nontokozosibiyatheot

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

Discuss the OT role in primary health care. Give example of how you can use media as a tool for health promotion and prevention.

Primary health is a society base approach to provide health care and promoting wellbeing for person, family, and a community where they live. It aims to meet individuals, family, and community health needs throughout the persons lifespan (WHO,2020). It doesn’t not only focus on physical wellbeing, but it aims to provide comprehensive care which includes physical, mental, and social wellbeing. It aims to provide early intervention, that is easily accessible daily to individuals close by. It decreases the need for hospital care. It offers services that are targeted to health conditions such as sexual health, drug and alcohol treatment, oral health, vascular diseases, asthma, mental health, obesity etc.

Part of the professionals involved in primary care are Occupational Therapists. Occupational Therapy is the therapeutic use of self-care, work, education, play, leisure, and social activities to increase independent function, enhance development, promote health and wellbeing, and prevent disability. It is indicated when people lose their ability to carry out their everyday activities, due to temporary or permanent illness, disability, environmental limitations, and developmental delay (The University of the Witwatersrand, 2020).Occupational Therapist are skillful in providing health promotion, they are responsible for managing lifelong diseases, are responsible for case management, prevention of injury and educating caregivers. It aims to address social determinants of health which considers social, economic, environments and individuals characteristics and behaviors (Levac and O'Sullivan, 2010).

To conduct caregiver training to Community Healthcare Workers to increase their skills to carry over therapy and equip them with skills to take care of individuals living with disability. This can include prevention of further complications such as contractures, pressure sores and educate on proper positioning of disabled. Occupational therapist has a role in early detection of developmental conditions in children. Early involvement in child intervention for HIE,high risk babies and children with congenital abnormalities. Whilst babies are attending clinic for immunization occupational therapists use that opportunity to screen for disabilities and developmental delays Occupational Therapist can work with teachers to early detect children who have learning difficulties. Primary based rehabilitative intervention can also include improving integration of individuals with disability in community. Thus, they improve mobility and providing instruction around the community which will assist individuals who have problems with orientation (knowledge of time, place, situation and etc) It also involve vocational retraining of adaptive technology.

Support groups (gaining insight, education and support) for example individual who are alcohol and other substances. Need for encouraging individuals who are disabled by increasing awareness of their right. Groups with families (mothers/caregivers) can be conducted for improving acceptance of their child’s disability, improving insight into conditions and helping them improve their children’s development and provide stimulation.

Occupational therapists screen and for individuals at risk for physical and mental disability. Health promotion can provide intervention for individuals who suffer from mental illness after being discharge in hospital. Health promotion and prevention of the effects of individuals you resort to risky behaviours due to mental health issues such as the use of substance. Which can be tackled at a community level. Part of the work that Occupational Therapists do involve home and follow up visit which is more beneficial as individuals are at their home context and with their families. Thus, occupational therapists can help them adjust to their homes environment and helping which can result in treatment that is realistic to the individuals and allows for use of environment either physical and or social to influence participation in activities. Occupational therapist can also form support groups for individuals who have similar conditions and support groups for caregivers which allow for socialization and be able to open up their emotions .Occupational therapists can provide health education and support for individuals with HIV/TB, violence, trauma and etc.

Media main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the internet) regarded collectively. Social media bypasses limitations that are present in traditional health. It increases accessibility, it provides interaction and engagement amongst individuals and health professionals ,It also provides empowerment and customization increases access to health information ,provides a platform for interprofessional communicate and information can be tailored in a manner that is attracts individuals attention whilst conveying the message and influencing healthy behaviours. It is a platform where individuals can ask questions ,comment on topics and share their own experiences that might help others make better choices in terms of behaviour.it allows for different opinions or views which helps with non-judgement and can lead to support towards one another .

This increases access to help information as there is wide range distribution which allows individuals and support without the need and for one on one sessions. It is easily accessible because it remains there on other platforms such as Facebook or Instagram and others and can be seen by different individuals at different times and can always be referred to and shared by other users’ doesn’t just allow interaction from individuals who are experts but our family members, friends and our social contact which is most effective for changing perception and thus can influence healthy behavior(Levac and O'Sullivan, 2010).It helps individuals know where they can get help for different health issues in case they might need help.Media was used to convey the message about Covid 19 that means it is really effective as everyone knew what was going on because of this.

I can use media by contacting a radio station make a 2-3 minutes role play or a story where there are characters and one individual is doing a health promotion or there is a discussion about health through the stories .This can be played as if its and advert between shows. So, topics such as sexual health, availability of condoms and other contraceptive and encouragement of abstinence amongst individuals in the community. You tube channel where there are guests who the OT might invite and talk about maybe coping skills ,how to deal with stress and etc this can also be done using radio slot where community members can also as questions that they have .This can also be done in other platforms such as the Facebook page of the are you live in or just a post. Posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or any other platform where comments can be shared, and discussion can be made. Question can be posted about health like what stress most individuals and how do you cope with stress.

References 

1.https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmarketbusinessnews.com%2Ffinancial-glossary%2Fmedia-definition-meaning%2F&psig=AOvVaw2FKtUHnmoRvXm85H6wz0tG&ust=1605389939276000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwjUvNzZvYDtAhUFMRoKHe2JBswQr4kDegUIARDNAQ

2. Levac, J. and O'Sullivan, T., 2010. Social Media and its Use in Health Promotion. Revue interdisciplinaire des sciences de la santé - Interdisciplinary Journal of Health Sciences, 1(1), p.47.

3. Naidoo, D., Van Wyk, J. and Joubert, R., 2016. Exploring the occupational therapist’s role in primary health care: Listening to voices of stakeholders. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 8(1).

4. .Who.int. 2020. Primary Health Care. [online] Available at: <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/primary-health-care#:~:text=Primary%20health%20care%20is%20a,of%20individuals%2C%20families%20and%20communities.&text=In%20some%20contexts%2C%20it%20has,of%20personal%20health%20care%20services.> [Accessed 12 November 2020].

5.https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fborgenproject.org%2Fafawi-empowers-marginalized-groups%2F&psig=AOvVaw1CfsyPd_QuNHrIVCJBUrTi&ust=1605388212750000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCNDw9qm3gO0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

6.https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdefeat-ncd.org%2Fabout-us%2Fncds-importance-defined%2F&psig=AOvVaw3MCMY--VjFB2smEfcJNdWU&ust=1605388721601000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPCIx5i5gO0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

SDGs and How we can enhance them In our communities

Zero Hunger is the second goal which is aimed at achieving food security and improved nutrition and promote suitable agriculture.

This would be done through education of community members on how to eat  healthy, the importance of eating healthy and etc .Educating mothers on how to provide good nutrition for their children using what is available and can be made available to them e,g in cooperating them into garden project so that they can eat healthy and be able to provide best nutrition for their children.

Goal 1: No Poverty

“Eradicating poverty in all its forms remains one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. While the number of people living in extreme poverty dropped by more than half between 1990 and 2015, too many are still struggling for the most basic human needs. This is the first goal. It is aimed to end poverty in all it forms and everywhere. This can be done through formation of groups that can focus on making materials/ Diy materials such as home décor, paintings. We can get some sponsors for material at first that can help the group start. Most times we rely on work opportunities to reduce poverty and we wait for the government or other companies which may hire us unfortunately not all of us get the work that we have studied at the time we want or have anticipated we would have. This shows a need for community members to find out ways of how to generate own income.

Goal 13 Climate change

The aim of this goal is to Strengthen global resilience to natural disasters, intergrate2 climate change measures into national policies and to improve education about how to mitigate climate change.

To teach the community and how to reduce climate change.

This can also be in conjunction with goal number 12 which is Recycling paper plastic and aluminum this can be done by using recycled material such as paper, plastic or aluminum to make material that can be sold and make money.

Good health and well being

This can be improved collaborations between different health professionals and Community Health care workers to identify common issues that the community face and how it affects either their emotional or physical wellbeing .This could be achieved though stats that are conducted by health professionals ,common conditions seen by different health professionals in the clinic. Multidisciplinary teams can be formed to make home visit, conduct health promotion events or talks around the community and working with relevant stakeholders in the community to assist in enhancing the communities health and issues that might be addressed or may be resolved by other relevant individuals in the community such as counsellors.

Ensuring healthy lives and promote well being for all at all ages. I would like to work on this goal. As a community OT I feel that this is important. This shows a need to provide intervention for the whole community. Most often old people do not get much attention. Most of them end up having feelings of loneliness. They usually focus on taking care of the young children (grandchildren) in their families, especially in low economic as most children in our communities are raised and taken care of by their grandmothers due to a lot of reason. The grandmother becomes the primary caregiver. This is what I have observed in my community and is most likely happening even in the community where I work in .I see the need to make groups such as Zumba ,dance ,leisure ,exercise group where by old people can destress from the stress they have and have a space to continue to socialize and prevent feelings of loneliness. What I love about Occupational therapy is that it looks at the individuals  despite the age ,looks at the occupations that the individual is supposed to be engaged in or is hindered to engage in .It takes the individuals context into consideration and we are being trained to ask ourselves why first ,Why is this happening ,why is it happening like this before anything and from there WHY you gain better understanding and then you start asking yourself How ,How can I help how can I which forces you to problem solve .It looks at the individuals, physical ,mental, psychosocial health which every individual from the time we are born to mortality .OT caters for everyone young or old .Youth development ,children intervention programs ,afterschool care ,day cares for young old and disabled would be intervention I would like to implement in my community.

To ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for long. This can be done through working in collaboration with schools in the community providing teacher education on risks

I’m am glad that I know understand the aim of almost all the projects conducted by previous Occupational Therapy students .A lot of aims addressed the SDGs and worked on improving the communities health .projects such as the Kite project which works on not improving vocational training but also empowering individuals with disabilities , working with schools to enhance health of children in the school and improving their academic performance ,Working with creches to provide good health and helping them reach milestones and improving school readiness in the individuals, ensuring that individuals who have learning disabilities are being assisted to acquire the quality of education that they need, creating a garden that community members can not only work on but can feed themselves and their families making sure that individuals don not starve .

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

What factors have created your positionality? Now discuss why it is important to consider one’s positionality when assessing conditions, working in communities and creating programmes for the people of the community.

To answer this question I had to first unpack what positionality means. Walk with me as I answer this question.

“Positionality is the social and political context that creates your identity in terms of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability status. Positionality also describes how your identity influences, and potentially biases, your understanding of and outlook on the world “("What's Positionality & What Does It Have To Do With You?", 2020).It influences our opinions, judgement ,attitude, values and beliefs. We engrain our positionality during childhood and all these factors are reinforced by our society and. the mind chooses a positionality and creates an illusion based on that position, which results in the mind obscuring the reality.

(These are factors that influence my positionality)

I am a black, middle class, female from a small town called Standerton in Mpumalanga. I’m am of a Zulu culture and a Christian. I’m currently in my early adulthood years and I am an Occupational Therapy student currently residing in Reservoir Hills where there’s lot of students around. All of these have created my positionality, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and multiple cultural, racial/ethnic, education etc. The experience and education have affected my positionality at the start of the my community block .I saw this as I would find myself assuming that people are not trying or they don’t want to help themselves which I find really stupid now as I would assume a lot of things this was influenced by the privilege ,education and my background. I am not from a good socio-economic but I am at better privilege than some of the community members .This made me have expectations of how people should be ,what they are able and not able to do for example I expected many of the children in the crèche to be at a certain academic level according to their ages as some of them were a bit behind .It made me want to blame someone as this wasn’t really fair for the children I searched for someone to blame but as I tried to blame the teachers I couldn’t ,there is always a reason for individuals behavior. There are many factors that contribute to a certain result and it’s important to investigate all possible factors with the help of the community members rather than assuming.

This showed me that having and understanding of why something is happening helps you find solutions than wanting to blame someone. It has also taught me that rather than wanting to blame someone its important to just work with the community and fighting won’t benefit anyone after all I am part of this community now and a community works together.

It is important that I as a health professional have to understand that my positionality may not only affect the assessment I carry out but also the outcomes or intervention provided to the community .This is why I value self-reflection and acknowledge the value of understanding my own positionality as I have different values, beliefs and other factors that contribute to my identity which has been influenced by my social and political context. So this means if I base assessment on my understanding or only use my view of the conditions in the community that means my intervention won’t be client based or community based, as I would be inflicting my values, belief system and etc on others .Which is really unrealistic and not meaningful or not of any value to them .

Yes, as much as I understand that we all have our different positionalities .I am a health professional .I am at work .I am not the priority, the people are .I am there to serve not to be served .Therefore my beliefs ,values or anything that contributes to my positionality is not as important as the peoples. Only the people in the community’s values, belief system and etc should be considered and never taken for granted. After all its not about me it’s about the people.

It is important for me to not assume things but search for deeper understanding of certain presentation in the community rather than assuming. Having insight of  community I work in is important as this can erase the judgement, beliefs, opinions or anything that contributes to my positionality .It can also help me understand the values of my community ,their needs and how  can contribute to help them .This can also guide on which programs I should make which can serve the needs of the community.

This can be done through engaging with the community or health care workers ,or community members which can help me better understand the community I am serving. Community Health Care workers can help increase my awareness of the broader community context and social determinants of health impacting the daily lives of community members. They can also be of benefit to me as they can help leverage their connections within the community to be liaison between health services and community residences .They can also in cooperate intervention activities into existing work in the community. This will also make sure the intervention utilized appropriate fashion, taking into consideration the larger context of intervention delivery and the participants lives.

I have seen the importance of collecting information from individuals in the community .This helps understand how the community works ,the root causes of why the community presents in the many of which its presents and what is needed by the community and how to go about planning or creating programs that might be of benefit to the community. I am a student and have theory of what causes some of the issues that are seen in communities but I have understood that there’s ��not one answer to everything I may see .This has helped me understand that as much as the communities we read or have heard about or even observed present with the same issues that causes may be different a she context and each community is unique in its own way just like humans. This has helped me to see that solutions or how I should go about when trying to resolve some of the issues might be different for each community. This has help me understand that rather than focusing on what I believe or have known before i have to be able to understand that something are different from what i may believe and rather than focusing on that I should rather focus on being adaptive and evaluate the strength ,weakness and needs o the community to solve the problems faced by the community .

References

1.Coulter, K., Ingram, M., McClelland, D. J., & Lohr, A. (2020). Positionality of community health workers on health intervention research teams: A scoping review. Frontiers in Public Health, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00208

(Coulter et al., 2020, p. xx)

2.What's Positionality & what does it have to do with you? (2018, August 23). Dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/e/gender-sexuality/positionality/#:~:text=Positionality%20is%20the%20social%20and,and%20outlook%20on%20the%20world

3.https://youtu.be/AHVqnCtQkU0

4. Muhammad, M., Wallerstein, N., Sussman, A. L., Avila, M., Belone, L., & Duran, B. (2014). Reflections on researcher identity and power: The impact of Positionality on community based participatory research (CBPR) processes and outcomes. Critical Sociology, 41(7-8), 1045-1063. https://doi.org/10.1177/0896920513516025

5. https://cdn1.vectorstock.com/i/1000x1000/71/75/community-logo-design-template-vector-20717175.jpg

6. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cf/a8/c2/cfa8c2d8e6ee7133e57f80d66019443d.png

7. https://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/blank-profile-picture-973460_1280-1.png

8. https://weingartenlrc.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/intersectionality-blueman.jpg?w=788

9 https://nursekey.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/F000154f15-05-9781455707621.jpg

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

Why maternal and child health is important to society

Are you really prepared for motherhood?

A lot of young girls dream to be mothers in their early ages of childhood. We grow up with a wish to have children when we grow up. A 2017 report released by Statistics South Africa reported 989 318 births per year. This shows a need for intervention and community support needed by mothers and their children.

((2020))

What affects the maternal health and child health?

Elements such as environment and social elements such as access to health care, early intervention service, educational, employment factors, economic opportunities, social support, availability of resources to meet daily needs influence maternal behaviors and health status ("Occupational Therapy and Maternal Health", 2020).

Health influences the development of cognitive and physical function in children ,other factors that contribute to this  is nutrition and behaviors of mothers during pregnancy and childhood .Therefore this highlights the importance of mothers health as it can affect the future outcomes of children in adulthood("Maternal, Infant, and Child Health | Healthy People 2020", 2020)

Mothers do not know when to seek help, family members are not aware when to seek help for the mothers in their families which are showing signs of depression or how they can provide support. Whose fault is it? I have seen that there is lack of knowledge from both the community and health professionals in our community. What I have observed is that the community members or mothers and other family members have little knowledge on child’s development how to enhance it ,warning signs when it comes to problems with development and the availability of professional support in their community. Most of the community members are from a low socio economic status therefore they may struggle to provide for their children even though some of them are receiving grant its not really enough .Most of the mothers are unemployed ,some are housewives which means that the is only one source of income in the house which can cause a lot of stress if that income is not enough as well. This can result to increased stress in the mother .Furthermore this can be exacerbated by the lockdown that we just came out of a lot of people lost their jobs which have resulted  in increased stress at home for these family members.

What I have observed about this community is that there is a lot of immigrants which are not supported by the government in terms of issuing grant money for them which shows that .The physical environment that the children live is under stimulated for children to grow in especially the creches that these children go to .There I limited play engagement because of these creches being poorly resourced .The creches around the community are run by un educated or trained community members who lack the skills for improving development of academic skills and other developmental skills in children which can lead to poor school readiness.

Occupational therapist can  assist by making ,adaptations and Environmental modification, Analysis of daily activities, breastfeeding support, energy conservation, ergonomics and body ,mechanics, Exercise and sleep, Infant development, Pelvic and core health, Play as a co-occupation, Postnatal mood disorders, such as postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, Stress management. Occupational therapist should also make sure that health promotion is always done in order to increase knowledge of the other health professionals ,the community members ,pregnant women, and the ones who have given birth so that they can be able to know when occupational therapy interventions is needed so that early intervention can be provided.

Occupational therapist should educate community members, families  mothers, crèche managers and other health professionals on how to check for signs of postnatal depression in mothers, how to assist if mothers are feeling overwhelmed to contact when mothers are showing signs and educated on how to adapt their environment to enhance their children stimulation and overall development. The communities should adapt and e able to receive necessary help and utilize the resources around them.

  References

Maternal, Infant, and Child Health | Healthy People 2020. (2020). Retrieved 23 October 2020, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/maternal-infant-and-child health#:~:text=Improving%20the%20well%2Dbeing%20of,and%20the%20health%20care%20system. 

Occupational Therapy and Maternal Health. (2020). Retrieved 23 October 2020, from https://www.maternalinsights.com/news/occupational-therapy-and-maternal-health

https://www.savethechildren.org/content/dam/global/images/countries/tanzania/tanzania-mother-child-m184827-sq.JPG/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.thumbnail.360.360.JPG

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcS45WBkkZ0RaRRLVrAe3_HyaHqmrTJhee5-Q&usqp=CAUg

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

Summation of lessons learnt and the way forward for yourself

I have learnt alot during prac time importance of planning ,time management and choosing the best treatements for my clients these are the things that i mostly struggled with and still have to work on .I enjoyed working with the different clients that i had .I have learnt the importance of looking at clients context and role within that context  as this helps guid treatment . I have learnt about the different diagnoses how to handle them ,how they present and how they affect clients function .I have learnt that in chronic and acute mental illness settings the prognosis  can be different and the programmes that can be implemented are different with maintanance as a larger programme in chronic and rehabilitative and remedial in acute settings.Have learnt the difference in assessment and treatment and how to choose assessments for different functioning clients an dthe importance of having upgrades and downgrades which help with assessment and treatment in of pclients in treatment sessions .

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

Research ,scope of OT and my insipiration

Research comprises "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the body of knowledge, and the use this knowledge to devise new applications (OECD, 2002).  The systematic investigation and study of authentic assessments, treatment regimes, policies, etc., to establish new facts and reach conclusions.

The occupational therapy scope of practice is based on the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) document Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (AOTA, 2002) and on the Philosophical Base of Occupational Therapy, which states that “the understanding and use of occupations shall be at the central core of occupational therapy practice, education, and research” (AOTA, 2003a, Policy 1.11). Occupational therapy is a dynamic and evolving profession that is responsive to consumer needs and to emerging knowledge and research . 

The scope of practice includes the domain and process of occupational therapy services. These concepts are intertwined with the domain defining the focus of occupational therapy and the process defining the delivery of occupational therapy. The domain of occupational therapy is the everyday life activities (occupations) that people find meaningful and purposeful. Within this domain, occupational therapy services enable clients to engage (participate) in their everyday life activities in their desired roles, context, and life situations. Clients may be individuals, groups, communities, or populations. The occupations in which clients engage occur throughout the life span and include • activities of daily living (self-care activities); • education (activities to participate as a learner in a learning environment); • instrumental activities of daily living (multistep activities to care for self and others, such as household management, financial management, and childcare); • leisure (nonobligatory, discretionary, and intrinsically rewarding activities); • play (spontaneous and organized activities that promote pleasure, amusement, and diversion); • social participation (activities expected of individuals or individuals interacting with others); and • work (employment-related and volunteer activities) 

Research in occupational therapy has been seen as a vehicle  to improve intervention,developing the scientific basis of practice and establishing occupational therapy as a full proffession.

Role of research 

Evaluation of treatment methods in order to establish their effectiveness in client treatment. Determining of the cost effectiveness of services, therapeutic activities and techniques. Refining, refuting and validation of existing theories and formulation of new ones. Addressing of ethical issues and standards of practice in order to inform quality control measures for OT service deliver

I was insipired by the findings that were found by students in their research conducted by them  .Hearing the talk about how working in a group has been for them and the recpommendation they had to improve what they were studying about was really insipiring .Them reflecting on the hard work they have put and the struggles they had to fac in the process was insipiring cause in the end they were able to complete a good research study that they were proud of .

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

Autism Spectrum disorder ,Down syndrome and Schrizophrenia.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that lasts over the lifespan of an Individual. The term core autism was described in 1943 by Leo Kanner. However, it has become increasingly apparent that a wide variation exists in terms of phenotypical and behavioural characteristics hence it is now considered as autism spectrum disorder(ASD).Diagnostic features of ASD include abnormal behavioural patterns shown in communication, reciprocal social interaction together with repetitive, restricted and stereotyped interests and activities. These features have to be apparent in early childhood and should exist in an array of environmental settings. There are many risk factors for Autism, but it is believed that their basis comes from the genetic makeup of an individual. There two classification systems for ASD namely, the DSM 5 and the ICD-10. The ICD-10 indicates that a diagnosis should be made by the age of 3 years. However, studies have shown that a diagnosis can be made as early as 2 years since parents express that their child experiences developmental delays from as early as 15-18 months of age. Although, a majority of diagnoses only occur at the ages of 4-5 years old. (Yates & Le Couteur. (2016

The event that we had had taught me a lot of things it taught me about how autistic people should be treated and how they have not been treated accordingly by health professionals which helps guide our practice as OT as we got a chance to hear from an autistic persons perspective about the disorder and intervention that help and what did not help. I learnt that autism is divided into 3 levels  level 1 ,level 2 and level 3 .I learnt that all people with autism need some amount of assistance even though it differs from level to level.We got to learn that it is important for people to treat autistic people as humans I.e including  them in conversations about their own health ,the importance of preparing(explaining whats going to take place)  them and reassuring them before treatment sessions ,importance of treating people with autism as normal people and looking at autistic people as people who are developing in a unique way not abnormal .The autistic man who shared his experience gave some tips of what has worked for him during eary childhood such as using a brush to brush his arms .We also learnt about the importance of communication as it is important to understand people who are autistic as people who has needs and finding a communication medium between caregivers and an autistic persons.Learn about the anxiety they have related to sensory processing disorder.He also shared that the myth that injections cause autism showed the importance of need for education in the population since autism is not caused by injections its rather caused by genetic factors.

Down syndrome (DS or DNS), also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual disability, and characteristic facial features. The average IQ of a young adult with Down syndrome is 50, equivalent to the mental ability of an 8- or 9-year-old child, but this can vary widely.The importance of education about down syndrome was indicated as among south african population since lack of knowledge has caused negative  impact amongst families and the society around those affected .

Early OT  intervention of people with down syndrome include ;

Assist with oral-motor feeding problems (this can also be addressed by Speech therapist). Due to hypotonia and weakness of the muscles of the cheeks, tongue, and lips, feeding is difficult for some infants with Down syndrome. OT suggests positioning and feeding techniques.

Help facilitate motor milestones, particularly for fine motor skills. Occupational therapists and Physical therapists work closely together to help the young child develop gross motor milestones (eg: sitting, crawling, standing, and walking). Occupational therapist works with the child at this stage to promote arm and hand movements that lay the foundation for later developing fine motor skills. The low muscle tone and loose ligaments at the joints associated with Down syndrome are real challenges to early motor development and occupational therapy can help the child meet those challenges. A lot was learnt a lot about its dignoses ,the tests run such as blood tests to determine down syndrome the rate of abortion among parents suspected to have down syndrome ,the effectiveness of each test run and the medical complications that come with down syndrome such as heart problems .

Schrizophrenia is a group of psychotic disorders charactirized by distrurbances characterized by perception ,behaviour and communication disturbances that last longer than 6 months including psychotic behaviour.Another individual was asked to share his experience with as an individual with Schrizophrenia .Alot was shared by him how he got into using drugs which resulted in him getting diagnosed with schrizophrenia .He shared how widrawal symptoms are like .The negative impact of Schrizophrenia among IPRs its relation to crime and environmental factors that lead to relapse.He highlighted the importance of vocational rehabilitation and leisure in rehabilitation and relapse prevention programme .Listening to his speech made me realised the importance of education amongst primary and high school learners,young adults  even south African society knowledge about this disorder especially from a person living with Schrizophrenia as a medium of prevention since the risk is higher in those populations as many of these teenagers get to use substance in the name of fun just like he said and I have seen this around where I live as well .  is importance and his experience has helped to know what is importance of  treatment and relapse prevention as OT ,what works and what does not work  for example it seems like focus groups do work and other things .

During the event I learnt a lot from the people who have insight into their condition and who are willing to share their own expoerince and the recommendation they had were really goodI think events like these should be made to increase our knowledge as health professional thus improving effectiveness of our own intervention.

References

Yates, A., Le Couteur. (2016). Diagnosing Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorders. Paediatrics and Child Health 26(12). pp. 513-515

Weijerman, ME; de Winter, JP (Dec 2010). "Clinical practice. The care of children with Down syndrome". European Journal of Pediatrics. 169 (12): 1445–52. doi:10.1007/s00431-010-1253-0. PMC 2962780. PMID 20632187.

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

I have learnt a lot about myself that I do not give up on myself even when I feel like it .I have learnt that my time management is really not on point since there is so many things going on other than pacticals and found it hard to do my work on time because I get overwhelmed and have a really mood and instead of focusing on the work I just get depressed about it but I do get my work done at some point.I have learnt to do things on my own pace as much as I want to be competent I shouldn’t be really that hard on myself cause I know that I am already trying and competing with myself at the level that I am currently at and I have knowledge of what I want to achieve .Im not saying I wont be working on my time management though.

I try to keep positive as much as I can and sometimes when you get feedback you already know where you went wrong .I feel like I should also be given a chance to have own self experience to be able to evaluate myself during treatment session and to be given a chance to adapt and a space to have my own experience on overcome my own challenges ,but I have learnt from others .

I have learnt that its important to plan and have back up always when things dont go the way you have planned 

After all i believe i am the kind of person who is willing to learn 

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

Casual Day

Growing up I really didnt understand the meaning of casual day to me it was just like another day of dressing up at school not wearing uniform in exchange of paying cash .Little did I know about the meaning behind casual day. Not many people know the meaning of casual Day its purpose so I will give background of Casual day. Casual Day is an awareness and fundraising project benefiting persons with disabilities .It takes place each year on the first friday of September .On that South Africans are encouraged to go to work dressed differently either dressed up or down and to wear a Casual Day sticker to show their support for disabled people . This campain serves to encourage the public to contribute financially through small donation of R10 for a sticker ,and at the same time lobbies for the full intergration of persons with disabilities into maintream society .It does not only serve to raise funds but to also increase awareness of the needa of this sector of community in a fun way . According to an article writen by SA Federation For Mental health , casual Day was launched ,the project has raised in excess R200 million which is contributed among the project's main national beneficial beneficiaries .The SA Federation for Mental Health is one of the beneficiaries of Casual Day and others. I believe its very important for Occupational therapists to take part in these types of function.In order to help raise awareness of the different disabilities amongst their community and help with intergration of people with disability both mental and physical into the community and to reduce stigma in a way and provide and increase support for the disabled in their community through education and whilst having fun .I believe Occupational therapists participation is crucial in these kinds of events cause the proffession it self deals with disabled people both physical disabilities and mental disabilities and are specialist in working with disabilities and they know the importance of leisure amongst disabled people and the importance of a blanced life its self in all aspects of areas of occupation (social participation and leisure and etc ) which will in a way be covered though the event . References URL:http:safmh.org.za/index.php/get-involved/casual day

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

Potrayal of mental illness in Film

So i had a chance to watch the movie called A Beautiful Mind .It talks about John Nash who was battling with the illness of schizophrenia.This movie is really informative to people who do not know alot about schrizophrenia .It educative about its symptoms ,its management , available treatment for it, its effect on occupational function and the person and the people close to the people around those people(family and friends). Nash in the movie had symptoms such as poor social skills ,delusions as he thought he was a government employee,hallucinations ,akward gestures , jumbled speech , abnormal gestures and ideas of reference.This symptoms had negative impact on his interpersonal relationship and intimacy It highlighted the effects the importance of treatment and how effective treatment is in schrizophrenia.As Nash was getting treatment he had residual symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions which he had problems dealing with as he would act on them .Repression of some symptoms through health/ medical intervention was possible..He was able to go back to being a lecture at the college wherr he taught.This was a good potrayal of mental illness an insider of the individuals person living with the illness as each individual present differently and the severity of symptoms is different .It also highlighted the importance of support from loved ones in mental illness .Which alot of people would gain alot from watching the movie aspecially since people dont get much information and some dont know how to react when having someone like that in their lives .It highlighted the important clinical fetures but not everything that needs to be know about schitzophrenia. By Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly star.Directed by Ron Howard

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

Reflection of my assessment and treatment skills as an Occupational therapist student in mental health

Assessments in OT Assessment is a proccess of gathering ,analysis and interpretation of data in order to determine the extent of all aspects of client dysfunction (holistic) or specific aspects of client function (reductionist) .During assessment a comparison is made between normal and abnormal in order to dertermine the extent of abnormality . Asessments and treatment are vital in mental health .You cannot treat when not knowing what is it that needs to be treated .Thus for better result and for the best most effective treatment for mental health patients good asessment skills have to be developed by students . The are different ways to assess.The first one is though observations by the therapist on initial encounter with the patient .It is very important to gather information about you are dealing with in order to get an overall picture of your patient .This will be done through interviews , screening, observations , Formal assessment and informal assessments . I have realised that some formal assessment only assess for short durations e,g 6 months and you find that manny of the patients in the setting im in have been in the hospital for years thus i tend to use more of the other forms of assessment .Most of the time problems are different for each patient as every patient is different thus the is no generalization you cannot really treat a problem that is not there therefore knowing your patient is important. In my experience i have realised that Ot asssessment is contionious .Especially in mental health .As you are treating you may still be able to assess the extent of your treatment progress and other issuess or problems can still arise or be observed during sessions and etc .I have also realised that in mental health you dont even need to touch or be with the petient to be able to observe and analyze some things eg. observing a patient in a social setting (when interacting with others) .I have also learnent that is is important to exclude other factors that will contribute to unfair or unrealistic assessment when assessing a mental health patient such as setting(environmemtal factors ) of which you are in ,medication , time of the day and etc .This factors have to be aknoweledged by the therapist during assessments and be considered during treatment.These are considered through principles of structuring (how you set environment for your treatment,how therapist positions clients and material and etc ).Handling (how you physically and emotionally handle the patient) .Presentation (how you present activity) . The assessments before treatment enables the therapist to establish the size or extent of the clients problem and to determine the aim of treatment (Cole ,2002). I believe that for better and effective treatment .Good assessment skills have to be achieved in order to determine every problem and be able to intergrate it with patients daily occupation .Then from there aims are established and a model has to be applied to analyse and treat problems and also an appropriate ,most effective Applied Frame of Reference with approaches has to be chosen by the therapist in order to provide the best treatment for the patient thus bring balance to the patient occupational performance or daily occupation and helping patient meet their fullest potential and allow for competence in the patient. Thus if the is a gap in the link or clinical proccess it will be hard to reach the next step in a clinical circle .I feel like i am improving daily in practicals but more theoretical knowledge has to be visited in order for myself to be able to provide best treatment .

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

My Experience of prac prep and first week prac

This was my experience of first week of prac .Being in pyschosocial blog is different from being in physical block you dont know what to expect .The kind of conditions to expect and where to start with the patients you will be given . Researching about the place was crucial for preparation cause you cant go unprepaired .I did some research of the place that we were allocated for wit my group .I found out it was a chronic mental institution and that most patients from the facility are schritzophrenic thus I needed to do more studying of the diagnosis at hand .It was not only that diagnosis I also heard that Bipolar was present as well . I was overwhelmed about the expectations that was put on me ....I definately did feel some pressure ...cause as much as i think i know or read I still felt like i wasnt prepared enough and the fact that the last time i did pychsocial assessment was 18 months ago didnt really help .I had to go back and remind myself of the observation you have to look at ..the tone ..the voice ...body laungage of the person and content of speech all the things you have to be able to know . Prac prap really help with guiding and highlighting the important factors that need to be coverd on the presentation and casestudy . Then the actual practicals came .We had to plan an assessment session for someone you didnt know with a diagnosis you dont know .I wont lie it was really challanging ,but it was worth it cause everything does need planning . So the first week of prac was interesting we were orientated to the place and everyone in there .Learn a lot .Learn to be firm and not all scared of the mentally ill.I did some assessment and what i had realised with pschosocial is that its like you assess everyday and you can also assess and treat at the same time . After each day i had to still research about the diagnoses of the patient i was given, had understand the principles that i had to apply and have a plan and an imprortant aim for my sessions with my patients . I really did enjoy being in the place even though it worries me if I see myself as being incompetent .I learn everday from my supervisor and my classmates and the importance of working with other people or in an MDT is very crucial.

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

An Occupational therapist is born

I have read an article about the clinical reasoning process/ cycle .A special and important part in clinical settings.It involves .It helps to identify important information and prevent gaps and thus prevent clients from getting un wholistic treatment .It involves considering the clients information , collecting cues or information , proccessing information ,identifying problems and issues , establishing goals to solve the problem,taking action,evaluating out come,reflecting on the process and new learning .To provide proper treatment to client who have to make proper assessment ,you work on your observational skills and u are being taught to think critically and apply clinical reason in everything you do .This help to proper treatment for patients using clinical reasoning and action.As an OT you learn everyday since treatment methods are being created each day. I have also learn the important of working in an MDT and using the resources around the community .Also working with not only the patient but also the family or caregivers is important .It is important for treatment to be client centred and wholestic so that the chances of relapes/recovery can be smaller .

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

Did your client make progress

My client did make some progress .I had a T5 spinal cord injured client .On my initial encounter client has not been able to dress himself ,the nurses had to do it for him .His physical endurance is improving .I have also improved his volition .At first he was not willing to participate in therapy and group programs .By through forming a good therapist -client relationship .Client has been able to engage and join the group thus increasing his leisure and shifting focus into positive thoughts rather than staying in ward doing nothing.The other thing i have been working on was improving the clients upper limb and wheelchair mobility since client will be wheelchair bound after discharge .Client muscle strength has improved from 4 to 5 .I also taught client transfers using a board as client relied on using a string when transferring from bed to wheelchair and this was not realising for client since the will be no string at home after being discharged .Client has been able to transfers himself in and out of the wheelchair , from bed and e.t.c.He has been able to push himself across inclines and also do a wheelchair tilt .Clients mood has been changed from being sad .He now looks toward to receiving therapy .I have asked for a wheelchair he could use from the OT department at the hospital to use when im not treating him doing practical days so that he can be able to go and socialize with the other patients in the hospital and also improve his wheelchair mobility .

[nontokozosibiyatheot]

Did your client make progress

My client did make some progress .I had a T5 spinal cord injured client .On my initial encounter client has not been able to dress himself ,the nurses had to do it for him .His physical endurance is improving .I have also improved his volition .At first he was not willing to participate in therapy and group programs .By through forming a good therapist -client relationship .Client has been able to engage and join the group thus increasing his leisure and shifting focus into positive thoughts rather than staying in ward doing nothing.The other thing i have been working on was improving the clients upper limb and wheelchair mobility since client will be wheelchair bound after discharge .Client muscle strength has improved from 4 to 5 .I also taught client transfers using a board as client relied on using a string when transferring from bed to wheelchair and this was not realising for client since the will be no string at home after being discharged .Client has been able to transfers himself in and out of the wheelchair , from bed and e.t.c.He has been able to push himself across inclines and also do a wheelchair tilt .Clients mood has been changed from being sad .He now looks toward to receiving therapy .I have asked for a wheelchair he could use from the OT department at the hospital to use when im not treating him doing practical days so that he can be able to go and socialize with the other patients in the hospital and also improve his wheelchair mobility .