Early Intervention: A Job Description

If you have read the previous post, you know what the general definition of an OT is. However, you will also understand now that each area of practice is specific, that our role is different depending on where we work and who we work with. I can only share my own experience:

I fell in love with pediatrics at a little reverse integrative preschool in Toronto. Mind you I fell in love with stroke rehab too, so I might just be a bit fickle. Or perhaps it is because these two areas are in fact very related. Developmental delays in children are often accounted to neurological impairment, and the knowledge about neuro rehab that serves as a foundation for working in this field. The brain is incredibly complex and fascinating, and that's exactly what makes the job as a pediatric OT so challenging.

But what do I actually DO?? I am a community OT working in early intervention - that means the kiddo's aged 0-5, before they head off to kindergarten. I often tell people I play with kids for a living. And in fact, that is precisely what I do. However, there is always an ulterior motive. I colour with kids to ASSESS their pencil grasp. We play with plastic food with velcro attachment as an INTERVENTION  for improving bilateral skills. Or, I blow bubbles... simply because I know they like them. Even this is to make the therapeutic experience a positive one. The key thing here is that most everything you do hands on with a child is through play, so you've got to get incredibly creative to get what you want out of that interaction.

Here are few of the things I work on with my kids:

• Fine motor skills (Colouring, pre-printing, bilateral skills,scissor skills, reach, grasp, etc.)
• Sensory processing
• Dressing
• Toileting
• Feeding (The mechanical difficulties of chewing and swallowing, as well as picky eating)
• Positioning (Wheelchairs, strollers, bathseats, you name it)
• Play
• Safety
• Sleep

This is my toolbox

I'd give more details about my job but "report-writing" and "case-coordinating" hardly seems worth delving into further detail. But for you OT's out there, we actually use the COPM where I work. It's actually not collecting dust on the back shelf!