Friday, March 31, 2017

AOTA 2017


 (One) life OT goal is met. I attended my first AOTA conference, and it was the 100 year celebration of OT, and it was in Philadelphia. So many firsts for me. First conference, first time being on the East coast, first time seeing some OTs who dedicated their careers to improve the practice that I love. I was split on the decision to go, it’s time away from school, and a decent chunk of money.


I regret nothing. This is an amazing experience. It’s enlightening to see the revolutionary approaches practitioners are taking to expand the field of OT. The quantity and quality of sessions have exceeded my expectations. If I sound a little jazzed, it’s because I’m writing off of post-OT Centennial Bash hype.

I’m planning on writing a summary of my experience. For a quick snapshot, I’ve sat in on sessions about OT’s involvement in women’s health and health care, work with military and veterans, integrating OT in prison settings, sex and intimacy, ALS, and Dementia.


In short, I feel so honored to be a part of this profession. I love being surrounded by other students and practitioners who are equally as fascinated and excited about this celebration. I also am deeply humbled by the OTs before me. I so believe in this profession. The work we do with our clients, and the special bond that develops betweens clients and practitioners is extraordinary.