Teressa Reidy, an occupational therapist at Kennedy Krieger Institute, has been working in the field for nine years.
What does your job entail?
I teach children with a variety of disabilities how to carry out day-to-day activities and achieve independence. I work with children who were born with a disability, as well as children who come to see us after an accident, injury or illness. I typically work with children with cognitive or physical disabilities, or children with both, such as those with cerebral palsy or traumatic brain injury. In addition to working with children, I often also work with their families to teach them how to maximize their child's potential and make them as independent as possible. I also participate in clinical research activities.
What kind of schooling or training did you go through?
I earned a bachelor's degree in health science and a master's degree in occupational therapy. I am licensed through the state of Maryland and registered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Each year I attend continuing education courses to keep my license active and to stay current on new and emerging therapy techniques.
What inspired you to this career?
I always enjoyed helping people, working with children and creative problem solving. I liked that this profession was science-driven, but also required creativity. I didn't know much about occupational therapy (OT) until I began looking at programs, but knew I wanted to do something in the health sciences. When I began talking to OT faculty, I really loved that I could make an impact in the daily life of others. Unlike other professions, OT looks at the whole person and focuses on maximizing function. We have a wide lens when we evaluate and treat patients, taking into account their environment, physical ability, mental capacity, psychosocial skills and preferences and how that impacts execution of daily activities. I joke sometimes that I got my master's in "creative problem solving" since that is what I do every day as an OT.
What do you like best about your job?
I like the variety and flexibility. Each day is different, you never know what problems or challenges your clients will have. I also love seeing my patients and their families achieve their goals.
What are the challenges?
I really enjoy what I do, so the challenges are few. If the time required by insurance carriers for daily documentation could be reduced to increase the amount of time I could work with patients, I think that would make my job perfect. It can also be challenging at times to accept the limitations imposed by a patient's diagnosis, despite all of our best efforts and creative approaches.