April is National Occupational Therapy Month!!  It is another opportunity to celebrate my profession.  A day in my life as an occupational therapist looks something like this:

prepare files for the children I will be seeing on any given day

review previous session notes and check to see if I offered to bring something into the home (like an oral stimulator or a therapy ball)

make sure my energy efficient car is fueled and ready to go

load up said car with supplies, files, my water bottle, my “special” eye drops packed in ice, lunch, my purse, my phone and yes there is usually something I remember to grab after I started the car 🙂

*drive anywhere from 20 minutes to 75 minutes to my first destination

*make an impact on the lives of the families I share time with; offering advice, direct instruction, problem solving, and a positive attitude

*head back to  my car and drive another 30 minutes or so

repeat *

repeat*

repeat* as many times as necessary

drive home; enjoy the landscape; and make at least one pit stop at Sheetz 

once I am home I may do my daily billing and prepare my files for the next day

Every day that I work is a good day; I really enjoy going into the homes of children and helping their families learn how to help their children.  If you have any questions about occupational therapy please feel free to contact me.

When you place an order on-line, do you read through the reviews before making your selection?  Recently this play house was purchased on wayfair.com.  The reviews gave this product a one star.  When the play house arrived there were no assembly instructions and the play house had at least 2 holes in the structure that required patching (aka duct tape).  Fortunately the consumer contacted wayfair.com and they fully refunded them the cost and instructed them to keep the play house as they did not want it returned.

So….today I had the opportunity to meet a new family with a beautiful son.  As the Service Coordinator and I were discussing concerns with this family it dawned on me that due to their child’s unique circumstances this family needs an evacuation plan!!   We all have heard over and over again that we should practice what to do in the case of a fire.  This was a vivid reminder that most families have never thought about this life– saving measure!  Do you have an evacuation plan?  Do your children know alternative routes out of your home (or grandma’s, the sitter’s, etc)?  Please take a moment to consider this and establish a plan.  Most local fire departments will assist you if you are unsure of escape routes.