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From:
Anee Stanford <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
Date:
Thu, 17 Aug 2000 15:11:24 EDT
Content-Type:
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Hi-

Several things contributed to the idea of going into PT.  First I have had
the oportunity to work with the severe and profound several times over the
last 10 to 12 years.  I have always found that I have some special talent
with these indvidules.   Alot of the stuff that I did with these people ages
(5-21) was a mixture of PT, OT and SLP (speech language pathology).  I have
also had the oppurtunity to work with and be friends with tons of people with
CP as well as other disabilities with mild to moderate involvent.  As I like
to put it I "get around".  I have always been extreemly intrested in anything
having to do with medicine and of course disability.  I seem to have a gift
when it comes to understanding medical terminology and all those journal
articles  (I actually read them--most of my frineds and even my healthcare
providers are always asking how can you read that stuff?).  I think it's
intresting or I would not read them.

Several of my PTs over the years have said things like "have you ever
considered going into PT" or "you know you would make a great PT".  I also
have gotton the same coments from OTs about going into OT as well as from
SLPs that I have met that think I would be great at SLP.  This is because
they have seen me in action with the other students and individules in the
comunity with physical disabilities.     I use to discount the idea
compleetly because I thought ya right a PT who uses a wheelchair?  An OT has
dexterity and coordination problems?  A SLP with a speech imparment?  But
I've learned my lesson since then.  My advisor who is a PT who now teaches in
Healthcare Admin told me of  an SLP who is stutter who she used to work with
when she was interning at a UCP center.  I have a friend who is a PT who
knows a PT who has ALS and is still practicing.  There are some things in PT
I can't do..but my frined who is a PT siad once that there are alot of things
I would be good at like teaching in the field, or working with kids. This has
been my experience too.  I have learned that there are many things in the
field that I'd be great at.

 I think that someone who knows from personal experience what adaptive
equipment and gadgets work and don't work will be of binefit.    Another
thing that has lead me to this decicion was the aging and CP issue which so
many of us have experienced.  So many healthcare professionals are so unawere
of these issues.  I think I might be able to help in that area.  Sometimes I
think that people think that kids are the only ones with CP. I know thats not
true but  sometimes it seems like it.  In addition to setting an example for
kids with disabilities I also think that working with temporarly disabled
adults or newly disabled adults I would be good to because I can say ok this
is not impossible here is what you can do or showing them that it is possible
to live a pretty normal life inspite of disability.  Also from the
perspective of understanding the issues of Adults who have been disabled
since childhood or birth I think I would be pretty good.  When I first told
my boyfirend who is a spastic-quad about going into PT he asked me why I
wanted to go into physical tortue and why I was joing the enemy.  I responded
with the question wouldn't you be more willing to work with someone who knew
exactly how your body worked and felt...and he said yes.  He hasn't gone to
PT for a few years and is at very high risk for hip problems espeshily givein
his level of disabililty and lack of previnitiv messues he's taking.     The
entire disability comunity has to continuly deal with many many issues.

I don't know if it will be PT or OT but definatly I am going for one of those
as a masters.  Right now I am leaning alot more toward PT then OT.  I think I
can be really sucessful  in  either of those fields wether it be working with
tempoary or perment disability or injury pervinton (and I know there are many
more areas of these fields but I am not going to list them all out).  Anyway
I figure I'll give it a try.  I have convinced myself too many times not to
try to get into programs because of CP.  That attitude on my part is not
going to be what stops me this time.

Anyway that's an aufuly long answer to Joy's question.

Talk to you guys later,

Anee
http://ww.geocities.com/aneecp/

In a message dated 8/14/00 3:11:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Anee,

 It's really interesting to me that you want to go into PT.  Did your own
 experiences with it cause you to make that decision, or was it just an
 interest?  Either way, I think you'd be a real inspiration to other kids
 with disabilities.

 ~Joy~
  >>

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