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A PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE
I am choosing to share my own perspective today because the focus of this edition is really dear to me. Recently, I got into a discussion regarding our place as OT's in middle and high schools in relation to executive function intervention. It got me to thinking. Throughout the second decade of my profession, I have always been drawn toward executive function impairments, mostly with the transition age student. I am passionate about this age group because not only do I see the potential of all of those teenage through twenty something's as they approach their adult lives, but I also recognize that so many of them may be dealing with an invisible disability that prevents them from fully achieving what they want. This "invisible disability", other wise known as having executive function deficits, has no formal label in order to pair it with symptoms let alone solutions. And while the term goes hand in hand with many diagnosis', it is not as well known that it can also stand alone, initiated by any trauma or incident that may have emotionally impacted an individual. Executive function impairments can limit attention, the ability to focus or organize, the ability to plan and be self aware, the ability to reacall and utilize past information......all of the skills we require in order to achieve self purpose and ultimately goal directed behaviors. But without individualized interventions to help clients both understand and recognize these deficits our young adults may go through life struggling to achieve their full potential, and sadly, not recognizing why. So what makes us, as OT's, a unique profession to deal with these impairments? My response: it's in the lens that we apply to our clients. While other professions may look at things from an academic perspective or an isolated cognitive deficit, as OT's we look at things from the whole person perspective and apply those deficits to the functional outcomes that are desired by our clients. In other words, it is an OT's role to help overcome those weaknesses in order to reach their individual goals. It's not about just identifying the part of them that isn't functioning to par and strengthening it. Rather it is to recognize the individual's goals, and paired with adaptation and modification, use their strengths to assist them. Be it an academic goal, a vocational goal, or a life skills goal, or any other area of focus, many young adults would benefit from working with a professional with our lens. We are the original task analyzers, the original activity analyzers, and the unique whole person profession. And as an adult who lived the majority of his life always feeling stuck, unable to achieve what I wanted to, and at times just not good enough......when you finally get the opportunity to learn that it's not that you're lazy, or always looking for the easy way, or you just have no motivation, it's absolutely life changing. To be able to learn and implement ways to help yourself move forward towards achieving the goals you have always had for yourself is a feeling like no other. While it took me over 40 years to identify and understand my own executive function deficits that I had all through my young adult life, I wouldn't change it for the world. I am thankful that my professional interests led me to learn about EF. Without it, I would not have had the opportunity to develop the skills to help myself and some pretty amazing young adults. To help them achieve goals that even they did not expect that they could achieve is priceless and to see the looks on their faces when they true recognize a future for themselves.....there are no words!
Each Newsletter I will attempt to highlight a professional or something within our profession that demonstrates our effectiveness in the executive function realm. If you have something you have seen or experienced that you would like to submit, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] or message me on facebook!
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