For this post I wanted to discuss adapting and grading an
activity in OT intervention. Within occupational therapy there are many ways to
analyze and adjust activities. There are three major points to consider when
determining whether or not to grade or adapt an activity for an individual
client. 1. Meaningful and purposeful activities are much more effective to use
as a means of grading or adapting to improve client performance. 2. There is
often a choice between fabricating an adaptation and buying a commercial
product. 3. In addition to grading and adapting therapeutic activities used in
interventions, a therapist also needs to be able to grade and adapt his or her
own behavior to meet a clients needs. These three factors are very important to
consider and reflect on when grading or adapting an activity.
So
what exactly does it mean to grade or adapt an activity? Grading means changing
the complexity of what is to be performed. This method is done by the
occupational therapist to help a client improve their performance level. It is
accomplished by examining how a client will do a task given his or her specific
strengths and limitations. The OT could choose to grade up an activity or down.
Adapting is modifying or substituting objects used in performing the activity.
Adaptation may involve changing the tool or the technique used to complete a
task. It is important to remember that with adaptation while you may be
changing or altering parts of the activity, the outcome remains the same.
Katelyn did her presentation on Steve Gleason who is a previous NFL player who now has ALS. ALS, or amyotrophic laterals sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. There are two different types of ALS, sporadic and familial. Sporadic, which is the most common form of the disease in the U.S., accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all cases. It may affect anyone, anywhere. Familial ALS accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all cases in the U.S. Familial ALS means the disease is inherited. In those families, there is a 50% chance each offspring will inherit the gene mutation and may develop the disease Shortly after being diagnosed Steve decided to turn his experience into a documentary. He also started an ALS foundation. Katelyn was very prepared and also did an excellent job on her powerpoint and presentation. One really cool thing I learned was that he has a state of the art power-wheelchair that he contr...
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