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Friday, November 16, 2012

Ways to Bully Proof your Child(ren) !

Listen
Did you know that 25% of public schools report that bullying among kids occurs on a daily or weekly basis? And that 1 in 5 high school students report being bullied in the past year?

The good news is that because bullying has made national headlines, schools and communities (and even celebrities) are taking a strong anti-bullying stance.

You can do your part at home, too. Here are five smart strategies to keep kids from becoming targets — and stop bullying that has already started:

Talk about it. Talk about bullying with your kids and have other family members share their experiences. If one of your kids opens up about being bullied, praise him or her for being brave enough to discuss it and offer unconditional support. Consult with the school to learn its policies and find out how staff and teachers can address the situation.

Remove the bait. If it's lunch money or gadgets that the school bully is after, you can help neutralize the situation by encouraging your child to pack a lunch or go to school gadget-free.
Buddy up for safety. Two or more friends standing at their lockers are less likely to be picked on than a child who is all alone. Remind your child to use the buddy system when on the school bus, in the bathroom, or wherever bullies may lurk.

Keep calm and carry on. If a bully strikes, a kid's best defense may be to remain calm, ignore hurtful remarks, tell the bully to stop, and simply walk away. Bullies thrive on hurting others. A child who isn't easily ruffled has a better chance of staying off a bully's radar.

Don't try to fight the battle yourself. Sometimes talking to a bully's parents can be constructive, but it's generally best to do so in a setting where a school official, such as a counselor, can mediate.


Source : http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/bully-proof.html#cat145



Tomorrow is the Rivalry game .. USC v. UCLA ...

Beat the bRUINS

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Giveaway!

Giveaway Number 1 is up and ready!
Read the rules below and follow instructions or your entry will not be valid!

  1. Comment on the giveaway below.
  2. Follow @ConfessionsOT
  3. Tweet about the giveaway include the twitter name (@ConfessionsOT)
  4. Follow the blog! 
I will generate a winner by placing everyone's comment number in random.org.

There will be three prize winners

Grand Prize : $25 Starbucks Gift Card
1st Runner Up : $15 Starbucks Gift Card
2nd Runner Up : $10 Starbucks Gift card

OT v. PT

We usually find inmates or institutions for disabled children or adults engrossed in some constructive activity. These activities are meant to keep them occupied. They undergo occupational therapy, that helps them to cope better with their 'special' problems. Sometimes, on account of a surgery or an injury, people undergo exercise, for the recovery of the affected body part. Such kind of therapy is physical therapy.

Occupational Therapy (OT)

According to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy (OT) is defined as a profession concerned with the promotion of health and well-being through occupation. There is a definite process that is followed by occupational therapists which is called the Occupational Therapy Process. The stages of this process include:
Referral
Information gathering
Initial assessment
Require problem identification
Goal setting
Action planning
Ongoing assessment
Revision of action
Outcome and outcome measurement
End of intervention or discharge
Review
Occupational Therapy is widely used in physical, mental, and community health settings.

Physical Health Aspects of OT: It is most closely associated with hospital-based occupational therapy for children, schools, and community. As OT delivers treatment through occupation, a therapy given to a child will differ from a therapy for an adult. This is because of the difference in the factors which keep both the age groups occupied. Among other factors, the most common conditions generating a need for OT services include autism, developmental disorders, fine motor development delays, and emotional and behavioral disturbances. OT also plays a significant role in case of a major traumatic injury. It helps to recover, as it facilitates early mobilization, restores function and prevents worsening of the patient's condition. In case of the aged, OT can actually help elderly people to lead a good life.

Mental Health Aspects of OT: OT in the field of mental health addresses issues of schizophrenia, drug addiction, mood disorders, dementia, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders. Small chores like keeping a daily planner, managing money, buildings social skills and increasing community participation are taught by the therapist to the patient with mental disorder.

Community based OT includes working with people in their environment (home or office). It could include day-care centers, schools, driving centers, shelters for the homeless, and refugee camps.

Physical Therapy (PT)

# Physical Therapy (PT), on the other hand, is concerned with providing services, where functions and movements are hampered by injury, disease, or environmental factors. It covers physical, social, psychological, and emotional well-being of an individual. Physical therapy is used to give maximum mobility and functional ability throughout the life of a person. Basically, it involves focusing on a specific part, which has undergone trauma, for example a fracture or a torn ligament and giving it certain kind of exercises. In the early days of physical therapy, it was only restricted to exercise, massage and traction.

# There are areas of specialization for physical therapists as well. They are Cardiopulmonary, Geriatric, Neurological, Orthopedic, Pediatric and Integumentary. It is usually performed by a trained physical therapist or an assistant physical therapist. Different countries have their different criteria for a person to be designated as a trained physical therapist.

# To provide a proper physical therapy, an individual's history and physical status is checked in order to come up with a diagnosis and plan a course of action by the physical therapists. It is practiced in various settings from offices to hospitals to rehabilitation centers, schools, fitness centers, and sports training facilities.

Note: Occupational therapy and physical therapy are very much related to each other, as they both solve the purpose of maintaining the health and fitness of the individual. Both of them strive to cover all the aspects of human health - psychological, mental, and physical. While occupational therapy focuses on restoring function, physical therapy focuses on restoring mobility in a patient.

In case of a mentally challenged individual experiencing an injury, these therapies working in tandem, can prove to be very helpful. In another situation, if a healthy person encounters an accident and that leads him to some mental disturbance, a combination of these two therapies will act in contributing to his or her overall health.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Daily OT Tip #1




Here is a cute, simply activity with Playdoh that works fine motor skills. The author seems to have a good many other interesting videos as well on her ChildCareLand YouTube Channel




Occupational Therapy Defined

What is Occupational Therapy?

Several individuals have heard about this profession, but don't fully comprehend what it actually is.

Occupational Therapy is COMPLEX , emphasis on the complex. 




What Is Occupational Therapy?... Technically, it is defined by the American Occupational Therapy Association executive board (1976) as: 

"The therapeutic use of work, self-care, and play activities to increase development and prevent disability. It may include adaptation of task or environment to achieve maximum independence and to enhance the quality of life." 

Wow, that is a mouthful! Let me try to break it down for you.

First, let's focus on the word "occupation", since it is THE basis for our professional "title". The dictionary definition of occupation is, "that which chiefly engages one's time, trade, profession, or business."
One's occupation can therefore be defined as the way in which we occupy our time. Thus, our time is divided into three categories of activities in which we take part daily:

  • Self-Care: sleeping, eating, grooming, dressing, and toileting
  • Work: effort that is exerted to do or make something, or perform a task
  • Leisure: free, unoccupied time in which one chooses to do something they enjoy (i.e., hobby, tv, socializing, sports, "chill out", read, write, listen to music, travel, etc.) 

    If you read these very carefully, you will see that any task or use of our time during the day fits into one of these three categories.
    This is critical to understand as our basis for the meaning of the term "occupation". It IS how we spend our time; whether paid or unpaid, restful or fun, obligation or choice and that which fulfills us, gives us purpose, and allows us to interact with, be productive, and function in the world around us to the best of our ability.
    Here is where the "therapy" comes in. If, at any point in our lives (whether present at birth or onset at a later time), illness, injury or disability prevents us from effectively or independently functioning in one or more "occupational" areas, then it is the job of Occupational Therapy to provide intervention which will help you regain function, maintain level of functioning, or make accommodations for any deficits you may be experiencing.
    It is our job, as an Occupational Therapist to figure out which areas are suffering and how we can assist that person in performing these activities in a more functional, successful and independent way.



  • Welcome All Occupational Therapist/Assistants!

    Welcome to my site fellow OT/OTA's!

    I will have it all from internships , resources , study materials and much more available. Furthermore , follow me on my journey as an OT student. I will include a button/sponsorships as my follower count increases.

    Hope to hear from you soon!

    -Breanna