KHudd-CITEd.org+self-assessment

Kimberly Hudd, OTR/L CITEd website Self-Assessment

Using the Destination Roadmap on the CITEd.org website, my overall score came out to be about a 4. I am within the Developing Tech range on the scoring rubric. My lowest area of technology use was in the Plan and Deliver Instruction column. Since I am a specialist, I tend to work on positioning of equipment and the fine motor, visual motor, sensorimotor, and visual perceptual skills needed for my students to access the curriculum. I tend to use technology more in isolation to work on switch control or scanning using specified computer programs that the teacher is using to enhance the student’s academic skills. Here is how I would like to prioritize my technology needs as a specialist: •	The first area I would most like to improve on is the Communicate with Parents and Guardians section. At times, I feel as though parents do not fully understand what occupational therapy is and why their child receives this service in school. I am certain that if I created a way for them to actually see and hear about occupational therapy, then they would be more inclined to follow through on home strengthening programs and strategies. A website I found helpful to share with my families for children needing AT to function in the school is www.pluk.org. This website defines what AT is well and provides scenarios of people who use assistive technology. There is also a demonstration on www.voicethread.com provided that gives a demonstration of how to add audio to pictures, which could be a great way to interact with caregivers about their child’s occupational therapy needs. •	The second area I would like to work on improving in is Assessing Student’s Progress during occupational therapy sessions. I do this now by collecting work samples and I keep a folder on each one of my individual students on my caseload so I can review their progress at any time. However, this does become very cumbersome and unorganized, which makes it difficult when I go to write my progress notes or a note home to a parent. Therefore, I would find it helpful to learn of a more organized, technological way to keep track of my student’s progress, from the initial assessment until their point of discharge. The link I found interesting to read was the http://www.cited.org/library/resourcedocs/TechnologyToSupportWritingSummary.pdf in learning more about supporting the need for more technology for learners who struggle with their writing skills.