1/3 of History

April 2017 is the centennial year for the field of occupational therapy (OT). A lot of progress has been made in the last 100 years to help people be able to function in the world around them. The scary part though is that I've been part of OT for nearly a third of its existence.

When I was injured in 1985, there wasn't much technology available for a young child with a high spinal cord injury. I remember very few sessions of being taught how to use a mouth stick. My primary learning technique was just doing something. If I wanted to play, then my only choice was to use the stick. God gave me a mind that is tuned to physics and mechanics, so I tend to pick up quickly how things function. I learned how to manipulate Legos so that I could build multiple levels high with very little, if any, help from my nurses. My dad is also mechanically minded and built a couple great systems for me to play with my farm toys.

School was another area that I felt like a guinea pig. I remember trying out several different devices to indicate I was raising my hand. Ultimately, I went with a flashlight I could activate with a switch on my head rest. After a few years of using though, I just ended up shaking my head or raising my stick if I was using it.

Hand splints have been another area of development. They started out by taking a type of foam and plastic hybrid, heating it until it was pliable, then forming it to my hands. After several months they would start to crack and the Velcro would lose its adhesiveness then the process would start over again. Now, we measure my hand size and order a splint online and it lasts for a few years.

Wheelchair development, exercise equipment and techniques, and new ways of communication are all other parts I've seen the field advance in my lifetime. In another 25-50 years, what we think is advanced today will likely seem very basic and primitive.

We live in a world that is deformed due to sin. As a result, the need for assistance continues to increase. I'm thankful God has given us the tools and knowledge to help with physical challenges that would otherwise make the world inaccessible. If you happen to know anyone involved in this area, please be sure to give thanks for what they do and for the things it has enabled to be done.