NEURODIVERSITY FEATURE
I
work at Northwick Park Mental Health Centre , in an adult mental health unit in North West London , and have been the lead occupational therapist for the Acute Adult Occupational Therapy team for nearly a year . My role gives me immense job satisfaction . I love working as an occupational therapist and supporting people throughout their recovery journey . Most of all , I enjoy helping clients and encouraging them to believe in themselves , and to recognise their uniqueness and their worth in the world .
I am passionate about conveying the message of self-worth and promoting self-confidence because this is what my educators and supervisors have conveyed to me during my training and professional life .
I am writing this article to share my story with the hope that it will provide you with some useful information , and to support people like me to achieve their dreams and aspirations .
I have dyslexia and dyspraxia and my journey to become a healthcare professional has not been an easy one .
As someone with dyslexia and dyspraxia , I have struggled throughout my life to fit myself into this complicated world . I scraped through school and was often at the bottom of the class . I do believe that during my academic years I lacked support as my condition was not really understood .
However , somehow , by working hard and spending many late nights awake I was able to get good A levels . I then studied hard for a first degree in psychology . While studying for this degree , during a period when I was in hospital undergoing lifesaving neurosurgery , I was inspired by the work of the occupational therapist who helped me to get back on my feet . I then explored the possibility of studying occupational therapy .
Dyslexia and dyspraxia not only affected me as a student , but also in my employment . Prior to becoming an occupational therapist , I did several different jobs in retail , catering and administration , but I always had difficulties organising and keeping up with paperwork and written material .
During my occupational therapy degree my personal tutor , after observing my difficulties , suggested that I went for an assessment at the university ’ s Disability and Dyslexia Service . This was one of the best things I did for myself and at the age of 30 I was finally diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia .
My diagnosis was a revelation to me ; it was as if someone had given me a manual to understand my difficulties and why I had them . My dyslexia report not only provided me with the information about my diagnosis , but also with numerous recommendations for reasonable adjustments to support me with my academic studies and employment . I finally understood that all the years that I had struggled were due to these learning difficulties .
Again , I worked hard during my occupational therapy training ; however , this time I was fortunate to have remarkable educational advisers who supported my learning , but most of all they taught me pivotal academic and life skills .
I was provided with special software for my computer , headphones and extra time at exams . Each week I was given special sessions with an educational adviser , who taught me how to memorise material , structure my work and how to time manage my workload .
I was introduced to Mind Maps ( Buzan 2018 ) to structure my ideas , infographics to support my learning , and use of electronic calendars with different colours to manage my time , which all enabled me to study , plan my time and break down my workload into short-term goals .
I was also taught the power of colours and how they can change the way a person with dyslexia can perceive letters . Additionally , I was introduced to colour overlay to facilitate my reading .
Another vital role of the university dyslexia educational adviser was to support me in planning reasonable adjustments for my practice placement and discussing with educators what support needed to be implemented .
I will never forget and will always appreciate the invaluable support I had from the university , my tutors and in particular the University Disability and Dyslexia Service .
My practice placement educators ’ support was also fundamental for my growth as a student and a practitioner . When you are an occupational therapist , you use your skills in all you do . My practice placements educators used their clinical expertise , their compassion , and the occupational therapy process to help me to thrive in my placements .
I was incredibly lucky to have such a nurturing environment in which to grow , to reflect and to put my academic knowledge into practice .
In my second placement , to support my writing skills I was provided with a list / booklet of commonly used occupational therapy phrases and templates ; I still use and treasure these resources to the present day .
My practice placement educators all understood that if I were to be successful , they would have to use a multisensory approach to my learning , by providing me with a wide repertoire of learning experiences to build my skills .
Learning about the concept of the brain ’ s neuroplasticity ( Grieve and Gnanasekaran 2009 ) was so fascinating that it really helped me to believe that I could maximise my potential and not see my disabilities as a barrier .
I found that by regular repetition of certain tasks , I was able to learn , shape and maximise my performance . With this knowledge , during one of my placements I was offered several role play sessions with other members of staff where we simulated occupational therapy assessments . This exercise was critical in building my confidence and skills around how to communicate effectively with clients and colleagues .
Another vital learning opportunity was being asked to do collages and infographics of the occupational therapy process and case studies , which enabled me to use creative and visual skills to build on my learning .
I will always remember how on one of my placements we used the metaphor of a house and how during that placement I
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