Pamela Hood Szivek, recipient of the 2019 CAOT-BC Dianna Mah-Jones Memorial Grant for Innovation shares how this grant has supported and enhanced her practice.
The CAOT-BC Dianna
Mah-Jones Memorial Grant for Innovation allowed me to attend Seeing and
Moving: Visual Vestibular Course
with Kim Barthel. This course provided
cutting edge neuroscience research and applied it to the rationale for
interpreting children's posture, movement and behaviour during demonstrations
of a master therapist working directly with a child. Then, therapists practiced assessment and
treatment techniques on each other to provide the right inputs at the right
time for each person's unique sensory system.
This pragmatic course made it possible to immediately apply the theory
to practice. I returned to my practice
with a greater ability to follow the child's lead, and to watch and wonder and ask more questions, before developing
specific treatment goals and planning treatment approaches. I also learned to make my plans tentative,
open to continued learning about the child and adjustment of approach
throughout the treatment process. Another take home lesson from this course was less reliance on equipment
and more emphasis on the therapeutic use of self.
Finally, the presenter modelled a deep
compassion rooted in an advanced trauma-informed approach in caring for
children, families and ourselves as therapists. Much of what I learned validated my clinical
practices. My observation skills around
posture and movement were honed considerably, and my repertoire of treatment
techniques was expanded, both of which help me to target treatments better to
match my client's needs.
- Pamela Hood Szivek, OT
Learn more about CAOT-BC grants and apply annually between February 15 and May 31.
Learn more about CAOT-BC grants and apply annually between February 15 and May 31.
#OT365
No comments:
Post a Comment