Chidera is a Special Ed.Intern who works with sensory care Pediatric services.
Why did you choose to be a therapist?
I chose to become a therapist because I love working with kids, it's fascinating watching their various developmental stages especially the cognitive.
Area of interest?
My area of interest has always been speech and cognition. This is because there is nothing like hearing and seeing a child expressing him/herself properly. When a child has a challenge in this area, it is really saddening because, the child wants to communicate, wants to be asked questions, wants to ask questions and also joins his pr her classmates during playtime in fun activities, chatting lively like other children. So as a therapist, teaching a child various words and how to merge them to form sounds and then sentences which will then be used in expressing him/herself gives me a sense of achievements like I’ve actually impacted on this child’s life.
My area of interest has always been speech and cognition. This is because there is nothing like hearing and seeing a child expressing him/herself properly. When a child has a challenge in this area, it is really saddening because, the child wants to communicate, wants to be asked questions, wants to ask questions and also joins his pr her classmates during playtime in fun activities, chatting lively like other children. So as a therapist, teaching a child various words and how to merge them to form sounds and then sentences which will then be used in expressing him/herself gives me a sense of achievements like I’ve actually impacted on this child’s life.
Pros of being a therapist/things I like about my vocation?
For me, one of the pros of being a therapist is that it gives one the opportunity to be creative, to think out of the box, to brain storm and search for the best possible means/approach to a child’s challenges by putting yourself in the child’s shoes, basically not conforming but going out of your way to make the child improve.
One of the things I find really interesting about my vocation is its flexibility. It does not take up my whole time since typical therapy session last 2-3 hrs so it gives me time to rest and plan for the next session. It also leaves me time for myself and my family. For me, Therapy is fun and really interesting.
For me, one of the pros of being a therapist is that it gives one the opportunity to be creative, to think out of the box, to brain storm and search for the best possible means/approach to a child’s challenges by putting yourself in the child’s shoes, basically not conforming but going out of your way to make the child improve.
One of the things I find really interesting about my vocation is its flexibility. It does not take up my whole time since typical therapy session last 2-3 hrs so it gives me time to rest and plan for the next session. It also leaves me time for myself and my family. For me, Therapy is fun and really interesting.
Image Courtesy: pinterest.com
Things I dislike about my vocation
As much as therapy sessions are fun and interesting, sometimes they can really be boring especially when we continually work on a certain activity that the child has not grasped i.e repetitive work and then after he or she finally gets it, we still have to do the maintenance drills so he/she does not ever forget,so ..yeah,it can be boring at times.
What’s the happiest and saddest moments in therapy?
My happiest moment in therapy is seeing the child improve in a certain task or reaches a milestone. It gives me great joy. It makes me even happier when the parents see the improvements and are really excited and appreciative. It motivates me to do more.
My saddest moment in therapy is after weeks of doing the same drill and child finally seems to be getting it and has even finally gotten it, even down to maintenance drills, then all of a sudden, he/she just behaves like they’ve never heard nor seen what you’ve been hammering on for weeks. It makes me sad cos it feels like I’ve been wasting my energy and time doing that activity.
Humphhh…I have to start all over again doing that again until the child understands. Also when the child’s parents notice the improvement but are not appreciative, it makes me feel bad.
Image courtesy: parentsmap.com
What are the challenges practicing in Nigeria/my location?
One of the major challenges I’d say I have is the inadequate materials .Its hard trying to explain to parents that their children actually need lots of materials depending on the level of disability and condition. Therapy materials make therapy interesting and tasks, easier for the child to understand. When there are limited or no materials, this makes therapy sessions boring and challenging.
What is your favorite therapy material?
My favorite therapy material is the medium sized white board. I can do a lot of writing on the board and when we’ve filled up the board, we can easily wipe it off without wasting paper or littering the whole place. We also use it to work on various grips, also for drawing especially shapes and colours. Kids love using it for pretend play (teacher role). Puzzles are my second favourite. It makes the child problem solve.
My favorite therapy material is the medium sized white board. I can do a lot of writing on the board and when we’ve filled up the board, we can easily wipe it off without wasting paper or littering the whole place. We also use it to work on various grips, also for drawing especially shapes and colours. Kids love using it for pretend play (teacher role). Puzzles are my second favourite. It makes the child problem solve.
What do you wish parents knew about therapy?
I wish parents knew that in therapy, you have to patient. Most parents are anxious and impatient and want to see results like yesterday. Also parents should understand that in therapy, lots of educational and fine motor materials are needed for the child to improve. They should try to commend a therapist because it goes a long way in motivating us.
I wish parents knew that in therapy, you have to patient. Most parents are anxious and impatient and want to see results like yesterday. Also parents should understand that in therapy, lots of educational and fine motor materials are needed for the child to improve. They should try to commend a therapist because it goes a long way in motivating us.
Chidera is on her way to becoming a great Occupational Therapist, while she's doing that, she'll be taking care of the special diet column.
