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Final Blog

I was inspired by many things to create this project, but my main inspiration was definitely my two uncles. Both of my uncles were born with brain damage, resulting in an Autism diagnosis and brain capacities of early childhood. One is more high-functioning than the other, so I have been exposed to the different severities and the resources that are needed to thrive. I have always been amazed at their drive and perseverance, and how they never let their disabilities affect them. Similarly, I have been very involved in organizations such as Buddy Up, Empower Sports, and ACEing Autism. All of these programs focus on sports and exercise for kids and adults with special needs. Buddy Up and ACEing Autism are both programs that teach tennis, and I have been working with them since middle school. A common theme between all of these programs is their determination and love for sports. They all go out there and give 110 percent, and even if they are struggling, they never gave up and that was s...
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Blog #7

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 "It takes a village." This saying is something you often hear parents say when raising a child, especially in the early phases. I had never truly understood this saying, but these past 3 weeks have really put it into perspective for me. When it comes to kids, they are already very high-maintenance and energetic, but when you add special needs on top, they can become even more high-maintenance and time-consuming. I have seen many families come through the clinic with multiple children, some with multiple children there for therapy, and some who just don't have someone to stay with the siblings, so they have to bring them along. Sometimes my job has just been to keep the other siblings occupied so the patient and therapist can focus and work. I have seen parents come in very overwhelmed for a multitude of reasons, but it often comes down to frustration and the whirlwind of emotions that come with seeing your child in therapy. In therapy, the smallest achievements are huge,...
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Blog #6

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 After spending the past 3 weeks here, the thing that has stood out the most during the sessions is the power toys and activities have on the kids. Unlike sports rehab or adult therapy services, these kids have a different view of their sessions and view them as either play time or as a punishment. You can not tell the kids to go and do exercises like you can with adults, so the sessions always require toys and playing. The therapists do a very good job at including therapy in whatever toy or activities the kids want to do. The toys and activities range from puzzles, art activities, board games, cars, sports equipment, dolls, etc. Last week, one of the therapists brought in toys that her kids had grown out of, and immediately they became a fan favorite among all of the kids. These kids spend so much time at the clinic, so they get used to a lot of the toys and activities, and whenever there is something new, it is very exciting! I think Hawken could help give back to Galvin Therapy...
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Blog #5

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 Kids are expensive in general, but when you have to worry about endless therapy and doctor appointments, medical equipment, and any special playing or therapy equipment, the money adds up quick. These parents are all trying to give their kids the best quality of life possible, but therapy goes beyond the one-hour sessions in the clinic. The parents all continue the therapy at home, but if they do not have the proper resources, the child may not progress. The families already have so much to worry about, and having to find the money to pay for necessary equipment should not be a stressor they have to worry about. I learned that many of these patients are already on scholarships which gives them an allotted amount of money to go towards equipment and therapies, but many times this doesn't cover stuff for their homes. Through the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, the therapists are able to request equipment for the patients on behalf of the families. Though it can ...
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Blog #4

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Today marks the halfway point of this internship, and I have already learned more than I could have ever expected. I have worked with over 30 different patients both in PT and OT, and every patient is always different. A majority of the patients we see are either on the Autism spectrum or have some type of developmental delay or behavioral issues. Though we do different things with every patient, there is not usually a significant difference. This being said, there are two patients who specifically stood out to me today. We saw these patients back to back which is what made them stand out so prevalently to me. The first patient was a 21-month-old boy who presented with little to no muscle tone. At that age, children are typically walking, playing, and beginning to talk. This patient has a rare genetic mutation that causes decreased muscle tone, and he wears a SPIO vest. A SPIO vest provides deep pressure input and increased stability in the shoulder, hip, and trunk to help improve func...
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Blog #3

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      Today was my third day, and it was by far my favorite! This was the first time I spent the entire day with Physical Therapy, and I was shadowing Jamie. Jamie graduated from PT school in May, so it was nice to talk to someone who had just gone through the entire schooling and shadowing process. We talked a lot about the whole process, and she did a really helpful job explaining the different paths. She also made sure to explain why we were doing the exercises or treatments we were doing for a certain kid. While PT and OT have some overlap, I enjoyed PT because it is more hands-on and active. Similar to OT, what we do with the kids depends on their capabilities, but we try to make activities fun and engaging while also making it therapeutic. We also started every session off in the gym and let the kids play. With some of the older and easier kids, we preplanned activities, and the kids went along with it, but with some of the younger and less engaged kids, we followed...
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Blog #2

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     Today was the first day, and I could not have asked for a better first day. On Mondays, it is solely Occupational Therapy, so I spent the day with the OTs. We saw kids of all ages and disabilities, and every session was different. A common theme I noticed among many of the patients and their sessions is that the therapist usually lets them do their own thing for the first 15 ish minutes. This allows them to get all of their energy out, and make their experience a little more enjoyable and fun, rather than them fighting and being upset all throughout the sessions. It is also important to give the kids the space that they might need, and sometimes that involves me stepping out. While most of the kids we work with are okay with a new face, some are not and react in a shy or angry way. With kids, especially those with special needs, they have a hard time participating in activities for a long time or doing things that they don't want to do, so when preparing for sessions...
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