ABC Therapeutics Occupational Therapy Weblog

I get dozens of emails daily from readers and I generally enjoy them all. I try to respond to most emails. Sometimes I get comments directly on the blog but those are more rare. I guess that many people prefer anonymity and that is fine. Many of the comments are from anonymous people and I am frequently torn about whether or not I want to advance their comments. For example, someone may agree or disagree with something that I have written and they want to advance their own opinion on it - but they don't want to put their name with their comment. This is easily fixed by disabling anonymous comments but some of the most thought-provoking comments are anonymous. All my life I have been fascinated by anonymous self expression - like carving into picnic tables or graffiti or on publicly posted leaflets or pamphlets. That is a topic for another day. Many of the comments that never get published here are links to people's proprietary websites that sell products and I never wante...

I posted two and a half years ago about problems with a lack of evidence for the Wilbarger intervention methods. In that post I included a link to http://www.sensorydefensiveness.com/ which at the time was allegedly sponsored by Pat Wilbarger. Now that website curiously redirects and links to a mirror page for Valerie Dejean and The Spectrum Center, which is now located in New York. Apparently they used to have a center in Maryland, but according to documents from the Maryland Board of Occupational Therapy Practice , it is a matter of public record that a Valerie Dejean surrendered her license to practice for several reasons including: use of the Tomatis Electronic Ear which has been banned by the FDA use of unlicensed persons to practice occupational therapy fraudulent billing practices I previously wrote about concerns with the Tomatis program and the FDA ban here. So in summary this Tomatis progam is not generally accepted but some occupational therapists continue to flirt with the...

Abortion rates of children who have disabilities are high, in excess of 90% of all pregnancies of children who have Down Syndrome (Mansfield, Harper, Marteua, 1999). In consideration of recent conversations here I think that it is critical to highlight the passage of a new law. Public Law No: 110-374 is called the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act . It is the purpose of this Act to-- (1) increase patient referrals to providers of key support services for women who have received a positive diagnosis for Down syndrome, or other prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions, as well as to provide up-to-date information on the range of outcomes for individuals living with the diagnosed condition, including physical, developmental, educational, and psychosocial outcomes; (2) strengthen existing networks of support through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and other patient and provider outreach pr...

I. Literature Review Introduction The purpose of this project was to explore complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) by using current models of sensory modulation disorder (SMD) and by using narrative interview. Sensory processing theory as grounded in sensory integration theory (Ayres, 1979, p. 5) and later modified by Dunn (1997) provided the background neurophysiological models for this study. Dunn stated that there is a relationship between neurological sensory thresholds and observed behavior (1997). The Sensory Profile was used to provide an assessment of this relationship based on the report of patients who have CRPS. This type of test that measures behavioral responses was used in this study to inform a narrative inquiry to understand the impact that these disorders have on occupation. Current scholars are integrating sensory integration theory into occupation-based intervention approaches by re-examining ways to broaden Ayres’ original concepts (Parham & Mailloux, 2001, ...

(second in a recent series of self indulgent reflections on parenting) Kids say things to parents and parents never forget those words. This goes for the things that you said to your parents and the things that your children say to you. That is why there is an unspoken understanding between children and parents that persists. Parents love their children and children love their parents. Even when other things sometimes get in the way. There is little that is worse in my life than moments of separation from my children. The bittersweet part of this is that the children know this too. I guess I am not so good at hiding it. I am away from my children this weekend, and it makes me think back to another time when we were separated because of my work. I had just finished packing the kids into the van for their trip. They had it all planned when I tucked them into bed the previous night: they did not want to wake up, and they wanted me to carry them into the van and snuggle them in with their ...

I spend so much of my professional time discussing parenting with parents - it only seems fair that I share some of my own parenting experiences. I always feel that it is important that I tell parents that I understand their limitations because I have the same limitations that they do. I don't often get to give examples though so it seems that this is a good opportunity. I have been thinking about the time that my daughter fractured her wrist - and I was too busy to notice. Sometimes I am not sure if time goes on around me, and events occur... or if I am actually a part of the stream itself, and time is happening with me. What I mean by this is that there always seem to be so many things going on and I grasp at those things that seem important - but it does not resolve the issues of those things that go past me. Only some don't go past - they stick to me, waiting for me to either liberate them back into the stream or do whatever else needs to be done. Either way, sometimes when...

I received an email from Michele Karnes who wrote the following in the interest of advancing the debate on recent postings and comments regarding interventions that I consider quackery. Michele writes: This offers a different view in response to your continuing competency column, OT's should be made aware of treatments that are offered to clients/patients, whether it is traditional or non-traditional, a long existing treatment or new one. This enables our OT profession and professionals to better educate the people they treat and interact with. Instead of taking anyone's word that a particular treatment is 'mysticism' (as you put it) or the best thing since sliced bread, the OT who attends a 2-3 hour session can be introduced to the history and theory, what the treatment or program consists of, indications/contraindications, etc. In response to Quantum Touch, it is based on the chi concept much like Tai Chi but focuses on therapeutic touch, a long standing principle use...