Occupational Therapy Personal Statement

Words: 870
Pages: 4

When I first heard about occupational therapy, I would have never envisioned squeezing paper towels as something beneficial. “Juan”, a Head Start student in occupational therapy (OT), sneaked over to the faucet to pour a cup of water. When I nudged Joe, the OT, to Juan's attention, Joe snatched a handful of paper towels. “Juan, I have a game for you.” The occupational therapist sat him down and squashed the paper into the cup. Fortunately, there was a rubber bowl at the table. Joe wrung the towel into the bowl, and asked Juan to do the same. Juan may have thought he won, but he was still flexing his fingers and accomplishing the OT's set goals. With this basic activity, I realized with enough creativity, anything could be specialized to benefit the individual. This emphasis on supporting an individual’s daily activities drew me to occupational therapy.
Prior to discovering occupational therapy, I aspired to be a special education teacher. Searching for a profession that combined my love of the arts with teaching, I thought special education was my solution; the individualized education plan encouraged my brother with Asperger's to succeed throughout high school. However, with increasing
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In low-income districts, therapy and education revolve around schools. This is particularly true in inner-city schools, where a child's sole opportunity to play outside is often at the school playground. With OT training, I will serve this underserved group. Eventually, I intend to contribute to neuroscience research in the context of occupational therapy. I am interested in factors that affect auditory sensory gating in autism, which could benefit sensory integration therapy practices. Through occupational therapy, I will continue to support those with neurodevelopmental disorders through practice and