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P.O. Box 1459,
Englewood, FL 34295
954)-840-FOTA
(954)-840-3682 www.flota.org
FOCUS Spring Edition
Official Newsletter of the FOTA 2012
Celebrating
OT Month!
Fall Conference News p.3
SIS Updates: New Chairs p.4
Governmental Affairs p.6
G’day from the RA Rep p.7
FLOTEC : Awards of Excellence p.8
Student Article: OTA and Childhood
Obesity p.11
Hello All,
Happy Spring! I have two topics to speak to
you about in this edition of FOCUS. Firstly,
I’m happy to report that the FOTA Annual
conference to be held in the first weekend in
November 2012 is coming along nicely. I am excited to see
the institutes and educational opportunities that will be put
forth in Tampa. We are all looking forward to Nova South-
eastern University hosting the event. Secondly, it’s April and
you know what that means; OT month. Each April is a time
for all of us to reflect on what we have done to promote our
wonderful profession. In these times of fiscal responsibility
and health care reform it is important for all occupational
therapists, occupational therapy assistants, students, educa-
tors, and researchers to showcase to others what we do.
One area of particular interest to me as an educator is to get
the word out to potential students. We need more of us to
fulfill the needs of the population that we treat. Part of our
DNA as therapists is to educate our clients and their fami-
lies. For those of us with the proclivity and interest to teach,
I think it is a missed opportunity not use our skill set at local
workshops, community colleges, and undergraduate institu-
tions to bring the topic areas being presented alive with our
clinical stories. Whether the class is “Anatomy and Physiol-
ogy” or “Introduction to Psychology,” this forum gives the
instructor an opportunity to informally empower students
with another viable option moving forward towards a health
care profession. My own personal experience disseminating
educational information to undecided students has been
extraordinary and has produced very fruitful results. I have
a psychology background and I sought to teach at a local
liberal arts college in the psychology department (Flagler
College). Teaching two upper division classes per semester
has benefited the students by facilitating them to consider
our profession and giving me the opportunity to mentor them
and to guide them to realizing their dream (and mine) of
becoming an occupational therapist. It just happens that I
have a private practice and teach full time at the University
of St. Augustine which gives Flagler College students the
ability to observe OT in the community as well as visiting an
OT school to get specific answers to their questions. This
chance happening has turned into an internship program for
the Flagler students to learn about OT and to shadow a
therapist to bring to life our profession. This type of a model
can be very portable in practice and certainly be expanded
upon. I closing, I hope that everyone is well and I look forward to
representing you at the
Annual AOTA conference
in Indianapolis later this
month.
My very best,
Kurt K. Hubbard
FOTA President
A Letter from the President
FOTA ANNUAL CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 2&3, 2012
NOVA TAMPA and CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL
SCHEDULE as of April 2012
Have an article for FOCUS: Newsletter for the FOTA? Please
send your article to FOCUS Newsletter Editor Brent
Cheyne OTR/L via e-mail
[email protected] Next deadline March 15th,
2012
Get ready to “Gear up for 2017!” What a great theme for the next FOTA conference to be held November 2 & 3, 2012 at NOVA Southeastern University Tampa campus. Conference this year is designed to equip you and put you on track for the important next five years in the profession of OT.
VENUES We are excited to use the new NOVA Tampa campus facilities for conference educational sessions and Exhibitor displays. Located at 3632 Queen Palm Drive, Tampa, NOVA is easy to find – slightly south of I-4 and just east of I-75 from exit 260, (Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd). Other conference events will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel situated close to NOVA at 10221 Princess Palm Avenue, Tampa. These include: poster sessions, Presi-dential Reception, Keynote speaker, FOTA membership meeting and FLOTEC / Stu-dent Mixer.
SCHEDULE The Conference will start at 8am Friday November 2 with the increasingly popular Insti-tutes. These optional 4 hour long educational sessions will be taught by experts in their areas and will provide more in depth and advanced informa-tion directed toward OT and OTA practitioners. Following the Institutes, there will be both 2 hour workshops and one hour short courses including “Florida Laws and Rules”, a course required for continued licensure. From 4pm on, the remainder of Friday’s events will be held at the nearby Crowne Hotel. On Saturday we stay at NOVA for all educa-tional sessions, lunch and ex-hibitor times. The Conference winds up at 4 p.m. Saturday. See accompanying table for more schedule and CEU de-tails.
ACCOMMODATIONS The Crowne Plaza / Tampa East Hotel is the official conference hotel for the Nov. 2012 conference. FOTA has secured a block of rooms, with either a king bed or two double beds for only $99. Deadline for this rate is October 3, 2012. To place your reserva-tions you may: Call the hotel direct at 813-623-6363 or call the reservations de-partment at 1-888-666-5789 and ask for the Florida Occupa-tional Therapy Association rate. Confirm online: www.crowneplaza.com/cptampaeast and enter your group code: FOT A block of rooms and special rates at another nearby hotel are being negotiated. Check back at www.flota.org for all up to date conference and accommodation information.
REGISTRATION In an effort to keep the annual FOTA conference affordable for as many practitioners and students as possible, registration fees are expected to remain as they have been for some time. Atten-dance at Institutes is optional and requires an additional fee. All told, the conference gives you a remarkable experience in both education and camaraderie for a very reasonable rate. Check back at www.flota.org for registration details. Don’t miss out on the “Early Bird” specials!! And as before, FOTA members get a major registration discount.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS Guidelines for all presentations and applica-tions for all proposals will soon be open at www.flota.org. Presentations at conference will include two hour workshops, one hour short courses, student AND practitioner posters, and SIS roundtables. FOTA annual conferences offer a great opportunity for students and professionals to share and shine. It’s time to inform your OT colleagues what YOU are doing to “Gear up for 2017”! But make sure you don’t miss the deadlines to submit!! Please note that student posters applications will have a later deadline due to academic schedules.
EXHIBITORS
Conference schedule includes FOUR unop-posed Exhibitor timeslots – 2 each on Fri-day and Saturday. We expect many exhibi-tors will appreciate these opportunities to showcase their products and/or services relevant to occupational therapy. Exhibitor prospectus with all options for advertising coming soon! Find it at www.flota.org.
QUESTIONS? The Confer-ence Plan-ning com-mittee is working hard to bring you an outstanding and memo-
rable conference experience. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. I’ll do my best to respond as soon as pos-sible. Looking forward to seeing you at NOVA Tampa November 2 &3 where we will “Gear up for 2017”!! -Elena Elena Vizvary, MS, LOT FOTA VP and Education Chair [email protected]
FOTA Conference News: “Gear up for 2017!”
FOCUS ON EDUCATION:
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: “Don’t Stop Living”
We are fortunate to have Hector Picard as our key-note speaker this year. Hector is a dynamic motiva-tional speaker and tri-athlete, who happens to be a bilateral upper extremity amputee. Hector will share his story on Friday evening - how he overcomes over-whelming hardships everyday in order to tackle the competitive world of triathlon racing as well as the issues we all experience. Very appropriate on so many levels for all of us in the world of occupational therapy! www.dontstopliving.org
Please meet our new SIS Chairs (in alpha order by committee): ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT Tim Finlan, MSM, MHS, OTR/L Director, Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Services Nemours Children's Hospital
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
Betsy Burgos, Ph.D., (ABD), EdS, OTR/L, ATP
EDUCATION
Karen Howell, Ph.D., OTR/L
Program Chair
University of St. Augustine FIELDWORK EDUCATION Eleanor Wild, MOT, OTR, PTA Instructional Program Manager Florida State College at Jacksonville GERONTOLOGY Belkis Landa-Gonzales, Ed.D., OTR/L Program Director & Assistant Professor Barry University HEALTH PROMOTION & WELLNESS Donna Vaughan, COTA/L HOME & COMMUNITY HEALTH Julie Ring, MS, OTR/L MENTAL HEALTH Saritza Guzman-Sardina, MEd, OTR/L Director, Occupational Therapy Assistant Program PHYSICAL DYSFUNCTION Ilse Salcedo, MOT, OTR/L Shands Hospital SCHOOL SYSTEMS Kristin Winston, Ph.D., OTR/L Assistant Professor Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale SENSORY INTEGRATION Ricardo C. Carrasco, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA Chair & Professor Nova Southeastern University Tampa TECHNOLOGY Rick Davenport, Ph.D., OTR/L Assistant Professor Nova Southeastern University Tampa WORK PROGRAMS Melissa Cunningham, MOT, OTR/L St. Anthony's Outpatient Rehab
The last report from the Practice Standing Committee called membership to step up to the plate and serve as Special Interest Section (SIS) Committee Chairs. I am pleased to report that all positions are filled, and we will conduct our first teleconference on March 20 to revisit our volunteer job responsibilities, and to brainstorm our main contribution to the FOTA annual conference, namely the SIS roundtables. We wel-come members to join our discussions, so please send me an e-mail or call if you wish to attend. Historically, AOTA and FOTA roundtables have been
viable media for informal, grassroots discussion about
practice issues. We hope as a team to either host
these presentations ourselves, or to assist someone
to do so.
For information about your SIS Chair and to find out
the latest, contact your Chair. Information is on the
FOTA website. For more information about how you
can be of help, or if you simply want to learn more
about the Practice Standing Committee, please con-
tact me at 813-574-5429 or e-mail at
Response to Call for Participation: SIS Chair Positions Filled!
From the Practice Committee Chair
SIS Chair
Ricardo C. Carrasco, PhD. OTR/L, FAOTA is Chair
and Professor of the entry level hybrid Doctor of Oc-
cupational Therapy program at Nova Southeastern
University, Tampa.
FOCUS on SIS
P.O. Box 1459,
Englewood, FL 34295
954)-840-FOTA
(954)-840-3682 www.flota.org
Nomenclature: Orthosis vs. Splint AOTA, ASHT and APTA have been working together over the last several years to ensure that OTs and PTs are recognized by the Cen-ters for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as qualified practitioners to fabricate and dispense orthoses. According to Jerry J. Cover-dale, OT, CHT- ASHT President, “Because policymakers and payers have questioned OT and PT qualifications to dispense and fabricate orthoses, it is extremely important that we use the proper language that has been adopted by CMS.” (Journal of Hand Therapy, Jan/Mar 2012)
Our use of correct terminology is vital not only in written documentation but in our communications as well.
Instead of splint now use orthosis
When referring to multiple splints use orthoses.
Instead of splinting, use orthosis fabrication
The term orthotic is to be used as an adjective (ie: orthotic device, treatment, etc)
For more information on CMS’ Quality Standards related to or-thoses: http://www.cms.gov/medicareprovidersupenroll/downloads/dmeposaccreditationstandards.pdf
Work Programs SIS Chair
Melissa Cunningham, MHS, OTR/L, CHT, CEAS
Occupational/Hand Therapist - Ergonomic
Assessment Specialist
St. Anthony's Outpatient Rehab
727-825-1771
The Florida Occupational Therapy Association takes an active role in legislation that will affect occupa-tional therapists and their ability to serve their cli-ents. This is accomplished through the Governmental Affairs Committee and our lobbyist, Larry Gonzalez. Governmental Affairs not only follow the legislation but throughout the year
attend to rules and development meetings which determine how laws will impact service providers. This year has not been any different.
Mr. Gonzalez and I have attended Medicaid meetings which ad-dressed the implementation of the new Medicaid reimbursement regulations for therapy services. This new system caused many occupational therapists ser-vicing primarily children con-cern regarding the fee for service Medicaid changes. We continue to monitor this system and forward member concerns as they arise.
Another concern for members has been the privatization of Medicaid. FOTA, along with 100 other providers and or-ganizations, sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) protesting the implementation of the law as it stood. The main complaint was the power given to managed care organizations.
This legislation session, Mr. Gonzalez took a proactive approach to prevent legisla-tion which would repeal several insurance overages that were covered by law. This bill, HB 7091, included a provision to delete coverage for autism spectrum disorder. When the bill was heard in the Health and Human Services Quality Subcommittee we sup-ported an amendment to eliminate this repeal of services. The committee voted 7 to 8 against the repeal and the bill died.
With the end of the legislation session, our lobbyist and Govern-mental Affairs are still active. We monitor rules and regulations that affect you and are in contact with the American Occupational Therapy Association regarding federal laws which impact occupa-tional therapists in Florida. We also monitor changes the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy proposes. Our communication with you is through blast emails and the FOCUS. Please join us in being an advocate for your profession and your clients in these rapidly changing times in government.
You can contact me at [email protected] or call the
FOTA at 954-840-FOTA (3682).
Advocacy Links you should know and use Florida Governor Rick Scott http://www.flgov.com/ Florida House Website www.myfloridahouse.gov/ The Florida Senate http://www.flsenate.gov/ Find Your State Representatives: http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx United States House of Representatives http://www.house.gov/ https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
United States Senate http://www.senate.gov/index.htm Florida Healthcare Association http://fhca.org/ Florida Department of Health http://www.doh.state.fl.us/ Medicare http://www.cms.gov/ Florida Agency for Healthcare Adminiatration (ACHA) http://ahca.myflorida.com/ Medicaid http://ahca.myflorida.com/Medicaid/childhealthservices/therapyserv/index.shtml AOTA Political Action Committee
http://www.aota.org/aotpac AOTAPAC Legislative Action Center http://capwiz.com/aota/home/
FOCUS Editor’s Recommended Sites for the Political Junkie http://www.politifact.com/florida/ http://www.politifact.com/ http://healthystate.org/ http://www.standupforhealthcare.org/ http://www.floridachain.org/index.php Center for Science in the Public Interest http://www.cspinet.org/
Governmental Affairs Update
G'day from the FL RA Rep, AOTA
G'day from the FL RA Rep,
Here are the motions that will be discussed at the upcoming AOTA Convention. Please look at them and provide me any feedback, please send to comment to me [email protected] no later than April 20,2012.
Ad Hoc Report, Motion 1: On behalf of the Representative Assembly Operations and Functions Ad Hoc Committee, I charge the Speaker of the Representative Assembly to form an Ad Hoc Committee to develop a recruitment program for current and past members of ASD and other AOTA members interested in participating in the Representative Assembly. The recruitment program is to include workshops and other materials and be offered at the national and state levels about opportunities and strategies for becoming involved with the Representative Assembly and other leadership positions. Members of the Ad Hoc should be members of the RA and members at large registered on the Coordinated Online Opportunities for Leadership (COOL) database, and chaired by the Vice Speaker.
Ad Hoc Report, Motion 2: On behalf of the Representative Assembly Operations and Functions Ad Hoc Committee, I charge the Speaker of the Representative Assembly to direct the Recognitions and Nominating Committees to develop Standard Operating Proce-dures, Job Descriptions and a transition plan in collaboration with the BPPC for the development and implementation of the Volunteer Leadership Development Committee as a standing committee of the Representative Assembly.
Ad Hoc Report, Motion 3: On behalf of the Representative Assembly Operations and Functions Ad Hoc Committee, I charge the Speaker of the Representative Assembly to direct the RALT to develop criteria and a process for motions based on uniformity of proce-dures and timelines, and for soliciting and accepting motions on an ongoing basis. I further recommend that the Speaker of the Repre-sentative Assembly charge the RALT with developing guidelines for AOTA members to seek support and assistance from their RA Rep-resentative for developing and forwarding motions to the RA.
Ad Hoc Motion 4: On behalf of the Representative Assembly Operations and Functions Ad Hoc Committee, I move to charge the
Speaker of the Representative Assembly to establish regionally-based RA Leadership Networking Communities.
Recommendations:
Form 8 RA Leadership Networking Communities (regional clusters of state/election areas)
Charge each RA Leadership Networking Community to self-appoint a Chair (Representative)
Assign at least 1 RALT or RACC member to each RA Leadership Community
Recommend each Leadership Networking Community to hold 3-4 meetings per year by conference call (e.g., July, October, Janu-
ary, March; 1 hour conference calls; days/times determined by each group at the beginning of the year)
Have each Leadership Networking Community submit a brief report of issues/discussion to the Speaker after each meeting.
Ad Hoc Report, Motion 5: On behalf of the Representative Assembly Operations and Functions Ad Hoc Committee, I move to eliminate the Alternate Representative position.
Ad Hoc Report, Motion 6: On behalf of the Representative Assembly Operations and Functions Ad Hoc Committee, I move to establish a Representative–Elect position. Elect positions shall serve for 1 year and assume office July 1 in the year following their election.The term of office of a Representative would continue to be a 3-year term and a Representative shall continue to not be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same position.
Ad Hoc Report, Motion 7: On behalf of the Representative Assembly Operations and Functions Ad Hoc Committee, I move to establish
an OTA Representative–Elect position. Elect positions shall serve for 1 year and assume office July 1 in the year following their elec-
tion. The term of office of a Representative would continue to be a 3-year term and a Representative shall continue to not be eligible to
serve more than two consecutive terms in the same position.
Regards,
Sara-Jane A Crowley, Adv.Dip.OT, OTR/L.
P.O. Box 1459,
Englewood, FL 34295
954)-840-FOTA
(954)-840-3682 www.flota.org
Occupational Therapist Adriana Perez Named Fieldwork Educator of the Year for PSC
Adriana Perez, inpatient occupational therapist at
Lakeland Regional, has been named Fieldwork
Educator of the Year by the Florida Occupational
Therapist Education Consortium (FLOTEC).
Perez was nominated by occupational therapy
assistant students from Polk State College, who
she mentors at Lakeland Regional. Perez’s stu-
dents say they admire her passion, knowledge and
the incredible care she provides patients.
Perez was also nominated by Robin Richmond,
OTR/L, AFC, academic fieldwork coordinator at
Polk State, who says Perez is a compassionate
mentor, with a gift in sharing her extensive knowl-
edge with others.
“Adriana has been instrumental in exposing stu-
dents to the acute care setting. She has a way of
making students feel at ease as they work with
patients,” said Richmond.
Perez says the PSC students have
impacted her own life in numerous
ways, fulfilling a need to give back to a profession which has brought her such joy.
“I am able to teach them to be hopeful every time they treat a patient. They see lives change
right before their eyes, as patients gain strength, return to their families or move forward to the
next level of care,” said Perez.
Perez is also highly revered by her supervisors and colleagues at Lakeland Regional who say
no one is more deserving of this award.
“It is validation for someone who brings her “A game” every day. Her enthusiasm for her pro-
fession is contagious, and you can feel it no matter what your role is on the care team,” said
Sharlet Cochran, MSN, manager trauma ICU/Rehabilitation Services.
“This is a true testament to her work ethic and adherence to our core values. If I could clone
her, I would,” said Steve Youngblood, PT, team leader, Rehabilitation Services.
This is the third year Lakeland Regional has partnered with Polk State College to offer hands-on
learning experiences for those seeking a career in occupational therapy. Perez is proud of the
opportunities she is able to offer these students through the program and looks forward to helping
additional students in the months and years ahead.
http://floteceducation.org/
Mission Statement: To Promote, En-
courage, and Foster Quality Fieldwork
Education in collaboration with Field-
work Educators for the benefit of all
Occupational Therapy Students in the
State of Florida.
Working Together for Excellence in Fieldwork Education.
Interested in Attending a
Fieldwork Educator Workshop? Visit the FLOTEC Website or
contact us
Chairperson, Saritza Guzman-Sardina - [email protected]
Secretary, Robin Richmond -
Treasurer, Tammy J. LeSage— [email protected]
459 (and Counting) Practitioners
have completed our
Fieldwork Educator Certification Workshop
Adriana Perez: Fieldwork Educator of the Year for Polk State College
Occupational Therapist Adriana Perez Named Fieldwork Educator of the Year for PSC
Other FLOTEC Fieldwork Educators of Excellence
Fieldwork Education
Excellence Award from
Florida International University
Gloria Vignau, OTR/L
Fieldwork Education Excellence
Award Nova Southeastern
Amaparo Schuck, OTR/L
Fieldwork Education
Excellence Award for
Keiser OTA Prgrams
Melodye Bassett, OTR/L
Fieldwork Education
Excellence Award for
Florida College of
Health Sciences
Cindy Quinn, OTR/L
Regional Rep Report
Unique Opportunity for Occupational Therapists Interested in Geriatric Specialization
Many occupational therapists in Florida may not be aware that there is a unique opportunity for geriatric specialization right here in our backyard. In July of 2010 Brooks Rehabilitation, a Jack-sonville, FL based non-profit organization, in collaboration with the University of North Florida, developed a multidiscipli-nary Geriatric Residency Program. It is the first program of its kind in the nation and offers a great opportunity for occupational therapists in our state.
The Geriatric Residency Program is a one year program that
includes occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech
language pathologists, and rehabilitation nurses. This unique
program prepares Residents to be leaders in the profession,
mentors in the field, clinical consultants, and contributors to evi-
dence based practice.
For occupational therapists specifically, the program prepares
them to successfully build a portfolio to become
Board Certified in Gerontology by the American Occupa-
tional Therapy Association (AOTA).
According to AOTA there are only 12 occupational therapists in the country who are Board Certified in Gerontology and only one in Florida. Another exciting feature of the program is the opportunity to earn non-degree graduate credit from Colorado State University.
In order to participate in the program individuals must be an employee of Brooks Rehabilitation. Applications are due by March 15th each year. Interested occupational therapists can visit the program website at www.brookshealth.org/residency/summary/geriatric-residency/ or contact Robert Rowe, Director of Clinical Education for Brooks Rehabilitation at [email protected] for more information.
Northeast Florida FOTA Regional Representative,
Julie Watson, MHS, OTR/L
Geriatric and Assistive Technology SIS Chair
Region 4 North East
Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval,
Flagler, Nassau, Putnam,St.
John’s, Union
With childhood obesity on the rise, more than triple in the past 30 years, it is imperative for occupational therapy to address this epidemic. For children being overweight or obese results in conditions such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. Beyond the weight, being obese as a child also carries the burden of being depressed and developing low self esteem, thus becoming less social and less active in life. Many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video game consoles. Today’s busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy is the reality for many people in the new millennium.
Keeping in line with the centennial vision, research shows that occupation-based interventions are motivating as treatment for combating the physical and psychological effects that obesity places on a child. With childhood obesity skyrocketing out of control, occupational therapy assis-tants (OTAs) have the unique skill of conducting needs assessments un-der the supervision of an occupational therapist, to examine the state of health of any given population. This process will help determine where educational programs on healthy eating and active lifestyles are needed most to make a positive impact on childhood obesity in our communities.
Occupational therapy assistants have the opportunity to assist both children and their caregivers through their knowledge of psychoso-cial, cultural, and environmental contexts; strategies to prevent disabilities or decrease dysfunction in order for the child to meet personal needs; and methods to adapt to the demands of the environment. OTAs can provide significant and effective interventions and motivate child’s participation by modifying daily life habits, routines, and patterns that contribute to the chronic condition of obesity.
Occupational Therapy Assistants can help kids to be healthier by educating them on how to read and understand food labels and make healthy grocery lists, while in turn, the child can use these learned skills to plan healthy meals. As part of the intervention, OTAs may incorporate these strategies and apply them to the real world by having at-home or in-clinic cooking sessions.
This can be accom-plished easily by the therapist’s knowledge concerning activity analysis and breaking down activities into simple steps that can easily be performed by younger children. By teaching children how to simplify cook-ing and create their own unique style, OTAs may inspire them to make healthier food choices instead of reaching for processed or fast foods that are convenient.Occupational Therapy Assistants can also en-courage and educate parents to offer their young children foods that vary in taste and texture, to limit snacks, and to avoid using foods as rewards and comfort, having at least one meal a day as a family. This emphasizes the child’s participation in health promotion and encourages them to develop their own long and short term goals, which will help increase their self esteem when they see these goals met.
Occupational Therapy Assistants can stay up to date on the trends in Occupational Therapy by attending the annual confer-ence offered by FOTA and other continued education courses. With children using the internet as their main source of informa-tion and leisure, the internet has become a multimedia play-ground. This allows Occupational Therapy Assistants to take advantage of the diverse media in the technology world and introduce different healthy programs and applications that sup-port healthy lifestyles. One application that we would recom-mend is Fooducate, which is free that allows scanning a food label and it immediately provides a letter grade and healthier food option within the same food category. Munch a Day is an-other free app that allows recording and setting goals for healthy eating, while earning badges as rewards when goals are met. There is also the option of sharing personal progress on social media sites. Furthermore, there are other initiatives out there such as The Healthy 100 Kids Program launched by Florida Hospital, in Orlando. This program uses an “Edutainment” approach supported by the website www.fit.webmd.com, which defines fitness and eating in a kid-friendly tone, using the words food, move, recharge, and mood. These words redefine fitness as restorative, nutritional, physi-cal, and emotional, which complements the focus of the Occu-pational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF).
There are vast amounts of opportunities for Occupa-tional Therapy Assistants to help kids live their life to the fullest. As Occupational Therapy Assistant students, our hope and goal are to share the diversity of our field as we find our niche in this important global mission, and help children experience healthier life choices through Occupational Therapy.
References: available upon request at [email protected]
Authors: Brandi Hammack, OTAS, Nicole Ja-nowski, OTAS, Haimi Morel, OTAS, Niomi
Rodríguez,OTAS
Occupational Therapy Assistant Students at
Polk State College in Winter Haven, FL
FOCUS on Students
"How Occupational Therapy Assistants Can Assist with the Management and Prevention of Childhood Obesity".
PO Box 1459
Englewood, FL 4295
Conference 2012 “Gear Up for 2017”