OT Through the Decades

Today we had our era presentations in our Foundations course, and I have to say it was one of my favorite days of OT school so far. Not only did we get to see our classmates' personalities come out in the presentations, but we also got to reminisce some of the trends in our lifetime and learn about those in history. More than this though, I gained an understanding of occupational therapy's role throughout the decades since the 1940s, and I believe this is important to my future as an occupational therapist. My biggest takeaway from today's presentations is that no matter how the trends of work, education, healthcare, entertainment, fashion, and politics have changed, the field of occupational therapy has adapted to fit whatever needs arise. Whether this was helping veterans of WWII when they returned from war, or serving those impacted personally by 9/11, occupational therapist have been providing client-centered care for decades. Not only does this speak volumes about our profession, but I think it is also a lesson to me as a future practitioner. I feel like today's presentations challenged me to not only be open and aware of changes in culture but also to be adaptable to whatever changes may occur, and to focus on the client's needs and perspectives at all times. I do not know what the future holds for occupational therapy, or where trends will be in my lifetime, but I do know that as an occupational therapist, I am entering a field that will openly embrace those changes and work to promote the best quality of life for all clients, no matter their needs.