OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG!

Blog Series: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: It's the Little Things that Make Life BIG!

The following post is a wonderful account of how a young lady decided on a career in occupational therapy!

Chad, a small boy with blonde hair kicking, screaming, and biting his teacher was the first thing I saw when I walked into the preschool classroom on my first day as a volunteer. “Woah. What have I gotten myself into? Is it too late to turn around?” I asked myself.

By the end of that day I knew this boy, Chad, would change my life forever. Chad had autism. He needed extra attention, and I immediately cared for Chad and wanted to see him receive the help that he so desperately needed. His father was a single parent, and I feared that Chad wasn't getting help at home and, sadly, he wasn’t getting the support he needed from the teachers either.

Photo Credit:Serge Bertasius @ freedigitalphotos.net

An occupational therapist came once a week to see Chad. I didn't know much about occupational therapy and honestly didn't see how one session a week was going to help my new friend. Chad was the boy who couldn't sit in "circle time" independently like the other children. He was the boy who wouldn't make it ten minutes on the playground before his clothes came off. My heart ached for him and I wanted to help but didn't know how. I wanted someone to help Chad five days a week and not just once a week.

Thanks to occupational therapy, by the end of the year, Chad WAS the child sitting in "circle time" independently. He played on the playground and didn't take his clothes off (well sometimes). Chad was behaving better and participating more in class. I was so proud of him!

I was immediately hooked and wanted to find out everything about occupational therapy that I could. All Chad needed someone who was eager to help him and saw his potential. The weekly sessions did more for him than I could ever have imagined. I decided that I wanted to be in a field that could change someone's life in such a positive way. Chad is my story. He’s my motivation to become an OT. I wish he could know the impact he has had on my life. Thankfully, I was able to witness the impact that occupational therapy had on Chad’s life!

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