By LIBERTY COYLE-PADDACK
Sheridan High School Student
The Sheridan Student Column is brought to readers by Sheridan High School’s 10th grade English class, taught by Abby Williams.
Therapy is often associated with someone trying to regain use of a body part or learning how to correctly pronounce certain sounds. There are few people who associate therapy with learning to behave prudently in society or as a way to improve one’s ability to handle unexpected problems.
Yet, this field of healthcare, known as occupational therapy, is steadily growing. It deals with helping people improve their physical, cognitive, or sensory-related abilities.
My dream is to be a pediatric occupational therapist, which means I want to work with kids. I particularly want to help kids who struggle with sensory issues. In this specific area of occupational therapy, there are two main classifications: seekers and avoiders.
Seekers are always looking for more sensory input, often making them come across very strongly, and sometimes aggressively, to others. Seekers typically enjoy wrestling, running, hugging a lot, touching everything, and being especially noisy. To those who do not understand their dilemma, they may seem high-strung and obnoxious. In reality, however, they are not trying to be bothersome; they simply do not know how to prudently fulfill their body’s needs.
This is where occupational therapists come into play. They work with seekers to help give them all the stimulation they need, while also teaching them to be conscientious when doing so around others.
Avoiders land on the opposite end of the spectrum. They cannot handle very much input and thus are easily overwhelmed. They typically throw the biggest tantrums and can become extremely fixated on a small problem for hours on end. For example, they may feel anxiety over something like playdough because the texture is new to them and they perceive it as overwhelming. This can be too much for an avoider to handle all at once, so they will fly into a fit – crying, screaming, and refusing to settle down. This is not caused only by anger or frustration, but may be the only way they know how to deal with this new sense.
An occupational therapist’s goal with avoiders is to get them accustomed to different sensory experiences so that they are not as easily overwhelmed, as well as to teach them better ways to handle unexpected situations that they cannot process.
These therapists can completely change kids’ lives for the better. I have personally seen the amazing impact that these healthcare professionals can have on children with sensory struggles. Although they are not popularly recognized, occupational therapists are changing the world … one child at a time.