on the OTher hand

In July of 2005, a group of Occupational/Physical Therapist in Western New York started a blog called ABC Therapeutics Occupational Therapy Weblog. The blog can be accessed at http://abctherapeutics.blogspot.com/. It is open for public comment, yet most of the posts are input by Chris Alterio, an employee of ABC Therapeutics, and comments or questions are typically posted by viewers of the blogging community. The subtitle of the blog, “Reflections on a Lifework of Occupational Therapy”, encompasses information on the field of Occupational Therapy, along with the daily occurrences that happen in the personal life of this group of therapists.

At the start of the blog in 2005, the writers’ enthusiasm for the new blog was evident in the eight to ten entries per month, with topics ranging from professional matters to personal dilemmas. Unfortunately, in the last year the blogging has dropped to four or five entries per month. This reduction in entries has not affected the efficiency or professionalism of the blog. On the contrary, the entries seem to be based more on OT practices and significant vocational issues versus personal matters.

In 2006 and 2007, Alterio posted several blogs on Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome that were quite interesting. I particularly enjoyed the post from Thursday, June 8, 2006, titled “Asperger’s Syndrome: A primer for occupational therapists”. I enjoyed this post because I have been working with the autistic population for over ten years, and the disability itself is absolutely fascinating. Once becoming an occupational therapist, I plan on specializing in autism and sensory integration. Asperger’s Syndrome is on the spectrum of autistic disorders. The characteristics are described as high functioning autism with normal to above normal cognitive intelligence levels, paired with difficulties in social and sensory processing areas of development. Alterio mentions the struggles associated with treating children on the spectrum because of the lack of research linked to autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. In the past year and a half since the post there have been significant studies and discoveries made in order to benefit these children, but for the most part autism continues to be a mysterious disability without explanation of occurrence, nor signs of a cure.

Another appealing entry posted on Tuesday, March 13, entitled “Best treatment options for autism” gives seven admirable suggestions as an effective intervention program for autistic children. All parents of autistic children would benefit from reading and applying these exceptional recommendations. Having worked in the field for such a lengthy time, I feel that parents sometimes expect the school personnel to somehow cure or rid their child of all autistic behaviors. This is literally impossible, for this is a psychological disorder not an illness. As a Behavioral Interventionist, it is difficult to work with a child in a typical school setting attempting to diminish negative behaviors only to find out that at home the child has free range without much discipline or routine. Alterio wrote the importance of having love, structure, and stability at home. A therapist cannot completely change a child’s behaviors if the behavior modification techniques are not also applied in the home environment.

It has been a pleasure to read several years worth of ABC Therapeutics Occupational Therapy Weblog. This blog is incredibly similar to the type of blog I had envisioned writing throughout my Occupational Therapy Program and career as a future occupational therapist. I find this blog extremely academic and professional. Most of his entries are supported with literature, bibliographies, and research from academic journals. Those that are not cited, clarify to the reader that the blog was written on personal beliefs after years of experience as an OT. As a professional, he is putting valuable information out on the web for the benefit of others.

The majority of criticizing feedback is written by parents with autistic and disabled children. This scenario is very typical of anxious parents searching for solutions to their child’s disability. Parents are at times in absolute desperation to cure their child; therefore they read all types of information regarding their child’s disability on unscholarly resources like magazine articles or propaganda on the web, consequently coming up with their own uneducated conclusions to “fix” their child. Fortunately, Alterio has the expertise in the field of occupational therapy, giving him the ability to make educated conclusions and give professional advice on the information he has researched.

ABC Therapeutics Occupational Therapy Weblog is an excellent resource for writing a professional, educational blog, but being a first year student I plan on making my blog more of a feedback blog. People already in the field of OT give great insight on their experiences or questions that society in general may have; therefore giving me the opportunity to research the information, and turning this blog into an educational resource for others to use. As of now, my knowledge on Occupational Therapy comes strictly from a school district setting where I would watch and incorporate the OT’s instructions on children that were being treated with my behavioral modification techniques. I am eager to find out more intriguing information on the various avenues of Occupational Therapy.

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