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FEATURE STORY
12/05/07
Chatham Occupational Therapy Graduates Students Venture into the Local Community to Promote Backpack Safety Awareness
MOT Class of 2008 Visit The Ellis School
By Terra Valenti
Pittsburgh, PA - The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) sponsors an annual National School Backpack Awareness Day in an effort to educate students, teachers, and parents about how to "Pack it Light and Wear it Right." On Tuesday, September 18, 2007, students visited The Ellis School, an all girls PreK-12 private school located in Shadyside to promote backpack awareness.
The presentation included educating fourth grade students on the five most important tips for proper backpack use.
1. Never carry more than 15% of your body weight.
2. Load the heaviest items closest to your back.
3. Always wear both shoulder straps.
4. Be sure to use a backpack with well padded shoulder straps.
5. Adjust the straps so that the pack fits snugly to your back.
This was followed by an entertaining skit demonstrating the improper way to carry a backpack, and asking students to identify what changes should be made to the poorly fitted backpack. The students and their backpacks were weighed to ensure they were carrying no more than 15% of their body weight. Each student also emptied their backpack and packed it according to proper ergonomic recommendations with assistance from the MOT students. An information packet was provided for teachers and for each student to take home and share with their parents.
It has been reported that over 40 million students in the United States carry backpacks and close to half of those students are carrying their backpack in an unsafe manner. As a result of carrying heavy or improperly positioned backpacks children are at risk for developing serious health problems such as chronic neck, shoulder, and back pain. In one study, 6 out of 10 students ages 9 to 20 reported chronic back pain related to heavy backpacks (Black, 2007). Occupational therapists can play a significant role in decreasing these numbers and in turn increase the health of school children nationwide by providing ongoing educational programs to students, teachers, and families in the community.
FEATURE STORY
12/10/07
MOT's Open House
By Erica Bennett & Maria Knab
Pittsburgh, PA - On November 29, 2007 Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) students, class of 2008, held their annual Open House. The event was attended by faculty, staff, and students of Chatham University. Raffle tickets were sold, food was served, and hands on activities were shared amongst guests. This year's theme "Creating Environments for Healthy Living" was inspired by Chatham Unversity's mission of being environmentally responsible and globally conscious. The Open House focused on ways occupational therapists can adapt various environments to promote healthy living for people of all ages.
The Open House included four stations, demonstrating OT's working in the home, workplace, school and community environments. While visiting the home station, guests had the opportunity to maneuver a wheelchair and learn about home modifications. Various types of adaptive equipment used to assist with dressing and cooking activities were also displayed. Participants had the opportunity to try out different equipment, such as dressing sticks, sock aids, long-handled shoe horns, and adaptive silverware.
The workplace station was set up as an office with a computer and desk chair. Various types of equipment used to improve ergonomics and computer positioning were displayed including a foot stool, keyboard pad, and a document holder. Guests were provided with useful information on the principles of ergonomics, ways to handle strss, and recommendations on how to change their own computer workstations.
At the school setting station, MOT students displayed various handwriting assessments, handwriting tools, and fine motor activities used by occupational therapists to improve a child's performance in school. guests were able to try out seat cushions, vibrating pens, and hand tools that are used to help children maintain attention. Adaptive switches tools used to operate various devices and toys were also displayed. Information on how to properly pack and wear a backpack was also provided.
MOT chatham students worked in four different community settings during the fall semester. The settings included an adult daycare program, a program for children from low-income homes, a mental health program, and a program for individuals with cerebral palsy. The MOT students designed a program plan for each setting and examples of each group's plan were displayed on the table. Additionally, Mobility Works, a company that provides adaptive driving equipment, had on display a consumer's adapted van and other types of adaptive driving equipmnent for guests to explore.
This year's Occupational Therapy Open House was a great success! Participants learned that occupational therapists promote healthy living for people of all ages in a variety of environments including the home, school, workplace, and community.
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