Danielle Centi for ASD Steering Committee Chairperson

BTE Training

2012-02-26T00:20:00Z

Today I went to a BTE training on industrial rehabilitation and it was incredibly interesting. It was actually a PT who presented, yet she talked frequently about working with OTs and how much she loves them. I mean how could you not? Anyway, through using BTE equipment just about any manual labor job can be stimulated in the clinic in order to eval a client. If fact, it can be standardized and provides the best objective data. The PT works primarily with workman's comp clients and talked about her experiences, urging that we all consider working in that population as some point. I had to share this because what she describe for treatment could so easily be done by OTs as well and it was just very nice to see OT and PT working in the same setting and toward similar goals where it wasn't about upper vs. lower body treatment. Check you local resources and see what kind of industrial rehab sites might be around you...it's definitely worth getting information in.

If elected...

2012-02-05T15:05:00Z

If I am elected Chairperson, I would like to see some of the energy of the steering committee be directed to increasing student membership and creating stronger relations with the existing student membership. While I know there are many students who join AOTA because they want to be apart of their national professional organization, there are probably just as many that join only because they have to or don't join all together. I think there needs to be more efforts made to reach out to students and get them to become members because of all the resources that are availble to them. With that being said, I think there also needs to be an increased presence from the ASD to make this happen and reach out to each individual school to promote AOTA involvement.

Likewise, I think that we need to work on our communication methods as it seems that not all members are getting the messages. For example, this year the ASD application deadline had to be extended because there were not enough students running and I would guess that was in part because the students didn't know. It was not until the deadline was extended that I received information about this opportunity from my department chair, even though I have been a member. Personally, I think that there should have been emails going out to the student membership to start publicizing this opportunity and getting the information out there months in advance. If elected, I would work with the rest of the steering committee to make ASD more present with our student membership and assure that information is actually reaching the students.

International Acceptance Day

2012-01-20T16:48:00Z

Today is International Acceptance Day!!! This is something that as future and current OTs we all strive for!! Please check our this link to learn more:http://ourordinaryday.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/national-day-of-acceptance/

Volunteering

2012-01-17T17:24:00Z

In celebrating MLK Day yesterday, the OT department at my school mandated that every student participate in a service project that would benefit the community. Me and a group of my friends volunteered at a after school program that provides a safe place for students K-12 to go to daily to keep them off the streets and out of trouble. It is truly a great organization that gives students meaningful occupations to engage in and also teaches life skills to help them further succeed. Yesterday, we cleaned out an entire room and painted it so that it could be turned into an after school classroom to benefit the neighborhood children. It was a great feeling to have been able to contribute to a great cause. It is days like yesterday that I am reminded just how important it is to give back.

I've always been service oriented from being involved in student council and Girl Scouts my whole life and continued to volunteer for a therapeutic riding program in college, and I think it is incredibly important to give back. I know that many of us are overwhelmed by student loans, however, we need to recognize that we are all incredibly lucky to be pursuing or have a degree that allows us to have a career in occupational therapy. With that, I think we as AOTA should focus a bit more on service and charity, which if elected Chairperson I will definitely push for. There are a number of ways to do this, either by selecting an annual charity or service project that both student and professionals can contribute to or finding smaller, more regionally based projects. Likewise, it is also a chance for some publicity for AOTA and our profession, making it a win-win situation.

Why I want to be YOUR 2012-2013 ASD Chairperson

2012-01-16T22:10:00Z

Last year was my first year of being in school for OT and I have to admit it took me awhile to get acquainted with AOTA; however knowing that the conference was going to be in Philadelphia, only 20 minutes from where I live, I was very excited about attending my first AOTA conference. As the conference approached, the Philadelphia schools were asked to provide one student to serve as Page to the Representative Assembly. I saw this as an amazing opportunity to get involved and experience a side of AOTA that is very unique and a once in a lifetime chance. So I completely the steps outlined by my department and wrote and essay as to why I deserved this opportunity and was forunate enough to be chosen. I served the RA for the first two days of the conference, got to meet some amazing therapist from all over the country, and had my eyes opened to how AOTA is structured and functions. The following two days I spent at the conference attending workshops and the expo, again blown away by everything happening in the world of OT. The experience serving as a Page and being apart of AOTA was a feeling that is hard to describe. It is truly an amazing feeling to be apart of something so much larger than yourself, especially being a student and at the very beginning of your career. It was at that point I knew I wanted to be involved more in AOTA, so when the opportunity came to run for an ASD Steering Committee position, I knew that this was my chance.

I want to be YOUR 2012-2013 to be your voice and put your ideas into actions. I have an immense passion for OT and for being part of AOTA and I will bring that passion into the position of Chairperson. Likewise, I will bring my past leadership experience to this position to make sure that the committee functions effectively and efficiently and make sure that you know what is happening at all times. While I do have some ideas to bring into this position and to work collaboratively on with the rest of the committee, I want to first say that it is most important to me to hear your ideas as the primary job of my position is to represent you. I've attached my campaign flyer and letter for you to view at your leisure, but I would like to highlight some of the ideas from my letter. One thing I talk about is strengthening and further unifying our network of students throughout the country because I believe it will lead to greater success in the future for our profession. There is obviously strength in numbers, which has been evident through our efforts on Capital Hill and making our profession better known, yet there is still so much opportunity left to to use our numbers to our benefit. With that, I think it can also be beneficial to us now as students to be able to have contact with other students and professionals around the country. I would like to see us use for media and technology to make this happen.I hope that by building this network and making it easily accessible that more resources can be provided to both students and clinicians. Specifically, I think it is important that there be more resources for student organizations. I hope that by creating more resources and opportunities for networking we can increase membership in AOTA. In putting more energy towards these efforts I hope that more will be inspired like myself and get involved. When there is a strong and unified network, reaching our Centennial Vision will be that much easier.

When I started this campaign process, I was astonished just how wonderful it was to have and gain support from other students, around the country, whom I don't even know. I can't put into words how much I have enjoyed having the opportunity to talk to other students, outside my department, and I hope that I only have the chance to get to know more of you. Since I received the news that I was slated for Chairperson I have felt an overwhelming about of passion for our profession and have seen and felt it from all of you as well. I would appreciate any and all support that you can provide to help me become YOUR next ASD Chairperson because I know together we can make this next year great!

How I Found OT

2012-01-11T19:09:00Z

So l, like many people, did not know what OT was until I myself needed to go to occupational therapy. Back during my sophomore year of high school soccer season I managed to break both my radius and ulna, which was only the beginning other bones that I would break. After my bones healed my orthopedic sent me to OT to "learn how to use and move my arm again", which I thought sounded a bit crazy at the time. Once I started therapy, I suddenly realized why I needed to go to OT; many movements were difficult and painful, not to mention that my fine motor precision in my hand was also compromised due to where I broke my arm and being in a cast for over two months. Eventually, over time and with lots of practice, I gained back all the function in my hand and arm. Yay!! However, this was not the experience that led me to finding what I consider the perfect career for me.

Throughout high school I worked with a number of children with disabilities, primary children with Autism, and that easily and quickly became my passion. As I approached my senior year of high school and applied to college I knew I wanted to work with children with special needs, I just didn't know in what respect. As I was graduating high school I started working as a respite caregiver for a family whose middle child has Autism, where one of my responsibilities was taking him to his OT appointments. The first time I took him, his OT invited me in to watch the session at which point I was completely blown away. She worked on on SI with him and took the time to explain to me what she was doing and why she was doing it, not to mention I was able to watch her teach him how to ride a bike. How fulfilling! It was at this point I knew that this is what I wanted to do and it would be a career that encompasses everything I could ever hope for. I always tell people that OT is my ideal career and because I will love my job, I'll never work a day in my life!

Count down to the end

2011-12-07T01:46:00Z

I hope everyone's last week or two are wrapping up nicely and are not overly stressful. Good luck with finals!! Make sure you check out my blog regularly when the semester ends and as the election approaches to learn more about why I would make a great Chairperson and just some fun facts about me

Let it begin!

2011-11-20T01:36:00Z

Campaigning for the 2012-2013 ASD Steering Committee has officially begun! I was fortunate enough to be nominated for the position of committee chairperson so please help me become your next ASD chairperson. Feel free to check out my OT Connections page! More updates to follow...