Joti the OT

In a time when it is hard to connect with others; my students and I found a way. We made these kindness rocks with a positive message for the school community in this video. Please enjoy! The video is best viewed in HD: click settings and select 1080 HD.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I9DB0Nsbz_bKM6yD-CuaN1JoCdstgJ-8/view?usp=sharing

OT Community Kindness Rock Project Video.mp4

Occupational therapist teaches NYC coronavirus survivors how to live again Maura Regan is an acute care occupational therapist at NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation who went from having a full caseload of neurological patients to treating COVID-19 recoverees when the pande…

So, I have been letting you all know about a friend and colleague of mine who has been raising money to help provide tool kits for children living in shelters in the Philadelphia area. People have been so amazing and generous by donating money or buying things from the Amazon wish list to help with this process. She is in the home stretch and asked if I would share this post of her Go Fund Me page to help try to make their goal. It was nice for me to be able to help some children during this time as I sent some things from the wish list to help out. My mother from New Mexico saw my posts and sent some money as well. Helping each other at a time like this is the way we are going to get through it. If you can, and only if you can, consider donating some money to help the organization she is working with to meet their goal.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/xhat45-toolkits-for-homeless-children?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&fbclid=IwAR2ZmGN6TPvuH1h_rCOJgxV_CfGxSg4ivr9c7TuFB1hBUCsKA10k9n916yI

TOOLKITS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN organized by EMILY THOMAS I am an Occupational Therapist working at a children’s hospital in Philadelphia. I work wi… EMILY THOMAS needs your support for TOOLKITS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN

I want to show my appreciation for all of the OTs that are still out there performing their rehab duties in the middle of all of this. People need to heal from so much and OTs are there along with other therapists like PTs and Speech Therapists, among so many others. Thank you all so much for doing what you do so well and with all of the passion and commitment that you have always shown! I am thinking of all of you and wishing you the best in everyday and hoping that the strength that you need to do your job will never fail you because you are strong and amazing! Thank you, Thank you! Happy OT Month. Here are some I love OT images from AOTA.

I used my detective skills to investigate how to make face masks using the supplies I had by watching Youtube videos and my creativity to make some face masks so we can perform our IADL's during the age of COVID-19. Here is a picture of 2 different sized masks that fit 2 different sized faces. If any one needs any hints please let me know and I will gladly share my experience of making these with you! Stay safe, Stay Healthy, and Stay Home (if you can, I know many OT's are out there helping where they can! Thank you!).

For those of you that are members of AOTA, they are hosting some webinars that are specific to how to practice in the era of the Corona Virus. See the link below.
Here are the titles of the webinars:
From Onsite to Online: Addressing Students’ Needs Through a Telehealth Service Delivery Model - April 2nd
Occupational Therapy in Hospitals & Inpatient Care: Responding to a Pandemic April 1
https://www.aota.org/Conference-Events/Coronavirus-COVID19.aspx

COVID-19 & OT: An Online CE Series AOTA is hosting a series of free virtual CE programs to equip occupational therapy practitioners, educators, and students to navigate through the evolving coronavirus pandemic. This series is free for AOTA members and non-members.

I was listening to NPR broadcasting from NYC on Friday and they had an OT and a Grad student on their show to talk about how to help elderly people connect with technology. I felt I had something to contribute so I called up and got on the show. Here is a link to the segment I was on. It is always good to advocate for our profession in whatever way we can. Go OTs!

https://www.wnyc.org/widgets/ondemand_player/wnyc/?fbclid=IwAR0y82uxgtagP4vUo5LKSVNB1-V9IKnfx5XNqJpY_-xUhIz77fDNgOUK53E =/audio/json/1006429/&share=1

NYPR On-Demand Radio

While I am on the subject of Holiday Activities we had fun making sock snowmen and Popsicle stick ornaments. Both projects were good for building fine motor coordination and precision skills, visual motor integration skills, and creativity. When you are doing activities for 30 students or more Google is a great place to find inexpensive activities that can be done on a large scale like the Popsicle stick ornaments. The sock snowmen were done on a much smaller scale of 6 so purchasing socks for a smaller group is more manageable. Enjoy!

I am a little behind posting some fun holiday activities that my school kids participated in and did a great job. We made some stress balls that were Halloween themed to increase strength and act as a fidget toy as well as making Qtip skeletons which work on fine motor coordination, visual motor integration, creativity, scissor skills and more. I would like to take credit for coming up with this idea myself but I Googled it and there were many others that have enjoyed making them as well. Hope you enjoy!

Don't know what to do with your left over straws? Cut them up and use them for a stringing activity to work on fine motor skills, visual motor integration skills, figure ground, and bilateral integration skills. This an inexpensive way to build up your OT tool kit for school.

I found this creative idea from an OT website on how to teach kids to button. It is a cute creative way to make a buttoning tool. Here is the link to the website:
https://www.theottoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/buttoning-activity-kids-egg-carton.jpg

OT happiness is finally teaching a 12 year old girl how to tie her shoes and then she shows her peers how to do it!

So I have not posted in a while but I have been working on a project and wanted to give some more detail once I tried it out in my sessions. It seemed my students needed some work on fasteners as well as fine motor control. So, I decided to make some storage bags for my OT equipment that I have been accumulating. While using the bags to retrieve and store the equipment, the students can work on using various fasteners as well as improve fine motor control and strengthening.So far they have been very helpful in my sessions and the students are improving while using these bags. Hope you like them, here are some photos... Click on each one for more details.

As a final project I had the students make their own glitter calming bottles to take home with them. I have to say I learned almost as much as the students did while doing this project. I had 34 students in the last week of school make their own bottle. I was focused on the end product and the potential calming effects they may have when the glitter is swirling in the bottle. However, the students benefited from making the bottles as much as using the completed "tool."
The students had to:
1.follow directions
2.use their creativity to choose their color scheme
3. measure the amount of water to be removed from the bottle
4. add the food coloring with measured movements to create the color they chose
5. choose and measure the proper amount of glitter that went with their color scheme
6. add the glitter to the bottle using a funnel and measured movements
7. squeeze the glue into the bottle, which was difficult for them and helped improve their hand strength.
8. make sure the top was secure
9. and finally tape it up to make sure the top could not be removed and help clean up.
They were also given an OT sticker to add to their bottle, because we always need to advocate for the profession. Here are some of the bottles they made. Enjoy!

In an earlier post, I showed this project half finished. Before the school year was over, she was able to finish decorating her hand. In addition, to having something that she created and was proud of to take home with her when it was complete, she also markedly improved her hand strength over the course of the project. She could not punch "holes" in the paper without assistance when the project started, however by the end she was able to use the hole punch independently. Using creativity to improve strength! That is why I became an OT for moments just like this!

Is making Rice Krispies Treats an ADL? Well it was today. The students learned about measurements, stirring, handling hot items, working as a team, following directions and finally a little creativity as they decorated their treats with dark and white chocolate chips. Oh and did I mention we did it in the microwave? They came out great!

Working on hand strength, the students traced their hand on colorful paper of their choice and the used hole punches to decorate their hand with the punches pieces. This helps with their strength, coordination, and creativity. Here are some works in progress...

Popsicle sticks can be used for so many things. I had my student copy a 3-D design I built as an alternative to using building blocks. What creative ideas have you all used that include popsicle sticks? Share....

Joti the OT updated their business hours.

I participated in a webcast given by AOTA last night about School Based Practice. In it they were speaking about advocacy within the schools, e.g. introducing yourself to administrators, principals, etc. to remind everyone of our distinct value.

Today I found a creative way to introduce myself and share something that was made in one of my OT sessions. We made strawberry banana smoothies and took some samples to the office to share with all of the hardworking individuals in the main office including the principal. We got lots of smiles and my students learned more about measurements (cups, teaspoon, pint, etc.), teamwork, social skills, and following recipes.🍓🍌

So, I have introduced these glitter bottles into my sessions already made. As they do have a small calming effect once shaken, I have found that it takes a certain amount of coordination to shake the bottles to create the best effect with the glitter. I have had the students shake the bottles in various motions. Up and down, side to side, and in a rotary fashion. The rotary motion has been the most difficult for the students to pick up. Once they do master this motion, I give them 2 bottles to shake them bilaterally to activate both sides of their bodies. Then they watch the glitter move within the bottle.

I have been placing various different shape, color and size beads from my collection into the TheraPutty. The different shapes, textures, and sizes gives the students various tactile input as well creates a challenge for fine motor precision and strength.
The various colors create visual input as well. Putting black beads into the black putty works on three dimensional figure ground or bright colors can create contrast for those that may require contrasting visual input. Every week I rotate or change the items in the putty to keep the students on their toes.

So I got my first OT job as a school based therapist for the last 6 weeks of school. Here are some creative ideas I have used to re-purpose therapeutic, craft, and play items into the therapy sessions. Read the description with each picture to see the creative ways I use the items depicted below. What creative ways do you use items in your sessions?....

As promised I am posting pictures of my new gait belt. I love the vibrant colors and in case it was not obvious to anyone I love purple.

I have learned that these belts are useful for so many things. In addition to their traditional uses, I have used them as a preparatory activity to simulate donning and doffing pants and shirts.
How else have you used these belts?

Another great page for great OT ideas visit . Such fun and creative ideas, enjoy!

I found this post on Fun and Function. One of the tips they shared was the use of technology to assist with Autism elopement. Creative use of technology is such a big part of our lives these days, check out these tips and how they suggest using technology to assist - https://funandfunction.com/blog/autism-elopement-10-safety-strategies/?rs_oid_rd=1078105510973768&utm_campaign=resci-3-new-sensory-solutions-04-16-2019&utm_source=Smart+blast&utm_medium=email&utm_content=blog-autism-elopement-safety-strategies

autism elopement or wandering and 10 safety strategies

Here are some crayons that are triangular in shape and have a stop on them that acts like a pencil grip without using a pencil grip. They offer 2 sizes so that as the child grows they can use the smaller crayon when their fine motor skills develop. Check them out at - https://effortlessartproducts.com/

Another creative product I found at the conference. These are silicone plate and place mats all in one. Check out their site at - https://www.ezpzfun.com/