Spring Break
Therapy awareness month kicks off
Kami Nguyen, Daily Staff Writer
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National Occupational Therapy month is a time for people who work in the field to become "pro-active" and help others learn about the profession, said Gordon Burton, chair of the occupational therapy department.
A group of graduate and undergraduate students were available to answer questions and hand out information about the different aspects of the program.
The students in the program were part of a course in management and were assigned to do an advocacy program, said student Rupal Matani.
She said students in the program usually set up display tables every semester to educate students on campus and to get students involved.
Graduate student Anna DeLue said the group was able to choose the type of project they wanted.
Some went to speak in medical schools and elementary schools to teach students about the program and what it involves, she said.
Posters showed pictures of different occupational therapy clinics that can be found on campus.
"It gives us a chance to practice while we are learning about theories. It's hands-on experience," she said.
Honora Hunter and Tom Dick juggled not only to catch the attention of students, but also to show how juggling helps in therapeutic ways.
Hunter said juggling can be used to analyze 50 different functions of the body including sensory awareness, pain response, postural control and coping skills.
"Teenage boys who don't want to do other activities may be more motivated to juggle," she said. "If they do it for a long period of time, it can help their endurance and strengthen their muscles."
Hunter juggled using "flower sticks," where she juggles and balances a stick back and forth with two other sticks.
Freshman Amanda Harrington stopped by to try to juggle with the sticks and to learn how it is used in therapy.
She said the juggling caught her attention and she thought it was a good idea to get students to stop by.
Dick juggled using a diabolo, a Chinese toy that uses two stickswhich are attached by a string. The spinning diabolo is balanced on the string and can be tossed around for different tricks.
He said he has been juggling since 1996 and will use his juggling skills for therapy purposes.
Students also had a chance to purchase materials and decorate their own vases.
She said making vases could be used to analyze a patient's mental and physical functions, while it can also serve as a form of treatment.
"It helps people with cognitive problems or difficulty initiating an activity to learn how to do things in sequences," she said. "There are a lot of steps involved, and we go from a simple task to more complicated ones."
When students stopped by to buy items from the bake sale, senior Amy Allen offered them use of a "reacher", a mechanical tool to help people with problems reaching up or bending over, to pick up their treat.
Vincent Dinh, who stopped by after seeing the jugglers and food on sale, used the "reacher" to pick up a cookie he purchased at the table.
The group also encouraged him to pick up other items with the tool to understand how it works.
"It's pretty easy to use - like an extra hand," he said.
The money made from the bake and vase sale go toward the graduation for occupational therapy students.
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