1. Abstract thinking: The student will develop abstract thinking skills to understand and apply concepts or ideas that are not concrete or directly observable. 2. Adaptive equipment and strategies: The student will learn to use adaptive equipment or strategies to accommodate physical or cognitive challenges and maximize independence in daily activities. 3. Assistive technology: The … Read more
Introduction TIME just released a poll on American’s perception of the healthcare system. From February to March 2023, 2519 people were surveyed. They assigned a letter grade to the US healthcare system overall: 10% – A grade 30% – B grade 34% – C grade 18% – D grade 8% – F grade This means … Read more
Why Not Behavioral in School In a recent blog post, I discussed the limitations of the rewards-based behavioral approach commonly used in schools. I highlight how relying solely on external incentives can have negative effects, such as a short-term focus, dependency on rewards, diminished interest in learning, unrealistic expectations, competition, narrow task focus, and a … Read more
In occupational therapy school, students learn about the behavioral approach for pediatrics and mental health. This approach is widely popular across different practices and beliefs from parenting to schools to the workplace. However, there are many potential problems with using a systematic rewards-based approach in schools for students and their learning, motivation, success, and growth. … Read more
Introduction In school occupational therapy, the delivery of services can be approached through two primary models: push-in and pull-out services. These models provide different ways of supporting students in achieving their therapy goals within the school environment. By understanding the characteristics and benefits of each model, occupational therapists can tailor their interventions to meet the … Read more
What is skilled occupational therapy? Introduction to Skilled Therapy Occupational therapy is a highly skilled profession and skilled therapy is important for occupational therapy practitioners (occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants) to understand as it affects how they choose the therapy they deliver, provide interventions, and even more importantly document and bill for them. First, … Read more
One helpful resource for occupational therapy practitioners, both occupational therapists and occupational therapy practitioners is using evidence-informed research for practice. However, OTPs often don’t have the time, knowledge, or energy to research approaches for conditions. Furthermore, staying on top best-practices for multiple conditions can be even more time-consuming. One of the benefits of becoming an … Read more
The term evidence-based practice (EBP) is now widely used, taught, and practiced. But should occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) accept EBP as the ‘gold standard’ for how we choose OT interventions? What are the downsides to EBP for a health profession like OT? What can we do instead? What should we use instead? The term evidence-based medicine … Read more
This post will use identify-first language, e.g., Autistic person, as the community overwhelmingly prefers this language, and the capital A is in accordance with APA recommendations. You may or may not have heard of the term ‘stimming’, which is a colloquial term for motor stereotyped behaviors such as finger-flicking, hand flapping, and rocking back and … Read more
This article will use identity-first language based on the community’s preference for such language in accordance with the APA’s recommendations. Introduction Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are one of the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The other core symptoms of autism include deficits in communication and social interaction. RRBs include stereotyped behaviors such … Read more