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.
For this post I decided to discuss just what a therapeutic relationship is and what it entails. A therapeutic relationship is defined as the interaction between an occupational therapist practitioner and their client. Therapeutic relationships differ from everyday relationships, in that they are key in facilitating the healing and rehabilitation process. They also differ from the typical relationship in that it's not about both people but strictly about the client and meeting their needs. Developing and sustaining therapeutic relationships involves the ability to develop trust, demonstrate empathy, understand verbal and nonverbal communication, and the use of active listening. Trust is one of the most important aspects in any type of relationship to me. Once trust is obtained the client feels more comfortable with sharing personal information which in turn greatly benefits the intervention process. Developing empathy is another huge part of this process, the client must believe tha...
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