Blog #1- Pre-Project

Hi! I'm Hayley Garber and I'm currently a senior! For my Hawken Project, I will be shadowing at Galvin Therapy Center. Galvin provides therapy services to kids and adolescents with special needs. They have several different specialists and therapies such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, aquatic therapy, and sensory processing management. The patient's disabilities range from both cognitive and physical, with some of the most common ones being Autism, Down Syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy. 

I will be shadowing specifically the occupational and physical therapists, splitting up my time almost evenly among the two. I have declared a major in Kinesiology with the intention of going into this field, but I am still undecided about whether I want occupational therapy or physical therapy. By being able to shadow both of these fields, it will help me decide which path I think best suits me. 

As far as specifics go within PT/OT, I am interested in working with kids and adolescents with special needs. I have 2 uncles with special needs of varying degrees, so this type of intervention has always been a part of my life, along with this type of lifestyle. It is a very unique and specific path, but in the long run, you are able to create lifelong bonds with the kids and families and help give them a better quality of life.  Along with having a family-related connection to this, I have worked closely with some organizations that also specialize in both kids and adults with special needs, and I have loved it and created very special bonds. I have worked with Aceing Autism and Buddy Up, both of which we teach tennis and empower exercise. Empower Sports is similar, but more broad with what sports we play and teach. 

Though I have lots of experience working with special needs, I do not have much experience in the therapy field. I am excited to see what truly goes into being able to help those athletes get to the point of actually playing sports. I am also very excited to get an inside look into what I think will be my profession after college. Though I want to go into PT or OT, I don't completely know the differences, so being able to do hands-on work in both will be an amazing opportunity to narrow down which one I want, and that is the biggest thing I am hoping to get out of this project. 

I am super eager to start this project, and I am excited to document it and share it with everyone!

Comments

  1. Rachel MullenNovember 28, 2023 at 7:43 AM

    Hayley, I am so excited for you to have this professional learning opportunity at Galvin Therapy Center. Hands-on experience is the best way to see what occupational and physical therapists do day-to-day. I look forward to see what you can observe and learn! -Mrs. Mullen

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