I Am Working Where I'm Supposed To Be!

                A couple of weeks ago I had two very strong reminders that I am working exactly where I am supposed to be.  I received very good feedback from my supervisor.  I was appreciative of this and after this conversation occurred  I reflected back to all the difficult times and doubts I had regarding whether or not I would become a good OT working in the schools.  These memories ranged from my obvious physical challenges, bad grades in college, being sent home on medical leave by human resources until my health condition improved when I worked at the Mt. Pleasant Center and other misunderstandings with co-workers and supervisors regarding my cerebral palsy.  I will always be disabled regardless of how well I modify my environment or make accommodations for myself or ignore it.  Rather than my cerebral palsy being an actual disability I view it as this pesky, annoying imperfection that will always being around to make other people uncomfortable and at times my interactions with these people a challenge.  I am no different than any other person in a minority group and how I choose to handle that is up to me.  I have major self esteem issues, I have been told I couldn't make it or succeed, and I have been unable to ignore the fact that I will be discriminated against, always.  For a person in my situation I don't have the option of being naive or not learning the laws that protect me in the workplace environment.  It was just very nice to know I was valued by administration where I work.  This compliment and conversation was enough to make my day a good one.  What I didn't know, my day was about to get even better.

                I work mainly with pre-school to second graders.  Almost daily or at least 2-3 times a week I get asked "What is wrong with you? Why are you walking and/or talking that way?  I will be honest since it's daily, sometimes I give a short response, rarely I ignore the question and just keep walking.  When I do this usually the halls are crowed with lots of little people, snow pants, boots, coats and I am on a mission and preoccupied.  Please remember, I am not walking around thinking about my CP.  Many, many adults probably think that I am.  How many adults wander around thinking about their annoying, pesky, imperfections when they are at work?  So, when the students confront me about this so many times I am caught off guard.  I do try and give an explanation that is age appropriate and also appropriate for the time and place.  Most of the time I answer, "I was born this way and my muscles work slower in my mouth and legs but that's okay because we're all different, right?"  I usually get a nod and a smile. 

                On this particular day I was walking with one of my students I see for therapy and the halls were practically empty.  A girl walks up beside us and asked what was wrong with me.  I could tell instantly she was being sincere and curious.  So, I gave her my explanation.  She responded by saying, "Well, that's okay because you are really beautiful."  Well, my heart just lit up with joy and I had to think quickly with how to respond to that.  So, I told her thank you and that was very kind of her.  She said "Thanks, I like being kind to people."  Man, I love working with little ones!  This little girl made all the medicaid billing and paper work worth it for the next several weeks.  I wouldn't request a different job or placement for anything.     

Letter to Legislators

THE END OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

 

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter on behalf of the millions of minority children who have a right to a free and public education in the state of Michigan.  My passion is to educate and provide children with disabilities with the ability to self-advocate and become productive members of society.  I believe that all children are the future of our country and global society.  Even though I work specifically with children who receive special education services I am well aware that all minorities are at risk with allowing schools to open that are only for profit.  This includes children with different socioeconomic status and different cultural or ethnic backgrounds, as well as children with various types of disabilities. 

The basis of our country was to provide a free and appropriate education for all children.  Minority groups and politicians have fought for decades to make public education an equal opportunity for all children.  Some of the laws that were passed include the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Education for All Handicapped Children (1975), the American’s with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Individual with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997.  It is also important to remember the hard work and dedication that existed to desegregate females and African Americans in the public educational system.  

Several years of hard work in support of equality is about to become unraveled if this new legislation is passed.  I do believe this will inflame our current problems as a country.  I believe welfare and unemployment will rise.  I believe the middle class will be distinguished and the amount of individuals in the upper class will not increase.

My personal story is a reason why public education should not be tampered with or diminished.  At the age of 2 years old I was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy.  I was immediately seen by several school based therapists in the home and at daycare until I entered a pre-primary preschool for otherwise health impaired children. 

I entered into these programs and received these services at a very unique time in the history of special education. I began my education when the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was a decade old.  It had been around long enough for educators to become acclimated to the laws and changes that were required in the world of education, yet it was also new enough to realize that mainstreaming children with special needs with other students was a great idea.  I was able to attend an elementary school where a center-based program was still set in place with a wide variety of therapists and resources in the Lansing School District.  It was in this elementary school where general and special education providers encouraged my determination, motivation and ability to learn.  In fifth grade my dream was to be a babysitter or day care provider and the educators in my life told me I would surpass and go above and beyond that goal.  These public educators remained in my life as mentors and major advocates for the remainder of my education and career.

I moved to another local school district where I was fully mainstreamed.  I was on a teacher consultant’s caseload and received speech therapy twice a month.  In sixth through eighth grade the teacher consultant was not located in my buildings.  It was up to me and my parents to work with general education teachers to explain the accommodations I needed.  I was able to communicate well and succeeded on the B honor roll.  By tenth grade I was in all college prep courses and without having a laptop with me at all times for school work, I would have failed.  My motor speed was too slow to take notes and complete tests.  It was my teacher consultant in high school who went above and beyond her role to get me a school laptop on a full time basis. I was one of the first students at the time who took a laptop to and from school each day.  My teacher consultant also had me enter a school to work program where I learned about resume writing, interview skills and job shadowing.   My tenth grade geometry teacher stayed after school on his time to tutor me and a French teacher who had never had a special education student attended her first Individualized Educational Plan meeting on my behalf.  My parents and I both began to realize that my success was based on the effort and dedication by both general and special education teachers.  All of them were public employees and because of all of them I knew I wanted my future career to be based on educating children with special needs.  My dream was to give back what I had been offered. 

In high school I fell in love with Occupational Therapy as a profession.  I loved the holistic approach and that the foundation of the occupation was independence in all areas of life.  I was never a great test taker in high school and it would have been difficult to enter a 4 year college or university.  I began my higher education at Lansing Community College.  It was a great stepping stone for someone in my situation.  It provided me with basic entry level college courses and multiculturalism and it was close by and small enough for me to adjust to college life.  I began receiving services through Michigan Rehabilitation Services with a Rehabilitation Counselor.  Like Occupational Therapy this profession has an emphasis on independence for individuals with disabilities.  Through these services I received tutoring and counseling to hone my skills as a college student.  I also received laptops, text books and tuition money for my undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy.  I transferred to Baker College of Flint to complete my undergraduate degree.  It was not your typical Ivy League school or Big 10 university however it was accommodating and appropriate for me to earn a higher education.  Many people had doubts that I could graduate from such a tedious clinical program.  The instructors were very hands on, personable and saw my ability to succeed.  In my eyes, the education I received at Baker College was a better one than I could have received at a competitive university.

I graduated in 2004, 5 years after I graduated high school.  I interviewed at several facilities and worked a couple of different jobs before I became a school based Occupational Therapist in 2007.  My first day of work at Eaton Intermediate School District was also my first day of graduate school at Michigan State University.  I paid for my master’s degree on my own and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2010.

In 1983 the goal of my pre-primary school teacher in the Otherwise Health Impaired room was for me to be a success during my education and the rest of my life.  At the end of my undergraduate degree this teacher sent me an email that stated: “you are a testimony that Early Intervention truly does work.” 

Today, the first set of young pre-school aged children I serviced in Early Childhood Programs are in third and fourth grades.  A few of them no longer require special education services and they are succeeding in mainstreamed classrooms.  I feel several of them have a success story similar to mine based on how far they have some since they were toddlers.  Will they all end up at Big 10 universities or Ivy League schools?  Only time will tell.  These children are allowed to aim for any dream or goal they please.  My hope is public services are still available to allow them to succeed with the goals they set for themselves.  Will they need trade programs, smaller community colleges and extra services with modifications? Perhaps.  The fact that these programs and services are available for teenagers and adults makes me proud to be an American.

 I am nothing but a testimony that public education services should not be tampered with.  I am employed, I pay taxes, I will buy cars as needed, and I have built a brand new home.  I am a young professional spending money at local venues, stores, and restaurants.  I am successful.  The public services that were provided to me have been nothing but a benefit regardless of what political party you tend to be affiliated with.   

If I would have been born at a different time with the level of cerebral palsy I have, I do feel my education and life would have been very different.  It saddens me that if I were currently in school ready to enter the adult world; my future would not be as bright as it has been thus far.  As a politician with power, are you willing to take that away from America’s future?   

I am a good Occupational Therapist

I am a good Occupational Therapist

                The other day I was thinking what it took for me to make it to where I am today in terms of my career.  Then I realized I am no longer the young woman who was at LCC and thought of every reason and excuse to make the statement “I will never become the OT I want to be” a truthful one.  I am no longer the young woman who thought because I once was a student/patient who received therapy I would make a bad therapist.  I am no longer the college student who felt like crap because I kept failing tests.  I am no longer the college student whose Baker College instructor pulled me into her office and said I was no longer able to call myself names and talk negatively about myself.

                Granted I did have to sit through interviews where I was told that I would never be able to complete the job duties of an OT because of my physical challenges.  I also had to bear a job for 2 years I absolutely hated from the second I walked into the human resource office on my first day.  I told myself many times that I should just give up on my dream of becoming a school based Occupational Therapist, but I never did give up. 

                I am doing the job I have wanted to do since I was 15 years old.  Some days it’s really stressful and lots of work but I never wake and feel like I “hate” my job.  I have had that feeling of hating a job before, so I know what the experience feels like. 

I am good at what I do because I am able to work and interact with lots of different people (students, parents, teachers, co-workers).  I am a good team player and like to include everyone in the decisions and work that is completed.  I also tend to be very diplomatic.  I am able to listen to everyone’s side of the story and do my best to meet everyone’s needs. I am also starting to realize that sometimes I do need to be assertive and allow myself to say something when I disagree or feel uncomfortable.  This will help me become an even better therapist because I do need to learn to avoid burnout and stress.  I need to remember how to have a happy medium between my personal life and professional life.  When I first started I felt young and naive and felt like I had to follow others directives and opinions.  I am now a seasoned therapist and it is time to stand up for myself when needed.  I think getting to work earlier and staying just an hour late has helped me become more efficient with paper work and also helped me separate work from my personal life.  I will never again “bring work home.” 

I work well with the young kids because of my sense of humor and creative nature.  So many of the kids express their desire to come with me and learn and/or play with me each week.  Knowing that they like being with me makes me feel really good about myself and it also helps with the therapeutic process.  Many of the parents have also told me what a good job I have done with helping their child with the educational process.  The best part of my job is watching the student I have succeed at something new and knowing I played a role in that.  I also have a strong amount of empathy and understanding when working with students with disabilities.  

I am a professional employee.  I try to do what is right and I try my best to be efficient, through and prompt at what I do.  Since I am an intelligent person I have good judgement and common sense which increases my professional abilities.  Even though there is a lot of paper work, etc I always stick with it and do a good job at getting the work done.    I am good at what I do at work every day and I am lucky to have the job I do. 

Introduction

For a long time I have been wondering what it takes to earn self confidence.  I do think that some people just have it from when they are young kids because of how they are raised and different circumstances that occur in their lives.  But in today’s society we have all of these therapists, counselors and advice givers saying that all of us need to have lots of self confidence.  How can that happen if when we were kids the odds of that ever happening (for whatever reason) were against us.  My entire adult life I have been working on gaining self confidence.  The other day I was thinking what qualities I have to help me gain self confidence.  It feels like I have worked so hard to love myself and believe in myself. 

Intelligence:  I am smart.  Whether it’s genetic or environmental or both, I am a smart young lady.  When needed I ask questions and do research on the questions that need to be answered.  I retain information and remember it.  I tend to have good judgment and common sense when confronted with choices.  I feel like if I lacked this I would have veered off course when making important decisions in my adult life.   Without being smart I would have been unable to be responsible.

Motivation:  I am encouraged when I accomplish things.  It does make me feel good.  I have learned to make lists and when I can cross things off the list, I feel much better about myself.  I feel accomplished and proud.  By watching the students I have and the people encounter I have kind of realized that motivation can’t be taught.  It is almost an inner desire to chase your wildest dreams and complete tasks that you never have before.  Not everyone feels the need to dream big or the feeling of accomplishment when the tasks are completed.  I am lucky to have this. 

Determination:   If I don’t succeed, I try again and keep on going.  Despite any hardships I’ve had, I never give up on the end goal.  The trick with this trait is knowing when it is time to let go and walk away. 

Charm: I have a good smile and positive attitude.  I am very easy going and have a good sense of humor which makes me easy to be around.  Since I am a social person and likable it is safe to say that I couldn’t have earned the confidence I have today without the people who have influenced me the most. 

Adventurous:  This is a trait I have discovered within myself the past 6 months or so.  I have always had it inside of me but I never realized it before.  I love trying new and different things and challenging my boundaries and this has made me feel really good about myself.  It is important that I remember this and keep striving on this. 

Genuine/Truthful:  I wear my heart on my sleeve and people are going to know what I am thinking and feeling.  What you see is what you get.  I am really bad at being dishonest with myself and other people.  If I feel like something is wrong I express that instead of living in a lie. 

Perceptive:  I am very good at reading people's signals and knowing when a situation is wrong for me.  It amazes me how hard it can be sometimes to trust my gut instinct.  I have been caught in situations where I feel like I should listen to other people’s advice or follow what the norm of society should do rather than trust the truthfulness I know that lies deep within me.  On the flip side this trait has swayed me away from several horrible decisions and situations. 

I think my self esteem and self confidence has improved a lot from when I was a young adult.  But I have realized that in order to maintain a long lasting loving relationship with a man I am truly going to have to love myself first and be complete person.  Everyone always seems to see so many good qualities in me that they express.  When they say things like this I am kind of in shock.  It’s almost like I don’t believe what they are saying.  I think it is time to start seeing and believing what other people already see and believe in me.