Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Internship 4: DDI Vantage

My experience at DDI Vantage has been great. I have loved the newness of the setting and it has helped me to realize how much more there is to learn about physical therapy and what I can do to truly help my patients regain function. I think that this experience has taught me that no matter the setting I work in, if I am looking for it, I can always learn more. I really enjoyed doing my in-service on a topic that isn’t directly related to PT, but at least in the early intervention setting, is important to the overall treatment of our patients with Autism. If we aren’t willing to look for and treat or refer as appropriate, then our patients won’t receive the best possible treatment and may not be able to progress in ways they would if they did.

Another amazing experience that stands out to me was with a child that was born without feet. It was amazing to me to see all the things this child could do. Going into the experience I had some expectations and what I did not expect to see was a child pop up onto his “nubbins” and walk around like it was no big deal. Now I realize that this didn’t just happen easily, it took a great deal of work and trial and error on the child’s part, but it does not make it any less amazing to me. What we as humans can endure and live around/with astounds me. A boy, born without feet can walk! It helps me to remember not to set limits on my patients. Yes, I must be realistic, but in some ways I have to believe that anything is possible. I shouldn’t set limitations on individuals, but encourage them to focus on what they are doing and to try and help them to get the most out of it. Instead of focusing on what they can’t do, I should help them focus on what they can do and help them to enjoy it.

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