Well as I mentioned in my last blog I have retired as a COTA. I don't miss getting up in the mornings to get ready for work, but I already miss meeting and working with people. That was one of the key matters considered as this decision was made because I knew it would leave a blank in my life.

As much as there were always a few patients I would rather not have to deal with, most people ...

One of things that make us human and separates us from the animals is that we have the ability to be Self-Aware. Unlike a dog that requires a trainer, we have the amazing ...

In these snippets from the archives, my daughter accuses me of being echolalic, and she desperately needs some increased sensory input after I pull her out of her regular routine.

September 1, 2006:

As A. and I were walking up the stairs to our apartment this evening, she slipped her hand beneath my arm and ever-so-gently grasped my elbow. It struck me as such an incredibly "lady-like" thing to ...

To be fair, my daughter's overall reclusive nature and tendency to avoid conversations with her parental figures has, I believe, more to do now with the fact she's quickly approaching 14 years of age than it does with the fact she's autistic, but that doesn't mean I appreciate the conversations we *do* have any less. I still revel in any moment my daughter decides she'd like to be in my company.

It's actually ...

Hello readers, sorry I've been gone for a while. I had to take a bit of time away from the blog in order to deal with some personal issues. Life is always challenging, and sometimes a break is needed. Sometimes a break is just to refresh your spirit. For me this was both.

One personal issue is my mom, who fell recently and broke a leg. At 90 years old she still lives alone and drives ...

So, here I am on the tour bus in Israel coming close to the end of an adventuresome trip to the "Holy Land" when a very nice fellow traveler sits next to me and says, "I want to learn more about what you do?"

 She apparently had heard a little about the alternative approaches I use through the grapevine as we traveled together for the past 10 days. I could tell ...

In this entry from the archives, my daughter becomes obsessed with the idea of creating a perfect Mother's Day for me... in the middle of August.

August 30, 2006:

Tonight, my daughter became suddenly obsessed with the concept of Mother's Day. She told me that she wanted to make me a big, delicious breakfast of chocolate milk, juice, cereal, bacon, eggs, and pancakes. I told her that was a beautiful ...

This title from a recent Advance Article caught my attention.  As a golf enthusiast (where my score does not yet reflect my passion for the game!) and with May being Mental Health Awareness Month I found the topic timely and fascinating.   Basically a group of Level 2 fieldwork ...

I was glad to see this pop up on my radar.  This Thursday May 9th is National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.  With our 24/7 news   and social media feed these days it just seems as if there is a barrage of attention lately focused on escalating violence affecting children.  Traumatic events such as the ...

On the evening of April 27, the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Foundation presented their annual awards to occupational therapy practitioners who have made outstanding contributions to the profession in leadership, advocacy, education, practice and research.

Former AOTA President Penny Moyers Cleveland, EdD, OT, BCMH, FAOTA, received the AOTA Award of Merit ...

On the afternoon of Saturday, April 27, AOTA conducted its Annual Business Meeting during the association's annual conference in San Diego. The meeting included some notably highlights from various leaders in the Association.

AOTA Treasurer Ben Herz, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, reported on the financial status of the association. During fiscal year (FY) 2012, which ran from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, the association's ...

I sat in on a great short course for Children and Youth last week at the AOTA conference.  Entitled Finding Our Niche in RtI, instructors Joyce Salis, OTD, OTR/L and Janet Bucey, OTR/L did a super job of explaining OT's role in the RtI process at each of the tiers.  There was no shortage of suggested resources either, from EBP citations including this one from Bazyk et ...

I was thrilled to be at the AOTA conference last week in San Diego.  This is the first time in many years that I have gone just as an attendee/participant and it was both insightful and delightful to sit in on courses, go to poster sessions and network with colleagues and friends.  I believe this year's attendance was one of the highest on record in many years.  There was something ...

One of the most common questions I get asked is, "How do I remain Present?"

It all boils down to Intention and Attention. My mentor Dr. Joe Dispenza frequently says, "Where your attention goes your energy flows." Well, the average human being loses their attention every 6-10 seconds, so its easy to see why we are so stressed all the time.

Instead of attending to the ...

The 93rd Annual AOTA Conference and Expo kicked off yesterday to great fanfare, with the University of Southern California marching band leading off the Welcome Ceremony and Keynote Address. AOTA President Florence Clark greeted thousands of conference attendees in a packed hall that was nearly standing room only. This conference, she said, is on track to tie the second highest number of attendees at any AOTA Conference.

In ...

In this entry from the archives, A. and I wrap up our last days in Germany, and prepare to "return to English."

July 28th, 2006:

Well, I have about 36 hours left to spend in Germany. Despite the lack of air conditioning, I am really going to miss it. I will have to come back. It's just one of those places for me, like New York City. And here I have friends, and people I could count in my extended ...

Continuing on our Earth Day adventures with the theme of getting outside one of my fellow colleagues who is a former PE instructor sent me a great blog from peds OT Loren Shlaes.  Entitled Why Kids ...

With Earth Day this Monday (4/22/13) it seemed appropriate to bring up this topic.  No NDD is not an official medical diagnosis, but a description of "human alienation from nature."  Upon the recommendation of a trusted OT friend, I have just downloaded the Kindle version of the book Last Child in ...

Working as a COTA I have noticed more and more people of larger size on my caseload recently. I tend to note that as much as their admitting diagnosis can vary, many have similar health issues. Working with people of size is no different than working with any other patient, but it will require good strength and body mechanics.

I'm not sure if it's me because I'm getting older or if ...

In this entry from the archives, as we continued our summer trip to Germany, A. and I explored many different cities, and she even made a fast friend despite the language barrier.

July 16th, 2006:

I'm totally behind in relating my adventures, so I don't imagine I will come anywhere close to doing the last week justice. You'll just have to settle for the condensed version, sorry. And we'll go ...

This concept is popping up in my world again so just thought I would give an update on my blog from earlier this year on Telehealth.  My sister is a clinical nurse specialist who works for a busy pediatric cardiology center. Her team is discussing how telehealth may possibly ...

Consciousness is energy, and energy is literally natures "medicine," so the more we raise our consciousness as healthcare providers, the more our presence (energy) alone can heal the people we serve.

We all know how great it feels to be around someone (or an animal) whose pure positive energy. I make friends with every dog I see for this reason. It's literally healing.

I was recently reflecting on ...