Just to let you know there is a big decline of PTs in the schools. There are a lot of schools who are barrier free and the population is different were working on transfers and traditional treatments will not be goals. The goals are school based. We must evaluate how their skills are affecting their school performance and develop treatments to improve school related skills. OT's tend to work on fine motor, visual perceptual/motor, handwriting, typing, strengthening, following directions, ect. Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
-----Original Message----- From: Ron Carson <rdcar...@otnow.com> Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:30:32 To: Mary Alice Cafiero<OTlist@OTnow.com> Subject: Re: [OTlist] A New One Why does school OT limit itself to the UE? Why don't they address transfers, mobility, toileting, eating, etc? What does PT do in school systems? ----- Original Message ----- From: Mary Alice Cafiero <m...@mac.com> Sent: Sunday, August 23, 2009 To: OTlist@OTnow.com <OTlist@OTnow.com> Subj: [OTlist] A New One MAC> Mary, MAC> That has been my experience with school system therapy as well. Goals MAC> have to be based on the educational goals for the school year. In MAC> fact, in one district near me, the OT no longer makes separate goals. MAC> Instead they look at the educational goals for the semester or 6 weeks MAC> and sign on to the ones that OT can help with. Sometimes ADLs can be MAC> addressed, but it usually has to be a Life Skills type classroom and MAC> not a mainstream classroom for these goals. Visual perception, eye/ MAC> hand coordination as well as fine motor are often addressed. MAC> Since education is the primary focus, therapy (all three) tends to MAC> take a backseat role to the academic objectives. MAC> It is definitely a different world than medical model. MAC> Does anyone remember the old fable of the blind men being asked to MAC> feel and then describe the elephant they are feeling? Each man is only MAC> given one area of the elephant to feel (i.e. the trunk, ears, tail), MAC> so each has a very different idea of what an elephant is. Seems to me MAC> that OT is similar. Depending on the piece you have been exposed to, MAC> you have a different interpretation of what OT is. None are MAC> necessarily wrong, but none actually get the whole picture either. MAC> How is that for different? Anyone ever compared our profession to an MAC> elephant before? <smile> MAC> Mary Alice MAC> Mary Alice Cafiero, MSOT/L, ATP MAC> m...@mac.com MAC> 972-757-3733 MAC> Fax 888-708-8683 MAC> This message, including any attachments, may include confidential, MAC> privileged and/or inside information. Any distribution or use of this MAC> communication by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is MAC> strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not the recipient MAC> of this message, please notify the sender and permanently delete the MAC> message from your system. MAC> On Aug 23, 2009, at 7:49 PM, Mary Giarratano wrote: >> In a lot of school systems, most of what OTs do is fine motor and >> handwriting. The OT goals have to be educationally based, not >> overlap other services and the parents want their children to have >> legible handwriting. >> >> I'm sure it doesn't fit your definitions but it is the way most >> school systems work when the majority of pts do not have significant >> motor issues. >> >> Mary >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Carson" <rdcar...@otnow.com> >> To: <OTlist@OTnow.com> >> Sent: Sunday, August 23, 2009 8:39 PM >> Subject: [OTlist] A New One >> >> >>> You know, I like fillin' everyone in when I come >>> across OT >>> definitions/experiences that are off the scale. Well, this >>> Saturday was a >>> new one. >>> >>> I was evaluating a woman whose daughter is a SLP working in school >>> systems. >>> What do you think the SLP told me was her understanding of the role >>> of OT? >>> >>> 1. ADL's >>> >>> 2. Fine Motor >>> >>> 3. Occupation >>> >>> 4. Upper Extremity >>> >>> >>> The answer is #2. In her experience, OT's worked only on fine motor >>> control. >>> PT does gross/large muscle and SLP does cognition. The SLP was >>> actually >>> surprised that I gave her mom a cognitive screen. >>> >>> It just seems that OT is so pigeon-holed into either FMC or UE. >>> Will we ever >>> break these shackles? >>> >>> Ron >>> >>> ~~~ >>> Ron Carson MHS, OT >>> www.OTnow.com >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Options? >>> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com >>> >>> Archive? >>> www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com >> >> >> >> -- >> Options? >> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com >> >> Archive? >> www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com MAC> -- MAC> Options? MAC> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com MAC> Archive? MAC> www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com
