Scenario of a Student Who May Benefit from Occupational Therapy
Adam is an 8th grade student diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder - excessive, perpetual, and uncontrollable worry to the extent that interests and performance in daily life routines and activities are interrupted even neglected and inhibited (Mayo Clinic, 2021). Because GAD stops people from focusing on important life activities causing slow information processing, poor initiation and motivation, low concentration, fatigue, loss of sleep, muscle tension or muscle aches, trembling, twitching, nervousness, nausea, phobias, difficulty speaking up in class, social isolation, poor ability to understand and follow directions, poor ability to complete assignments, difficulty managing thoughts and worries, an Occupational Therapist can help them. Occupational Therapists " use meaningful activities to help children and youth participate in what they need and or want to do in order to promote physical and mental health and well-being. Occupational therapy practitioners focus on participation in the following areas: education, play and leisure, social participation, activities of daily living (ADLs; e.g., eating, dressing, hygiene), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs; e.g., meal preparation, shopping), sleep and rest, and work. These are the usual occupations of childhood. Task analysis is used to identify factors (e.g., sensory, motor, social–emotional, cognitive) that may limit successful participation across various settings, such as school, home, and community. Activities and accommodations are used in intervention to promote successful performance in these settings" (AOTA, 2021).
Strategies the OT Will Use to Help Children with Mental Disorders
- Create a sensory modulation kit and/or a sensory diet.
- Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) to help students develop skills to recognize and manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
- Teach relaxation techniques and positive self-talk that students can use in the classroom and at home.
- Promote participation in meaningful leisure activities. (AOTA, 2021)
Levels of Intervention
- Promotion – involves the entire school and encourages the reduction of stress and sensory overcharge by implementing "inclusive recess experiences" (AOTA, 2021).
- Prevention – involves targeted interventions for at-risk students without isolating them from gen. ed. by “collaborating with teachers to create sensory-friendly environments that incorporate self-regulating strategies within the class room, such as making fidget toys available, providing quiet corners in which to work, and offering relaxation breaks” (AOTA, 2021).
- Intensive/Individualized – involves integrating techniques with academic expectations by collaborating with the teacher and “ modifying assignments by breaking them down into smaller steps, allowing flexible deadlines for harder assignments, reducing homework load, creating opportunities for stress reduction, adhering to a sensory diet, or partnering with a friend during more challenging learning activities” (AOTA, 2021).