Recent MOT graduate Mariah Rickman was featured in the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s news for her role in creating a new position in occupational therapy (OT) at Alderwood Family Development Centre (AFDC), where she completed one of her fieldwork placements.
In her interview, Mariah describes the process of completing a needs assessment at AFDC, filling the role during her placement as proof-of-concept, and successfully advocating for funding to create the new position, which will support children with complex needs and “children with complex needs, to “help them engage in school activities in ways that are meaningful to them.” She emphasizes the importance of “a trauma-informed, strengths-based, and relational approach,” the role of sensory- and self-regulation in children’s learning, and the need to advocate for the expansion of OT into new settings, pointing out that “[j]ust because OT isn’t currently being utilized in a particular setting doesn’t necessarily mean it shouldn’t or couldn’t be.”
Mariah’s story is a testament to the impact that OT has on individuals and communities and to the personal passion that underlies the pursuit of OT.