Era Presentations

          This week in our foundations of occupational therapy course, we split up into groups and presented about each decade from the 1940s to the 2010s. Although some of these presentations were hilarious and entertaining, valuable information was presented from each decade that shaped the way for how we do things today. In this blog, I am going to talk about three things, from three different decades that stood out to me the most. 

           In 1952, over 57,000 Polio cases were reported. Polio was a virus that effected the spinal cord. Many individuals that had this disease, were in need of therapy. This caused for a demand in splints, wheelchairs, more adaptive equipment, and more advanced prosthetics. The first splint manual was published in 1956. These are all things that we use on a daily basis in the field of OT. Creating adaptive equipment is one of the most important aspects of an OT. 

           In the 1980s, men and woman began to work more. Majority of the jobs were white collar such as accounting and finance, data processing, and computer technology. Woman began to work outside of the home, and many individuals were working more than one job. Pediatric occupational technology began to play a big role in pediatric occupational therapy. The game-boy video game become popular, which exposed posture and dexterity issues in children. Playing board games, outside games, and games such as "house" and "kitchen" became everyday activities for children. These are all activities that can be adapted and integrated into an OT session today.

           In the 2000s, cell phones and social media became extremely popular. Websites and apps such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube became a way of communication and a news outlet. In 2007, Apple released the first iPhone. These things played a huge role in education going into the 2010s. Schools began to require all students to have a laptop or iPad. Common Core was implemented in schools curriculum. This program did not teach cursive hand writing, and writing was shifted to typing. This caused a negative impact on hand writing skills in children. Occupational therapist spent a lot of time in the schools working on handwriting with students, but this also forced them to shift their focus and spend time working on typing skills, since this is the new way to complete assignments in school. Today, iPhones, laptops, and iPads have multiple uses such as communication, entertainment, and education.
           Overall, I learned how all of the major historical events over the last several decades have played a role in the OT practice today. Being a secretary was an occupation that changed over the course of several decades. Secretaries worked to provide assistance to other employees. Originally, they wrote all of their notes or used a typewriter, now they use computers and laptops to type and complete their job. Back in the 80s, this was one of the most popular jobs. Today, being a secretary for a company or an individual can be a very difficult task, due to keeping up with appointments, meetings, and social media. As technology began to advance, OTs had to adapt to these changes. I will use this knowledge in my future as an OT, and ensure I am taking this information into consideration when working with a client. Understanding what took place and what was going on as the client was growing up plays a role in setting goals, and how we will work to achieve them.