I (Megan) had the opportunity, this past Friday, to speak at the school, Refuge of Hope, about Occupational Therapy. I had a great time explaining, in Spanish, what Occupational Therapy is and what it is not. I spoke specifically with the special education teachers, who are basically regular education teachers who have a desire to teach kids with special needs.
Some of the misconceptions of OT were that it mainly consists of giving massages or that it addresses labor conditions. I talked with one of the teachers after the session and she told me she couldn't understand why the government of Peru wanted OT in the schools. It didn't make sense to her that children would need counseling on their future occupations so early. However, after she heard what the term occupation really stood for - the ways in which we use time and energy - and all the other ways an OT can work with a child with special needs, she understood the need for OT.
This was also a great opportunity to visit with the men and women I worked with the first year we were in Peru. Because my language skills have improved since that first year, communication is much clearer and I really enjoyed frustration free conversations.
Below are a few pictures taken from the teaching session.
Cael stopped by for a little visit to say hi to my former co-workers
1 comment:
Hi Megan,
I am Loren's sister, I believe we've met but it's been a long time. He gave me your blog info for a couple reasons. I am thinking about learning Spanish and traveling to South America next summer to teach English and it's great to have a contact down there.
Also, I am just now learning about Occupational Therapy and considering looking into a Master's Program. I would love to hear about the work you did in schools. If you have time to send me some information about being an Occupational Therapist, please e-mail me at lindsay.kutsko@gmail.com. Or you can get in touch with me on facebook.
Hope you and Paul are doing well!
Lindsay Kutsko
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