some workers may want to share aspects of their challenges....
Words: 4133 - Pages: 17
...Professional Regulation’s for Occupational Therapy In Mississippi Occupational therapists provide skilled care to clients of all ages with dysphasia. Occupational therapists are trained professional that help individuals achieve independence in all aspects of their lives. A few of the health conditions that benefit from occupational therapy include: work-related injuries including lower back problems, limitations following a stroke or heart attack, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or other serious chronic conditions, birth injuries, learning problems, or developmental disabilities, mental health or behavioral problems including Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress, problems with substance use or eating disorders, burns, spinal cord injuries, or amputations, broken bones or other injuries from falls, sports injuries, or accidents and vision or cognitive problems that threaten the ability to drive. For you to be a licensed Occupational Therapist, you have to submit an application for licensure at least thirty days prior to any admissions to work in any facility. Various educational requirements serve as a qualification to a career as a physical therapist. A person must earn a minimum of two degrees from accredited universities, perform volunteer service and comply with certification requirements to complete the educational requirements toward a career in physical therapy. First, the interested person must complete an undergraduate degree with either a...
Words: 728 - Pages: 3
...Curriculum Paper Lisa Lester ECE205 Introduction to Child development Brigit Fowler April 22, 2012 Developmental Delay can be easily detected by many if ones pay close attention to the growth and milestone stages within children. There are different things that cause a child to be delayed such as Genetics, if a child is born with a form of abnormalities in the chromosomes they could have Down syndrome for which they would have not only cosmetic problems but, it can cause them to have some other complications with speech, cognitive and motor skills. Another risk factor could be due to their environment whether it is lack of maternal care, exposure to toxins (drugs or lead); another thing could be if the mother has HIV or AIDs it passes to the fetus. Medical Professionals have said that infants born with fetal alcohol syndrome also suffer delay. Children with Delays are not always born with them, there are times that delays are due to a trauma at different ages, example could be a child is beaten and suffers brain trauma the end result can be brain damage for which they will have delays. There could be an accident for which a child endures serious injuries and are put in a medical coma, with that a child could suffer long term damage. Many things play a big part in a child having developmental delays. In order to effectively address a delayed child’s needs, an instructor must first know what area of development that child needs help...
Words: 1130 - Pages: 5
...A PLAN FOR SUCCESS IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAM Introduction Occupational therapy can best be defined as the dynamic, developing healthcare profession that deals with people in their ways of regaining skills required for the everyday occupations of life. For a very long time have had the desire to achieve my dreams in occupational therapy as my profession. I am well equipped with creativity, flexibility and task solving skills to aid people in solving their every day’s life challenges they get involved in. Occupational therapy program is quite involving and needs good strategies for one to be successful in the entire program and become a professional occupational therapists a lot of sacrifices need to be in place. My paper essay focusses on analysis of my plans to be successful if given an admission to the program. Content To be successful in the occupational therapy program have equipped myself with a range set objectives to help me reinforce my skills. Have ensured that my interest in promoting health and wellbeing is with respect to occupation. I have plans to demonstrate compassion, integrity, sensitivity and concern for others, have also acquired the abilities to be well conversant with theoretical knowledge and technical application of effective skills to ensure am in a conducive environment to work together with my fellow peers, colleagues as well as clients. I have plans of exploiting my respect of individuality and diversity, show good interpersonal skills work together...
Words: 853 - Pages: 4
...Psych 640 week 3 Individual VISUAL AND VERBAL IMAGERY paper Write a 500- to 700-word magazine article that discusses visual and verbal imagery. Include the following in your article: A contrast of verbal and visual imagery An argument about which of these you consider most important A justification of your argument with research Include at least three scholarly peer-reviewed articles, in addition to the course text. Imaginations allow individuals to use information and construct his or her own ideas. For example, individuals can imagine what his or her dream home looks like. This individual can see the home and describe what the home looks like. Anderson (2010) defined mental imagery as the processing of perceptual information without an external source. Visual imagery is the brain’s way of processing information as if the individual is actually seeing it; whereas, verbal imagery is the processing of information as if the individual is saying or describing the information. Visual and verbal imagery can use cognitive maps to make sense of his or her environment. A careful analysis of visual and verbal imagery allows an individual to draw conclusions about which form of imagery is important to them. Types of Imagery Visual Imagery Visual imagery is activated within the individual’s occipital cortex area (Fery, 2003). Motor actions require individuals to assess the size and shape of objects; thus, visual imagery provides the positions and movements associated with these tasks (Fery...
Words: 1136 - Pages: 5
...On the last activity, I took the work value sorter on the College Foundation of North Carolina website. It gave me three important work values that I felt confident about; however, there were others that I felt more confident about. On the website it mentioned achievement, recognition, and relationships which is great, but that only affects me. I feel like these three work values are very important because in therapy your not just alone, you have your patients. The three most important work values are creativity, learning, personal growth and relationship. Being an Occupational Therapist you work with people everyday. Some people are already giving up because they are tired of trying. However, having these three work values will make a different....
Words: 297 - Pages: 2
...therapist assistants are constantly working alongside others in order to make patient recovery go smoothly. One profession in particular that goes hand in hand with physical therapy in many cases is occupational therapy. Occupational therapists work with people who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling.1 They are trained to help people either develop, relearn, or maintain how to perform daily living tasks.1 In order to become an occupational therapist or an assistant, a license is required in all fifty states in the US, and the...
Words: 863 - Pages: 4
...When an individual starts to experience difficulty, due to health complications, it can be difficult to complete their daily events, activities, and their occupations. An occupation is central to a client’s identity, sense of competence and it has particular meaning and value to the client; it consists of the things that people do to occupy their time (AOTA, 2014). Assistive technology (AT) is used to support a client's’ ability to engage in an occupation, or in their environment (AOTA, 2014). As Occupational Therapists (OTs) we often provide adaptive equipment to foster participation in the environment. Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) aims to promote the health and wellbeing of people with disabilities by increasing their access to technology. (RESNA, 2016). As a profession that helps in rehabilitation both of the vision of OT and RESNA align together. RESNA has an official multi-disciplinary journal about AT for people with disabilities. This would be an informative resource for ways to promote AT equipment use amongst people with disabilities, and about effective educational programming for therapists. It is necessary to ensure the training provided to therapists is adequate and such a journal could be very helpful....
Words: 454 - Pages: 2
...going to happen to my grandfather’s life, the words cut like daggers. My cousins and I watched our parents bewail with sorrow as we just sat aside our grandfather’s hospital bed feeling helpless and confused. About a month went by while my grandfather was still in John Muir, and his progress was nothing to rave about. We would visit him daily, but he never seemed to be getting much better. He couldn’t eat, talk, or move, but we just reminded him to keep fighting and we knew, with hope, he would be able to make a substantial recovery. When my grandfather was dismissed from the John Muir hospital in Walnut Creek, he moved into the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Leandro. While in San Leandro, he started to receive more intense therapy, his recovery was slow but we started seeing improvements; he was able to eat solid food, without a pump, began to talk again. While visiting my...
Words: 2407 - Pages: 10
...Managing Mobility After a Total Knee Replacement November 15, 2011 INTRODUCTION In Kindred Rehabilitation, the patient had a total knee replacement due to osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis causes degenerative changes, within the joints causing bone stiffening and reactive inflammation. My patient was admitted on 10/21/11 with osteoarthritis and a left total knee replacement. Her PT and INR were a concern because she had developed mild thrombocytopenia which resulted in the elevation and potential bleeding. The physician had to take her off of Lovenox and switch her to an oral anti-coagulant Xarelto at 10mg once daily. During her care I was educated by the interdisciplinary teams managing mobility, safety, and the more modern approaches with a total knee replacement. The purpose of this clinical summary paper is to discuss managing mobility after a total knee replacement. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE In seeking out information on this topic, I used the Amarillo College Library Network and CINAHL database on campus and opened as many articles that I believed would aid in my research. The words I used for searching were: TKR, total knee care, and managing total knee replacement. The contributing factors gave me the articles that related to my patient that I had cared for in clinicals. These searches took me to the information that I was in need of for my paper. Turner’s (2011) primary focus was about care prior to surgery, during, post-operatively...
Words: 1885 - Pages: 8
...women. Showing compassion, commitment and dedication in serving the patients are also being offered as a product of their service as well as being responsible and being held as accountable in any circumstances. VSMMC-Center for Behavioral Sciences is for in and out patients. Services for in-patients are being offered in the Psychiatric Center also known as their Psychiatric ward where patients catered commonly has Schizophrenia, Bipolar I and II, Substance abuse disorder. There are many philosophies, theoretical approach and framework of reference used by the center. Their viewpoints states that the institution provides comprehensive, accessible and quality services for all social status. Some of these frameworks of reference used by Occupational Therapists in the center are Object relations FOR, behavioral FOR, Life span development FOR, Model of human occupation FOR, Movement centered FOR, Cognitive disability FOR, Cognitive-Behavioral FOR and Holistic FOR to name such. It...
Words: 697 - Pages: 3
