Elementary schools in a Southwest Connecticut city are benefiting from a graduate student whose innovative determination is perfectly suited for an occupational therapy job, according to a published report.
Karen Bassett, while pursuing a Master's Degree in occupational therapy at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, kicked off fieldwork with the school system of Stamford, The Day reports. She started a program in January for students with sensory processing disorders to use weighted vests, which also are of benefit to students suffering from autism and attention deficit disorder.
"It really came full circle for me when I think back to how helpful this type of intervention could have been for my own son in kindergarten and first grade," assistant director Joanne Drouillard with Constellation School-Based Therapy told the news source. "If it helps just one child function more successfully during his/her school day, then it’s a great step forward."
The vests apply pressure input and help children focus and pay attention to class work and activities.
People who hold occupational therapy jobs and work in mental health settings typically deal with developmentally challenged clients and help them with obstacles posed by life, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.