I’m Going To Be Occupational Therapy in High Definition!
As always, the Opening Ceremony reflected the joy and inspiration of AOTA’s Annual Conference & Expo.
This joy was evident right from the start. The opening procession was punctuated by a standing ovation for those who have been AOTA members for 50 years or more. Then, in true AOTA form, the opening quintet offered a stirring rendition of the National Anthem, followed by conga lines as they switched gears and attendees started rocking.
AOTA President Florence Clark built on the metaphor of OT in High Def by emphasizing that we are all pixels, inspiring attendees to reiterate “I’m Going to Be Occupational Therapy in High Definition!”
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey appeared via video message, reiterating his support for occupational therapy in the health care system, particularly a permanent repeal of the therapy cap.
After Florence thanked the Pennsylvania OT Association and the Local Conference Committee, clips from the second and third place student video contest winners were shown. The winning video, by Cheryl Crow of Samuel Merritt University, was played in its entirety and received a standing ovation.
After acknowledging the members of the military in attendance (who also received a standing ovation), Florence introduced Mary Beth Kadlec, ScD, OTR/L, who works with Keynote speaker Shonda Schilling’s son Grant.
After Shonda took the stage she recounted the anger, fear, and sadness she felt when, instead of the expected diagnosis of ADHD, she discovered that Grant has Asperger’s syndrome. The journey she and her family traveled is well known to occupational therapy practitioners, but the Schillings were a little different, as Shonda’s husband Kurt is one of baseball’s greatest pitchers. Schonda recalled the last inning, of the last game of the World Series, when she brought Grant into the stands. She wondered if she would get his typical reaction—hiding under the seats when the last out occurred and the fireworks began—or if the calming techniques she had learned from OT would work. The out was called, the game was won, and Grant was jumping up and down, reacting just as she had hoped. Shonda recalled, “I got my moment.”
Very often, practitioners don’t realize the full effect of their interventions on families. With Shonda, they got a sense of that effect. “You will always be in our families,” she noted. “You’re here today because you do what you love and you want to learn more. I’m here today because I want to thank you.”
