Psychology
Based on the information provided about Melissa and her performance skills complete the following;
List three areas that the occupational therapy services should address within the school environment.
The three occupational therapy services to be addressed within the school environment include the physical therapy, speech, and mental therapy. The three services help in addressing the three main points of need according to Melissa’s condition.
Design age-appropriate occupation-based activities that address each of the areas identified above.
The age-appropriate activities for the areas include exercise for the physical therapy, speech lessons for speech therapy and questionnaires for mental therapy. Each therapy helps in addressing the various areas of need for Melissa’s condition.
List strategies that OTA could provide to the regular education and learning support teachers to be used in the classroom to help Melissa adapt and accommodate to classroom activities and routines.
The Occupational Therapy Assistants should use strategies that appear fun and entertaining for Melissa because she is young and jovial. The strategies include using games and children’s music because it helps in keeping Melissa entertained and motivated to work accordingly.
What are some of the unique contributions the OTA can provide to Melissa and the team?
Some unique contributions from the OTA to Melissa and the team would be the introduction of new students with special needs. The introduction of new members helps Melissa accept her status and adjust easily.
There is a change in Melissa’s status and she has been declining in overall performance. The teacher asks the OTA for major adjustments to the type of intervention currently being provided. What should the OTA do?
In the case that Melissa’s condition appears to decline, the OTA should have major adjustment strategies for Melissa. The main adjustments would be the increase in time spent in therapy by addressing the major issues as the priority.
This is the second year that the OTA has been practicing in this school. What would be the reasonable supervisory expectations from the OT?
Expectations for the Occupational Therapist are that he or she knows how to address the supervisory aspects such as service competency, collaboration and evaluation and intervention strategies (Wagenfeld & Kaldenberg, 2005). The three aspects help in ensuring that occupational therapy services are conducted effectively for both the child as well as the parents.
Develop a professional development plan for the OTA to establish service competency
A development plan that helps in service competency would include the recruitment of Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants based on their level of knowledge in the procedures. The plan should also ensure the occasional monitoring and evaluation of the skills and techniques used by the therapists and the assistants.
APPLICATION ACTIVITY
4. Using the language and concepts described in the Occupational Therapy Framework: Domain and Process, answer the following: If a child had deficits in the performance skills of strength and effort, coordination and temporal organization, how might the following areas of occupation be impacted:
Dressing to go outside – The judgment on how to wear various parts of an outfit may be wrong and some may even consider being undressed.
Taking a tub bath – the lack of proper coordination and strength may cause the child to drown in the tub.
Going through a cafeteria line – the temporal organization makes the child unaware of the human organization according to the cafeteria line.
Playing cooperatively in a sandbox with a friend – Lack of proper coordination and temporal organization appears hard for the child to create a sandbox effectively with a friend.
References
Wagenfeld, A., & Kaldenberg, J. (Eds.). (2005). Foundations of the pediatric practice for the occupational therapy assistant. Slack Incorporation.
