As an Occupational Therapist, my career path has led me in several directions. As I noted on another page…

“ I graduated from the University of Florida (UF) in 1997 and am registered with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) with a license to practice in Florida. I started my career working with clients in the skilled nursing facility setting. In 2006, I began working for the local school system, providing therapy services and support to students from kindergarten through high school, with a wide variety of needs. In 2016, I returned to UF to earn a master of education degree in special education, with a certification in education-health care transition. This certificate combines my occupational therapy skills with strong knowledge about education, to support children in their functional needs for life skills and successful schooling, and to work with young adults as they transition from the K12 school setting to their chosen post-secondary goals. I love working with children and their families, and with teenagers and young adults that are taking the big steps involved in becoming adults and stepping into their new roles in life. In addition, I continue to provide therapy services to adults of various ages who working to return to their optimal functional level.”

So now my path is taking a new turn. I am working in my private practice, providing therapy in clients’ homes, in the community, or at an office location. I have considered this idea for quite some time but never took the steps to follow that pathway. I invite you to follow me during this endeavor!

My own personal career transition reminds me of what inspired all of this. When I work with students, we address their needs and wants. Sometimes, we talk about what they would like to do when they finish school. When I meet a client in the rehab hospital, one of my first questions is, “What is your goal for this time in therapy?” Sometimes people need extra help to be able to achieve their hopes and dreams. As an OT, I love providing support to children, young adults, adults of all ages to acquire improved skills, improved quality of life, and sometimes improved tools needed to overcome some obstacles.

When I was 21, I was in a car accident that nearly ended my life. I suffered a traumatic head injury, crushed 3 vertebrae (T3-T5), crushed both lungs, broke multiple bones in my trunk/upper body. I was in coma for 40 days. I was on life support. When I awoke from my coma, I had significantly impaired memory and word finding skills. My parents were advised that they may need to find long term care for me, as I would likely remain cognitively impaired. I received occupational therapy, physical therapy and many other services, in addition to support from my wonderful parents. I remember saying to the OTs, “You have a great job, you do great things”. That was in 1991. By 1997, I graduated from the University of Florida and became an Occupational Therapist, eager to help others address what issues they needed, to achieve their own hopes and dreams.

What are your goals? What do you daydream about achieving? I am eager to hear what is important to you.

As a private practitioner, I am enjoying providing therapy services in clients’ homes, in my office setting, in the community (also am available via teletherapy occupational therapy) and consultation/coaching services as needed to address functional activities and skills. These skills may include activities of daily living (self-care), life-skills, transition planning, executive function skills, health and wellness, fine motor skills, sensory needs, and more!

Currently, Treasure Coast OT is accepting private pay. The fee schedule is posted on the website. Also, the state of FL does not require a doctor’s order for Occupational Therapy to be provided. If plans are to submit documentation to your insurance for possible reimbursement, please obtain an order from your doctor for Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Treat.

In addition, please note: This page is not intended to be used for communication between our office and you regarding your or your child’s health. Please call or email my contact information, if you would like to discuss these.

I look forward to meeting you! Here we go!

I would love to know what YOU know and/or think about Occupational Therapy and OT Practitioners. In any answer, please do not share Protected Health Information; this is simply a survey so I can learn what my readers believe and/or know.

Thank you!- Katie

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1. What do you believe Occupational Therapy (OT) is?

2. Where do occupational therapists work?

3. Are you related to anyone who practices OT?

If so, where does he/she work?

4. Have you and/or a family member every received therapy from an OT?

Without providing their name or any specifics, please describe the setting where OT was provided.

Remember: do not include any Protected Health Information. https://www.hhs.gov/answers/hipaa/what-is-phi/index.html

5. Do you know the different specialties of practice in OT?

6. What do you wish you knew about OT?

7. What is your favorite item of knowledge/trivia about OT?

As an Occupational Therapist, my career path has led me in several directions. As I noted on another page…

“ A graduate of the University of Florida (UF) in 1997, registered with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) with a license to practice in Florida. Began career working with clients in the skilled nursing facility setting. In 2006, began working for the local school system, providing therapy services and support to students from kindergarten through high school, with a wide variety of needs. Earned a master of education degree in special education, with a specialized focus in education-health care transition. This certificate combines my occupational therapy skills with strong knowledge about education, to work with young adults as they transition from the K12 school setting to their chosen post-secondary goals. In addition, continue in rehab hospital working with adults of all ages to help them address and improve to their quality life and level of function.”

So now my path is taking a new turn. I am beginning a private practice to work with individuals that would like to address needs, provided in their home, in the community, or in a teletherapy platform. I have considered this idea for quite some time but never took the steps to follow that pathway. I invite you to follow me during this endeavor!

My own personal career transition reminds me of what inspired all of this. When I work with students, we address their needs and wants. We talk about what they would like to do when they finish school. When I meet a client in the rehab hospital, one of my first questions is, “What is your goal for this time in therapy?” Sometimes people need extra help to be able to achieve their hopes and dreams. As an OT, I love providing support to children, young adults, adults of all ages to acquire improved skills, improved quality of life, and sometimes improved tools needed to overcome some obstacles.

When I was 21, I was in a car accident that nearly ended my life. I suffered a traumatic head injury, crushed 3 vertebrae (T3-T5), crushed both lungs, broke multiple bones in my trunk/upper body. I was in coma for 40 days. I was on life support. When I awoke from my coma, I had significantly impaired memory and word finding skills. My parents were advised that they may need to find long term care for me, as I would likely remain cognitively impaired. I received occupational therapy, physical therapy and many other services, in addition to support from my wonderful parents. I remember saying to the OTs, you have a great job, you do great things. That was in 1991. By 1997, I graduated from the University of Florida and became an Occupational Therapist, eager to help others address what issues they needed, to achieve their own hopes and dreams.

What are your goals? What do you daydream about achieving? I am eager to hear what is important to you.

At this time, I work for the local school system full time and in a rehab hospital part time. As a private practitioner, I will be available weekdays, after school work hours, to provide in-home, community or teletherapy occupational therapy and consultation/coaching services as needed to address functional activities and skills to increase one’s independence. These skills may include activities of daily living (self-care), life-skills, transition planning, executive function skills, health and wellness, fine motor skills, and more!

Currently, Treasure Coast OT is currently accepting only private pay and out of network benefits. In addition, please note: This page is not intended to be used for communication between our office and you regarding you or your child’s health. Please call or email my contact information, if you would like to discuss these.

Here we go!

Many years ago, I was a marketing executive for a private organization. The slogan that attracted me to the business was, “Working from home and loving it“. I resigned from that position and returned to the profession that I trained for and am very proud to practice: Occupational Therapy! I share that to introduce our next topic… Since the middle of March,  my state (Florida) closed the school buildings to observe social distancing, observing CDC guidelines for safety, and I have been working from home! This has been a huge change into a NEW setting! With support from my school district leadership, I have entered the world of remote learning, virtual therapy, distance learning, …. call it what you will, but it is all new to me!

I have learned how to create a Canvas page for the students in my four schools that receive my OT services. (When I was in grad school, I was a Canvas student- now as the educator/school-based therapist, creating my own page, I have acquired an increased amount of respect for all my UF professors!!!)  I have learned how to use Canvas Conference to have virtual, face-to-face therapy sessions and sharing my screen with my students.  I have also used another virtual communication tool that was recommended by my district leadership. Very interesting (and fun!) to work with some of my students while their parents are usually present in the background.

I’ve had to write emails to some businesses and individuals and ask permission to use their copyrighted materials in sharing with my students and their families. If we were in the brick and mortar setting, I would print up the worksheets and we would complete them together. But since they are at home, I have to give them access to view and/or print on their own. I have to share with them to remember to honor the copyright of the work and not share with others. That is new.

In the classroom setting, my job often requires me to be in proximity with my students, helping them hold writing utensils/crayons, scissors, rulers functionally and correctly, address their balance if we are doing activities in standing, manipulating puzzle pieces and blocks, etc. It is NOT often that I am across the table looking at them. We usually sit next to each other, closely. OT is a very hands-on profession, most of the time. So determining how to facilitate these things or providing parents with instructions to fill  my role is very new, too.

I have been attending conference calls discussing with other professionals how to continue to prepare some of our young adults that are leaving the K12 system, entering the community, applying to continue education/training, looking for work, reviewing job skills, life skills, and so on. This is very complex, even more so now,  while we work until social distancing is relaxed. How do we prepare our young adults that need extra support- as we are leaning these new settings, also? Our team continues to address this and we are supporting our students.

SO many things that this topic brings to mind!

Here are some really nice things: I have exchanged emails with some of my high schoolers, asking me how I am and what I’m up to. We’ve had a few fun, nice conversations. One of my elementary students sent me a short video that she & her mother made,  to tell me she couldn’t wait to see me on Monday. I’ve had email conversations with a few of my parents that I don’t typically get to converse with during the regular school year. (I plan to maintain such relationships when we return to the school-building-setting!) I’ve seen a few of my schools create videos to share on daily announcements via social media or email delivery that are informative, happy and fun!

I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate more effectively with my colleagues. During the school year, we are all so busy and communicate quickly, in passing in the school building- this has provided us opportunity with TEAM conference sessions to talk and share with one another about topics that are really important.

In my time online, I have seen greatness in my school district – showing  the support and love that the educators and other professionals have for our students! I am so impressed and my respect for our teams has increased exponentially! Our district just jumped to it  and immediately provided tools, meals, services and support, without hesitation!
Notably: As the school year winds down, many of our high schoolers are graduating. Such a time to be out of school- missing the prom, end of year traditions, the graduation ceremony! This district I work in has gone above and beyond to celebrate with safe, social distancing practices- making congratulatory signs and presenting to them to put in their yards, cheering with horns and posters in all the neighborhoods, having a drive through prom (all dressed up!), having a district-wide drive through pep rally at the local mall with the whole town celebrating our students! I could go on- the events and celebrations are too extensive to list them all. But it has been wonderful and I hope our students will treasure the memories!

The immediate future is unclear regarding what we our next step will be. When will we return to the brick and mortar setting? Will our classes remain remote learning? Will therapy sessions continue to be provided virtually? I don’t know. But I look forward to growing with my students and their families, with my colleagues, with my school district. I am learning to put into practice new methods, new tools, new ideas. I hope to meet the needs of my students, their families, and their classroom educators.

I hope to continue to grow and to be a great OT! I truly, truly do!

I am re-reading an  OT textbook, Occupational Therapy for children and adolescents, 7th edition. I feel like doing jumping jacks and turning cartwheels because occupational therapy is such a great profession! =)

Of course, I started in chapter 25 Transition to Adulthood, written by some of my transition heroes! Note these important statements regarding the role OT needs to play on the transition team for our students.

Occupational therapy is included as a transition service when the transition team determines that occupational therapy can help the student access, participate in, and benefit from his or her specialized education and transition services.
The occupational therapist’s positive, future-oriented view of students combines a commitment to student-centered services, collaborative team-work, and achievement of performance and participation outcoming, making him or her a valuable addition to a student’s transition team.
Importantly, occupational therapy outcomes completely align with the intent of IDEA and the goals for student participation in work and community, as defined by the transition team.
Occupational therapy, when added to the mix of transition services, can make a real difference in the lives of young people when goals and dreams include some combination of post-high school employment, community living, further education or training, economic self-sufficiency, and social connection (Cleary, D., Persch, A., & Spencer, K., 2015, p. 728)

As an OT in secondary-school, some of my students have needed support in practicing completing job applications (online and on paper), addressing their organizational skills, increasing activity tolerance/attention skills to ensure task completion, learning to follow a job-task visual schedule, improving functional money skills, improving motor skills identified as necessary in an activity analysis, developing soft skills for employment, and the list goes on.

That may even include practicing to personalize  a signature to sign their IEP or job application when appropriate! Some students have job-coaches that take them off campus to work sites (I do not have that privilege yet due to my work schedule on campus!); their job-coaches and I may discuss what skills are difficult for them on site and I work on some of those skills at school. There are so many possibilities and needs to address with the students, to help prepare them to transition onto their next life role. Occupational therapy has such broad scope that it is possible to support the students and their teams in identifying and addressing a variety of these needs. Goals are identified for students’  transition services section on their IEP; sometimes the student and his or her team would benefit from OT support to assist in addressing those goals to enable success. What an exciting role to have, to work with the student and his or her team to help achieve their hopes and dreams!

Cleary, D., Persch, A., & Spencer, K. (2015) Chapter 25 Transition to adulthood. In Case-Smith, J., & Clifford O’Brien, J. (Eds.).  Occupational Therapy for children and adolescents, 7th edition. St. Louis, MO; Elsevier, Mosby.

When I started my most recent study (Master of Education in Special Education, with Certification in Education-Health Care Transition Planning) in 2013, I was not prepared for the variety of topics I would discover that are important in education. I believed I would do a good study and determine what needed to be done in transition planning  and just begin to do it. In the courses I took at the University of Florida (online) and all the information I have discovered on social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.) my awareness has increased! I learn from other Occupational Therapy (OT) practitioners, I learn from classroom teachers, I learn from administrators, I learn from other education professionals, and so forth. I’ve seen the need to increase and improve transition planning for our students, the need to address Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for all students, the need and  availability of assistive technology …. actually there are too many needs to try to list them all.
There is so much information, so many ideas, and so many amazing individuals/teams doing great things that it is hard to determine WHAT should be talked about next.  I am an OT by profession, I work in education by trade, I am involved in the lives of students with a variety of diagnoses, skill levels, hopes and dreams. Not only do I work directly with the students that have OT services designated on their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), but I also interact with their families and classmates and friends.
I started this online journal with the intent to discuss what I am doing to improve my role in transition planning. As I grow in my constant research, discuss with my peers in person and online, and collaborate with my colleagues at work, I have written very little.  I would really rather like to talk to others: what do you think of this idea; look at this amazing article I found on Twitter; how should I present this idea to a student or his/her family, “read this”!

So I am taking another step with this site, my blog. I’m going to share with my readers ideas related to how I am working; topics I find on other blogs, Twitter and other social media; topic related to OT, education, UDL, lifeskills; and so forth. I’ve done that a bit but not consistently because I have had the idea that it was more important for me to be the author. In my work and studies, I have acquired the good skill of researching and citing appropriately using the APA (American Psychological Association) method. I look forward to you, my readers, responding and providing your thoughts on the information I share. I will make personal observations and I will share how I use these ideas in my professional role. I may ask questions, hoping for your ideas.
In my life, I often discuss the need to help students achieve their lives’ hopes and dreams. My personal hopes and dreams include making a difference in that, as an OT practitioner and professional working in the field of education. While I am working to pursue that, I look forward to your observation and input.

Universal design for learning (UDL) addresses accesses to learning and the curriculum for all students, not just those identified as having disabilities (Post, 2015).

I am researching UDL and am expanding my knowledge a great deal!  As an Occupational Therapist that works in the school system, my focus usually tends to be on students that have been identified with special needs. However, I know that my role also includes supporting students and consulting with professionals to enable success for all in the setting.  I intend to share my research as I go along, but I am here to ask for input from readers of this online journal. What do you see that enables success for many students, that levels the playing field?  Please share any tools, programs, and/or support that you have observed that have helped a student (or something that helped YOU!).  I look forward to your response!

Thanks, Katie

Reference:

Post, K. M. (2015).  Occupational Therapy and Universal Design for Learning, American Occupational Therapy Association. Retrieved from  https://www.aota.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/AboutOT/Professionals/WhatIsOT/CY/Fact-Sheets/UDL%20fact%20sheet.pdf

Disability in demand: People with autism offer employers a broader talent pool

Interesting article! Look for this quote from the article- very inspiring!  –>

“I look at it as a win-win-win. We win because we get great innovative thinkers. They win, they start a joy-filled life full of confidence.”- John Sicard, CEO of Kinaxis, a software company based in Ottawa.

My most recent educational endeavor completed! (Read my last entry)

Master of Education (Special Education)
Certificate in Education and Health Care Transition

No time to relax, as now I’m re-reading my textbooks related to the topic I focused my studies on, my passion. Reading them slowly, getting much out of them now that I’m not hurrying to get all my assignments completed. 🙂
My aim and my goal with this degree was to increase my knowledge related to education (specifically special education) and my knowledge regarding how to use my role as the Occupational Therapist at the secondary schools where I work, to assist students and families in their planning and preparation for what each student wants to do after he or she graduates and what is most beneficial for each student in his or her post-graduation role in life: post-secondary education, vocational training, joining the workforce, and/or becoming an active member of their community.
My current role in the schools includes working with students that have educationally relevant Occupational Therapy (OT) needs: Individualized Education Program (IEP) goal or goals that need the support of OT as a related service to improve his or her ability to achieve that goal. When a student is in secondary schools (age 14 or 16, depending on one’s location), his or her IEP includes a transition planning portion and establishes measurable postsecondary goals-

Measurable postsecondary goals specify the student’s plans for life after high school. They reflect the student’s current thinking and may change over time as the student matures. The IEP contains a measurable postsecondary goal or goals for the student in education/training, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills. (Next Steps NH, 2015)

So that indicates that a student’s measurable postsecondary goal is as educationally relevant as his or her annual long term goals established on the IEP. Therefore, students that receive Occupational Therapy services benefit from support to address that measurable postsecondary goal. My goal is to work with the student and the rest of the IEP team to address every goal (that is relevant to Occupational Therapy) to increase my students’ success in the educational setting and his or her postsecondary planning.

These are the textbooks I am currently re-reading:

Flexer, R., Baer, R., Luft, P. & Simmons, T. (2013). Transition planning for secondary students with disabilities (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Lollar, D. (2010). Launching into adulthood. Baltimore, MD: Brooks Publication.

Sitlington, P., Neubert, D., Clark, G. (2010). Transition Education and Services. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson 5th Edition.

As I work in my schools and then return home to read my books, I am frequently reminded of  ideas that I need to use in my work with students, I need to share with professional colleagues, or I need to include in my documentation. All for the good of my students.
I look forward to sharing discoveries I locate in my textbooks. I also welcome any recommended reading and/or ideas others would like to share.
Talk soon!
Reference:

Next Steps NH. (2015). Measureable postsecondary goals. Retrieved from http://nextsteps-nh.org/transition-iep-requirements/measurable-postsecondary-goals/

On August 5,  I will graduate from the University of Florida College of Education! I will have completed my Master of Education in Special Education with certification in Education-Health Care Transition Specialty.  Two years ended with a new chapter to begin.

While I have been on this study, I have continued to work full time as Occupational Therapist for the school district in which I live. I love my job! My students are so important to me, as are my colleagues and coworkers. I have great respect for the leadership at my schools as well as the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) department. People been very encouraging and supportive, listening to me share what I’ve been learning and my ideas to implement, tools to use, ways to expand and “do this” & “do that”- all to support our students! I am grateful for the patience and tolerance provided.

I look forward to continuing my quest.  I look forward to taking steps in support of my students and their families as they grow and prepare for transition to the  paths they choose.  As I no longer have required reading and assignments, my time for chosen reading and exploration has expanded.   I plan to use this site to share with you what I continue to learn. It is truly amazing, the knowledge that is available through books, the internet, social media, professional development/continuing education, and conversations! I will share links to pages available online as well as share ideas resulting from what happens in my day-to-day and professional life.

I love being an Occupational Therapist; I love working in education. I am so blessed to work in this setting. Both fields have the capacity to change lives.  Changing lives for the better is my goal. Inspiring others to change lives for the better is a goal of mine, also. Let’s work together to help our children and young adults in their success.