OT

Part 2 of the OT Entrepreneurs series is featuring more OTs who have started their own businesses, however, these are a little different than part 1. These OTs found a way to create a business that uses their OT skills but are not providing direct OT services.

So without further ado, here is part 1, all about OTs who have started their own businesses!

Tot Spot Play Center & Cafe

Tanya Nichole started The Tot Spot Play Center & Cafe in Oneida, NY. Here’s what she has to say about her business:

I own and operate a Play Cafe – an indoor play space combined with a coffee shop. Using my background as an Occupational Therapist, I designed the play area based on developmental skills and play stages for children ages 6 months to 6 years. We also offer enrichment classes and act as an event venue for birthday parties. You can find us online at http://www.thetotspotplaycenter.com

Arielle Rose Yoga OT

Arielle is both an OT and a yogi. Here is what she has to say about herself & her yoga classes:

I’m Arielle Simons, MSOT, OTR/L, E-RYT, and a certified Kids Yoga Teacher with over 1000 teaching hours. Utilizing a holistic approach to health and wellness strongly informed by anatomy and physiology, I teach accessible classes for yogis of all levels and abilities on my YouTube channel and in-person in the greater Boston area. My teaching style focuses on mindful movement as I guide you with compassion and playfulness to develop strength and flexibility, relieve stress and discomfort, and find inner peace. I provide content for accessible practices including chair yoga, as well as kids programming with a focus on movement, mindfulness and self-regulation. I have developed a curriculum and lead a therapeutic kids yoga group at the outpatient sensorimotor gym where I work full time as an OT.

Function & Flow Home Organizing LLC: Owner Angie Freyer

Angie Freyer is an OT who is also passionate about decluttering & slowing down. Here’s what she has to say about her organizing business:

Function and Flow Home Organizing was born out of a passion to help families declutter their lives and rediscover the joy of slowing down while living with less. As a trained Occupational Therapist, I spent over 10 years working in public schools and doing home health-care. During that time, I became increasingly passionate about physical spaces and how they impact emotional well-being. When spaces don’t function properly, it can cause emotional/physical stress and prevents people from doing the things they’re really passionate about. I am dedicated to providing a compassionate and relaxed approach to the organizing process and love setting up systems that fit a client’s unique lifestyle. I also work with clients who are looking to downsize or move. To learn more about Function & Flow Home Organizing and the services offered please visit our website or check us out on Instagram. We are based out of Portland Oregon, but also offer virtual sessions and organizing videos.

Soul to Soul Yoga LLC

Cheryl Albright started Soul to Soul Yoga LLC in Bradenton, Florida. She is an occupational therapist and registered yoga teacher. Here’s what she has to say about her business:

I grew up with an older brother with Autism and an aunt with Down syndrome. I first took Yoga For The Special Child back in 2009. I continue to study with them. I did travel therapy for 3 years and tried the method out in different settings until I landed in Florida. I started the business in 2016 on the side working full time and gradually backed out until this became full time.

We help people with special needs move and breathe better to improve daily function through occupational therapy, yoga therapy, and educational events.

You can find out more at https://soultosoulyogasrq.com/ and on instagram @soultosoulyogasrq

When the idea popped in my head to feature OT Entrepreneurs, I thought I would find a few that I could feature. I turned to social media and was amazed at how many OTs have created their own businesses, products, podcasts, and more. What was originally going to be 1 blog post has turned into a series of posts where I will feature OTs and their businesses, products, and books.

The first post of my OT Entrepreneurs Series will be all about OTs who have started their own practices!

Stronger Roots Therapy

Jenna Down started her own pediatric practice in Connecticut. She offers OT services to children in their natural environment, is a nature lover, and educates families, educators, and OTs about pediatric OT.

Telehealth OT Services

Telehealth OT Services started as a pediatric telehealth business providing occupational therapy to families of children with autism spectrum disorder who are homeschooled. Recently, it has expanded to provide education resources for occupational therapists wanting to learn about telehealth. Dr. Reina Olivera is the owner of Telehealth OT Services, the author of The Telehealth OT: A guide to teach occupational therapists about telehealth, and the creator of the Telehealth OT Mini Course. She also provides 1:1 consultations for business owners who want to add telehealth to their practice.

Bee You Therapy

Bee You Therapy, LLC was created by Dr. Lauren Pammer. Lauren is a licensed occupational therapist from the southwest suburbs of Chicago. She received her Bachelor’s of Arts Degree and Masters of Occupational Therapy from Saint Ambrose University. Go Bees! For more than twelve years, Lauren has practiced in a number of area schools, private practices, and home and community-based settings. Lauren graduated with her post-doctoral degree in occupational therapy from Governors State University in May of 2019, conducting research on School-Based Occupational Therapy Practice Leadership Roles.

Lauren has a passion to treat every client individually within their natural environment. Her approach is based on a belief that clients experience the most dramatic gains when they’re able to receive treatment in their own environment and engage in their everyday activities.

Bee You Therapy, LLC was created with the idea to begin with Early Intervention and develop into providing therapy for adolescent clients within their home and community. Lauren noticed a gap in services starting in about 4th grade. Treatments within a clinic typically stop as therapists do not see additional gains. Through Lauren’s experience, this is when therapy is most critical as children need to learn and develop true life skills. This treatment is the foundation of occupational therapy.  Life does not happen in the clinic, neither should therapy! 

World of OT

Ushma is the founder of World of OT, a community-based occupational therapy practice in Bay Area, with the ultimate goal and mission to make the most powerful impact in enabling children master skills that are important for their on-going development, growth and independence.This means they treat children in their natural environments – homes, schools, and local parks. They go where the child is playing, living, and facing challenges.

Motherhood has played a huge role in shaping Ushma’s perspective on her work. She now, more than ever strives to provide family-centered therapy services which are sensitive to the needs, concerns, and priorities of each family.

Additional services World of OT provides:

1) Mommy and Baby classes – to support bonding and encourage positive infant development.

2) Training and mentorship to OTs new to the pediatric/school setting.

3) Consultation services to schools and organizations to train teachers and staff to better support their students.

4) Teletherapy to support children and their families when direct therapy is not conducive due to location or circumstances.

5) Resources to provide ongoing support to the community:

•It’s Play time!- video series for play ideas with household items

It’s PLAY time!

•Ultimate parent guide for shelter in place

https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5e8be06cb68c420026b57e62

You can find her products online at http://www.worldofot.com/shop

My series on OT Entrepreneurs is going to come out soon but I first wanted to share some ways that OTs can support OT Entrepreneurs!

•buy their product or utilize their service

•buy a product on Teachers Pay Teachers from an OT

•reach out to your OT community if you need a handmade gift (a lot of us are crafty)

•tell a friend about a company in their area started by an OT

•sign up for their newsletters

•follow them on social media

•like, comment on, and share their posts

•send them a message telling them how cool/interesting/inspiring their business is

•join their Facebook group, wellness club, etc.

•send their posts to someone who might be interested

•give them a shoutout on social media

•share this blog post to get the word out their about all the cool things OTs are doing!

April is Occupational Therapy Month! I wanted to kick off the month by sharing 10 reasons to be friends with an OT!

1. We understand how long ADLs can take. Running late to meet up with your OT friend? We understand. But we might also try to give you tips to make your morning routine more efficient.

2. We are good listeners. We work with people all day, everyday. We are great at listening and giving our full attention.

3. We’ll remember the important things you tell us. We are great at remembering information about many different patients so we can probably remember your favorite color, food, and type of wine.

4. We are great with families. We work with people of all ages AND their families. So if you need to swing by grandma’s house, babysit your niece, or have a family party to attend-we can fit right in.

5. We ask the right questions. We evaluate patients and have a short amount of time to gather a lot of information. We know what to ask and when.

6. We’ll make sure everyone gets home at a decent hour because we understand the importance of sleep.

7. We can think of the fly. Plans A, B, and C didn’t work out? That’s okay. Your OT friend can figure out a new plan in 5 minutes flat.

8. We are resourceful. Need help finding a new way to do your hair, a new gym to go to, a new bowl for your dog’s food. We’ll probably analyze the situation, help narrow down your needs, and make appropriate recommendations.

9. We will make sure everyone in the group’s needs are met. One friend wants to go somewhere playing music, another wants to play with puppies, and another wants to have a dance party….we’ll find a way to make it work for everyone!

10. We know how to have fun! Play and leisure are both occupations and we understand how important it is to make time for fun!

I wanted to start out by saying that this blog post is simply covering how I studied. There are many different materials and study techniques and you have to do what works for you!

How long did I study?

I stared studying around January/February of my last semester before graduation and I would study for a few hours a week.

Then after graduation, I committed to about 3 weeks of studying where I studied around 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. I would also do a little additional reviewing on evenings and weekends.

Where did I study?

I personally went to my local public library to study. There were less distractions here than at home. I would usually study in a quiet room for about 4 hours.

What materials did I use?

I used the TherapyEd book, took the TherapyEd course, and used the AOTA PDFs and online quizzes. My favorite study materials were the AOTA PDFs and online quizzes. I feel like these questions were the closest to those on the actual exam. I also felt like the PDFs were really thorough and covered almost everything I needed to know.

How did I study?

I took the TherapyEd course in February (4 months before I tested) and found it really beneficial. They basically teach you how to take the test which gave me peace of mind. Then when I began studying on my own, I went back to my tried and true study method. I had realized in college that I learn best by writing everything out. I would choose one or two topics for each day. Then I would go through the PDFs and TherapyEd chapters together and make my own outline of important information. I was then able to color code and make charts. I also made separate charts for topics that needed to be memorized, like developmental milestones, spinal cord levels, etc. I organized this in a big binder (we’re talking 3″ binder with dividers) and reviewed frequently.

I did AOTA online quizzes every study day. I would do questions to correspond with the topics I had studied that day. On weekends, and if I had extra time, I would take additional quizzes of mixed topics or to review sections I was scoring lower in.

I also found a lot of YouTube videos that were beneficial. I made a list of videos and would play them when I was tired of looking at the material.

Also, I did NOT study the day of the test. I took my binder with me, thinking I would study in the car as my mom drove, but decided against it.

How did I feel after the test?

This seems to be what everyone wants to know.

I felt fine. I walked over to Panera and ordered myself a full meal plus a cookie and smoothie. Then I went home and went to bed. (How you feel after the test is not a good predictor of if you passed or not!!)

I do recommend keeping yourself busy when your waiting for scores to come out. I had to wait a week and was so nervous. So plan activities with friends and family to keep your mind occupied.

Would I do anything differently?

Nope.

I think that starting to review early was the most beneficial for me because then when I graduated and started my more intense studying, it was more of a review as I had seen everything before. I know that everyone’s schedule is different and this might not work for everyone, but even watching the ocassional YouTube video or listening to a podcast