October 23, 2015
Pediatric Occupational Therapy: Developing and researching a program to maintain pre-writing, reading and math skills
Working with the Occupational Therapist at a public preschool, I designed a take-home summer program for parents to maintain and improve their kindergarteners’ pre-reading, pre-writing and pre-math skills, and I then studied the program's success. The internship taught me about motor development and survey research, and built my arsenal of Occupational Therapy techniques and activities. I evaluated the intricate ways that children learn to solve a cardboard puzzle, and how to grip and use a pencil. After deconstructing writing into its multidimensional components of detailed motor planning, it was exhilarating to see how Occupational Therapy techniques helped children improve their skills. This internship solidified my goals to become an Occupational Therapist, and guided me to consider specializing in pediatrics. Occupational Therapists most often work with children and the elderly with physical, mental and cognitive disabilities, helping them regain and maintain their abilities to perform activities of daily living, such as writing and concentrating. In the pediatric setting, this usually includes patients with Autism and ADHD.
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