For my practicum my fall semester of 2009, I have been observing two Occupational Therapists and I have learned so much from this experience. It is very interesting to see the two sides to the job. The first OT I have been observing works in a school three days a week and she works with high schoolers, jr. high schoolers, middle schoolers, and elementary schoolers. We mainly work on handwriting and fine motor with these kids but it is a fun time to get to know them and see how they are progressing.
The second OT I observe works in a clinic and it is very exciting to also see this aspect. She gets more time with each child and both OT's have different teaching approaches. Since the school OT must follow the IEP or 504, they do not have as much free reign where as the clinical OT can adjust her goals or the day as things progress while still following the IEP. I also like doing both because most of the children in the school do not have autism where as almost all the kids in the clinic are on the spectrum.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Happy Halloween!!!!!!!
My favorite holiday has come and gone but it is still not to late to write about it! Fall was a little short for mid-Ohio this year because of rain but it was still just as beautiful as last year and I made it to the pumpkin patch. I also got to carve my pumpkins this year :) The picture posted is of my two pumpkins, one is of a monster creeping through a window and the other is a Disney Princess glass slipper. This year I dressed up as two costumes instead of just one. The first was a black cat and the second was Theodore from Alvin and the Chipmunks, one of my roommates was Alvin and the other was Simon. On the Thursday before Halloween one of my roommates and I took the little girls I watch trick or treating and then we had a nice time with the family eating delicious pizza. The following day I had a Halloween party in my room and on Halloween we went and watched a band play at a local bar while hanging out with a ton of friends.
Columbus Walk Now for Autism
I cannot believe that I have not blogged in over a month but finally I am here doing it. :) The Columbus Walk Now for Autism was well over three weeks ago but it was an amazing time and it was so great to once again come together as a community and raise money for a great awareness. The attendance beat last years and we are almost to the goal of $600,000. How exciting? We also had an amazing and large team this year filled with not only family but also friends! The Ohio State Pep Band, Cheerleaders, and Harry Slatkin were there to kick start the event along with Columbus, Ohio's Jenny McCarthy- Jarod Smalley. It was amazing to see all the people and all the resources that are starting to come out and spread their help through the autism community.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Autism Video
Okay so I know I have not blogged in a long time, but I am a senior in college and trying to get through my first few weeks. I wanted to post this though so many people can see it. It is a video title I Am Autism and it is great. Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDdcDlQVYtM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDdcDlQVYtM
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Walk Now for Autism Speaks Kick-Off
It is the second annual Walk Now for Autism Speaks in Columbus, Ohio and we are gearing up for another exciting year. I recently attended this amazing event and besides the great food and the fabulous decor put on by the Limited, the speakers were just as amazing this year.
A few things that I wanted to point out about this event still have stuck in my mind even though this event occurred 5 weeks ago. The first is about this high school boy who spoke. He talked about what it meant to be a hero and how being an athlete he was his brothers hero (his brother is on the spectrum). Little did his younger brother know, but he was this high schooler's hero. Out of all the NFL, NBA, and MLB players this high schooler's younger brother who has special needs was his hero. This really touched me because when you think of hero you think of those all stars when in the end it is really the one who has saved you and been with you through it all. It was exciting to see that even high school kids can understand what it means to be different and to stand out.
The second thing that was great about this night was the main speaker. Harry Slatkin is the President of Limited Brands Home Design and his 9 year old son is on the spectrum. Last year at this time Harry and his wife decided to place their son in a home due to his violence and his lack of improvement through all types of therapy. This year Harry was happy to report that ever since his son's move to this amazing home for children on the spectrum, he has improved significantly and is no longer violent.
The third and final thing I wanted to talk about from this event was the decor. There were kites hung all over the place and an e-mail was sent to our Kick-off chair person Michele Worthington from Matthew with Zen Genius who described the decor for the event and the e-mail goes like this:
"The kites above us with all the wonderful pictures of our kiddos are there to inspire and encourage action for people who have autism and to remind us how beautiful the results can be. Also worth noting Matthew said, is that the kite dances not always easy. Sometimes it takes a dramatic dip, tumbling to the ground with no warning or understanding, just like the struggles of those who live with autism."
The last note I want to leave is the reason why I walk: I walk to give back hope.
A few things that I wanted to point out about this event still have stuck in my mind even though this event occurred 5 weeks ago. The first is about this high school boy who spoke. He talked about what it meant to be a hero and how being an athlete he was his brothers hero (his brother is on the spectrum). Little did his younger brother know, but he was this high schooler's hero. Out of all the NFL, NBA, and MLB players this high schooler's younger brother who has special needs was his hero. This really touched me because when you think of hero you think of those all stars when in the end it is really the one who has saved you and been with you through it all. It was exciting to see that even high school kids can understand what it means to be different and to stand out.
The second thing that was great about this night was the main speaker. Harry Slatkin is the President of Limited Brands Home Design and his 9 year old son is on the spectrum. Last year at this time Harry and his wife decided to place their son in a home due to his violence and his lack of improvement through all types of therapy. This year Harry was happy to report that ever since his son's move to this amazing home for children on the spectrum, he has improved significantly and is no longer violent.
The third and final thing I wanted to talk about from this event was the decor. There were kites hung all over the place and an e-mail was sent to our Kick-off chair person Michele Worthington from Matthew with Zen Genius who described the decor for the event and the e-mail goes like this:
"The kites above us with all the wonderful pictures of our kiddos are there to inspire and encourage action for people who have autism and to remind us how beautiful the results can be. Also worth noting Matthew said, is that the kite dances not always easy. Sometimes it takes a dramatic dip, tumbling to the ground with no warning or understanding, just like the struggles of those who live with autism."
The last note I want to leave is the reason why I walk: I walk to give back hope.
Autism Speaks: Making a Difference in OHIO
For many people, they are unaware of what certain organizations do for their state. Autism Speaks is one of them. There are many Ohioans who believe that Autism Speaks does not give back to the Ohio community and that is completely wrong. I recently attended the Walk Now for Autism Speaks Kick-Off event in Columbus and received this handout so that I could share information with others people. The information listed below is specific to Ohio, but if you would like to know what Autism Speaks does for your state visit their website at autismspeaks.org
The mission of Autism Speaks is dedicated to increase awareness, research, advocacy and family services for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders.
Autism Speaks has committed over $98 million in grants to support 773 promising research projects and fellowships into the causes and treatments of autism. The investment in these research grants alone has been leveraged into nearly $153 million in NIH and other funding. In Ohio, 14 projects representing over $2.6 million in investments have been funded:
Case Western Reserve University- Cleveland, OH
CNS pattern Formulation and the Etiology of Autism
The Engrailed-2 Mutant as a Model of Neuropathology of Autism
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center/ Research Foundation- Cincinnati, OH
Genetic Control of Mammalian Amygdalar Development
Immune Phenotypes in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Does Immune System dysfunction play a role in autism?
Genome-wide Association Study of Autism Characterized by Developmental Regression
Participating in the Autism Treatment Network (ATN). The ATN is the nation's first network of hospitals and physicians dedicated to developing a model of comprehensive medical care for children and adolescents with autism.
Cleveland State University- Cleveland, OH
A play and Joint Attention Intervention fro Preschool Teachers and Young Children with Autism
Ohio State University/Ohio State University Medical Center- Columbus, OH
Risperidone and Behavior Therapy in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Long Term Follow-up
Neuronal Nicotonic Receptor Modulation in the Treatment of Autism: A Pilot Trial of Mecamylamine
Pharmacological Modulation of Functional Connectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Participating in the Clincal Trial Network (CTN) study on Fluoxetine in Autism (SOFIA). THe CTN focuses on translational research, the critical step necessary to transfer findings from the laboratory to clinical application.
The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Ohio State University- Columbus, OH
Autism Genome Project (AGP) Data Coordinating Center
The Autism Simplex Consortium (TASC) Data Coordinating Center
Wright State University- Dayton, OH
Neuro-Endocrine Peptide Hormones are Implicated in Social Behavior Development: Oxytocin involvement in Autism
Cellular mechanisms controlling central oxytocinergic activity: Role in the pathophysiology of autism.
The mission of Autism Speaks is dedicated to increase awareness, research, advocacy and family services for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders.
Autism Speaks has committed over $98 million in grants to support 773 promising research projects and fellowships into the causes and treatments of autism. The investment in these research grants alone has been leveraged into nearly $153 million in NIH and other funding. In Ohio, 14 projects representing over $2.6 million in investments have been funded:
Case Western Reserve University- Cleveland, OH
CNS pattern Formulation and the Etiology of Autism
The Engrailed-2 Mutant as a Model of Neuropathology of Autism
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center/ Research Foundation- Cincinnati, OH
Genetic Control of Mammalian Amygdalar Development
Immune Phenotypes in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Does Immune System dysfunction play a role in autism?
Genome-wide Association Study of Autism Characterized by Developmental Regression
Participating in the Autism Treatment Network (ATN). The ATN is the nation's first network of hospitals and physicians dedicated to developing a model of comprehensive medical care for children and adolescents with autism.
Cleveland State University- Cleveland, OH
A play and Joint Attention Intervention fro Preschool Teachers and Young Children with Autism
Ohio State University/Ohio State University Medical Center- Columbus, OH
Risperidone and Behavior Therapy in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Long Term Follow-up
Neuronal Nicotonic Receptor Modulation in the Treatment of Autism: A Pilot Trial of Mecamylamine
Pharmacological Modulation of Functional Connectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Participating in the Clincal Trial Network (CTN) study on Fluoxetine in Autism (SOFIA). THe CTN focuses on translational research, the critical step necessary to transfer findings from the laboratory to clinical application.
The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Ohio State University- Columbus, OH
Autism Genome Project (AGP) Data Coordinating Center
The Autism Simplex Consortium (TASC) Data Coordinating Center
Wright State University- Dayton, OH
Neuro-Endocrine Peptide Hormones are Implicated in Social Behavior Development: Oxytocin involvement in Autism
Cellular mechanisms controlling central oxytocinergic activity: Role in the pathophysiology of autism.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Movie Review: The Ugly Truth
An ABSOLUTE must see movie!!! The Ugly Truth stars Katherine Heigel and Gerard Butler in a romantic comedy that will have to laughing and smiling through the whole show time. Katherine plays Abby that is a producer of a Morning show. Gerard plays Mike a new raunchy hire by Abby's boss. Mike tells it like it is when it comes to relationships and in order to "keep" his job he begins to help Abby catch her really hot neighbor doctor, Colin, played by Eric Winter.
While he is teaching her how to flirt and helping her catch the guy, he begins to fall for Abby but does not tell her this. Just like in any romantic comedy when it comes down to the end, Mike leaves and moves to another station while they both fight feelings for each other. In the end they come back together and live happily ever after :) Gets a 5 out of 5 from me!
While he is teaching her how to flirt and helping her catch the guy, he begins to fall for Abby but does not tell her this. Just like in any romantic comedy when it comes down to the end, Mike leaves and moves to another station while they both fight feelings for each other. In the end they come back together and live happily ever after :) Gets a 5 out of 5 from me!
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