As I sat during Occupational Therapy Month in April, I contemplated what called me to the profession over 20 years ago. I had a position in a profession I loved – teaching special education in a district where I was supported and knew I was making a difference. In fact the last day of that job I cried wondering if I could ever find satisfaction in another job. I had known I wanted to be a teacher since the age of 7, and knew I wanted to specialize and work with students that had cognitive delays since the age of 12. Yet, the more I taught the more I felt I wasn’t making the difference I needed to make. I could break tasks down to teach in steps, I could implement specialized curriculums, I could set up real life experiences for optimal learning opportunities. But I couldn’t teach my students how to use their bodies to complete simple things like pushing in a knob while turning it, holding all the coins for the vending machine in their hand while placing one coin in at a time, how to calm when overexcited, or visually scan a room and find what they were looking for. These seemingly small experiences of daily living were standing in the way of independence.
I was learning so much from the occupational therapists I worked with, but I felt it wasn’t enough. I wanted the OT with my class as much as possible, to be there when these break downs happened so my students could learn alternatives or better yet, improve in the micro skills that were not allowing for the smooth movement, the smooth transition and the easy ability to take in information through the senses. So I decided to go back to school and get a degree in occupational therapy, all the while thinking I would return to the classroom a much better teacher.
Then I entered the world of occupational therapy. It expanded everything I thought about education, about learning, about the role of the teacher in the process. The foundation in anatomy and neurology finally helped me make sense of what was going wrong for my students. The ability to assess deeply and locate specific avenues that can be improved for better function. The ability to look at the environment and re-arrange it to improve the process. Creating new ways for an individual to complete simple or complex tasks. I was being called to a new profession – similar but so much more effective. I eventually returned to the classroom as a therapist. However, I still consider myself a teacher – but now I’m not just teaching a student a skill. I’m teaching parents, teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators about the how and why of improving students skill abilities. By bringing a more holistic view to the table occupational therapy allows for growth in emotional, social and skill development areas. I was called to this profession, and am proud to be an occupational therapist.