The idea of substance abuse is not new to most people, but the rehabilitation process can be more difficult to understand. Occupational therapy is uniquely positioned to assist people who are struggling to recover from substance abuse, by helping them to reestablish the roles and identities most meaningful to them.

As children grow, they develop a myriad of skills and abilities over time, and one of the most important is their fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are what allow children to make small ("fine") movements with extremities (fingers and toes) and other parts of the body like the hands, tongue, lips, wrists, and feet. Children use motor skills to make small movements, like grasping something with their fingers or making a pucker face with lips. Fine motor skills develop gradually, and they can develop at different times for different children. Most doctors begin to check for fine motor skills in children at their 2-month appointment, and skills continue to develop steadily until ages 3 or 4. However, for some children, the development of fine motor skills can be delayed, and can require some extra work and practice to meet the level of their peers. Parents who are worried about a child's fine motor skills and want to help him or her make progress in their development can check out the information below for some helpful tips.

A visual processing, or perceptual, disorder refers to a hindered ability to make sense of information taken in through the eyes. This is different from problems involving sight or sharpness of vision. Difficulties with visual processing affect how visual information is interpreted, or processed by the brain.  

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States (US), with nearly 100 suicides occurring each day and over 36,000 dying by suicide each year. Among Veterans and current military, suicide is a national public health concern. Recent estimates suggest current or former military represent 20 percent of all known suicides in the US2 and the rate of suicides among Veterans utilizing Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services is estimated to be higher than the general population. The enormity of the problem has led to several major public health initiatives and a growth in research funding for suicide prevention. Despite recent suicide prevention efforts, the suicide rate in the US has changed relatively little over the past 100 years. The body of research on suicide prevention approaches has been reviewed previously by Gaynes and colleagues, and Mann and colleagues, and recent, similar work exists in the form of draft self-harm guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2011. As requested by the Veterans Affairs (VA)/Department of Defense (DoD) Evidence Based Practice Working Group (EBPWG) on suicide prevention, we examined recent research on suicidal self-directed violence as defined by Crosby et al. 2011. We update the work of Gaynes et al. and Mann et al. by systematically reviewing relevant literature that was not included in either report, and was published in 2005 through November 18, 2011. Though the focus of the report is on suicide prevention, we include as outcomes any type of suicidal self-directed violence, defined as “Behavior that is self-directed and deliberately results in injury or the potential for injury to oneself. There is evidence, whether implicit or explicit, of suicidal intent.

Occupational therapy news you need to know!!  In this news cycles find out about new billable codes for sexual assault, changing landscapes regarding hospital patient discharges and services, and backpack awareness day.

The International Institute of Therapeutic Intervention and Learning is a great resource for those utilizing brain entrainment and neurofeedback. Their soundscapes specifically target areas where a client may be having trouble. For those unfamiliar with Brain Entrainment, it refers to the capacity of the brain to naturally synchronize its brainwave frequencies with the rhythm of periodic external stimuli, most commonly auditory, visual, or tactile. The external stimuli elicit the brain’s ‘frequency following response’, encouraging the brainwaves to align to the frequency of a given medium. FFR can be useful because brainwaves are very much related to mental state. For example, a 10 Hz brainwave is associated with relaxation, so a 10 Hz sound pattern would help reproduce the relaxed state in your brain. I have successfully used it with varying conditions including; ADHD, ASD, PTSD, Anxiety, and Sensory Integration. However, one does not have to have a diagnosis to utilize brain entrainment. Positive research on brain entrainment continues to grow and expand.

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. Work hard OT's! Pursue that which scares you!

The development of a pressure ulcer significantly impacts the individual’s ability to participate in activities of daily living (ADL). The occupational therapist’s expertise can be used to identify causative factor(s) to skin breakdown, and to make recommendation(s) that protect the skin or promote wound healing while promoting participation in meaningful occupation.  In this study guide you will find:

1. Graphical Reviews
2. Therapists’ Roles in Pressure Ulcer Management in Persons With Spinal Cord Injury - The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine
3. Manualization of Occupational Therapy Interventions: Illustrations From the Pressure Ulcer Prevention Research Program – AJOT
4. PRESSURE ULCER PREVENTION, ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT ALGORITHM
5. PREVENTING AND TREATING PRESSURE SORES: A guide for people with spinal cord injuries – Ontario Neurotrama Foundation
6. BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE Prevention and Management of Pressure Injuries – Wounds Canada
7. Occupational Therapy Skin Care Guideline: Best Practice for the Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers – Vancouver Coastal Health
8. An Overview of Skin and Pressure Area Management - Rural Spinal Cord Injury Project

Hi guys!!  Just want to let you all know that the app is growing exponentially and there are many new up and coming additions.  Please feel free to share the app with your OT friends, colleagues, students, and parents.  Let's spread the wonders of OT!  the download links for specific platforms are below!

DOWNLOAD LINKS:

iOS (iPhone/iPad):

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/occupational-therapy-insights/id1298629972?mt=8

Android (phone/tablet):

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Frederick-B-Covington-Occupational/dp/B076VWM9P9

or

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ontimepediatrics.android.therapy&hl=en_US

iHeartRadio:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/occupational-therapy-insights-28753072/

Podcast Page:

www.occupationaltherapyinsights.libsyn.com