Friday, January 14, 2005
reflecting on the field trip to MINDS today...
Perhaps it's becoz i have a pre-perception of the organisation and its programs, but after looking around and listening to the talk, i still feel quite unsatisfied with the organisation.
In case some are unsure wat i'm talking about, MINDS is an organisation that offers a variety of programs for the intellectually disabled, usually those with IQ below 50.
Well. I'm juz having a general feeling of dissatisfaction. If u want me to pinpoint one aspect, i can only name one --> the "jobs" they create for the clients.
You see, the way it is structured, it seems that other than working in MINDS, there's no way u can achieve social integration and work in the community. The client-therapist ratio is so high that i do not think that therapist can actively sought out vocations that each individual clients are suitable for, nor can they help develop specific skills that allows the client to work outside.
Note also that during the talk, the number of clients that successfully gotten a job outside is below 10, when there are 50+ "training" in the program. We did not hear anything about how many of them retained their jobs, and for how long.
And if the clients do indeed work in MINDS, how long will they be able to do so? until wat age? there are always new cases being introduced into MINDS, and the older ones can't always stick around... wat will happen to them if they're unable to maintain any job outside of MINDS?
Working inside the organisiation and outside of it are totally different experience. I've seen how the public can refuse to show understanding to the slower pace of work of some challenged individuals. The stress of working outside... can it be learned in the organisation?
Learning to generalise skills is not as easy as it seems. These challenged individuals cannot generalise well. They think in a linear pattern. For example, if u show them one way of solving a problem, when shown a similar one, they'll repeat the same solution, even though a more appropriate solution is obvious to us the supposedly normal ones. Can individuals really bring their skills to the outside?
there's also the bit about the environment. i don't like it. it feels.... institutionalised, enclosed, trapped. i really don't see how OTs are supposed to function, when the whole center is measuring therapeutic outcomes by profit, and not the whole functional outcomes, which includes leisure pursuits, ADL function at home, and perhaps community mobility, which includes purchasing things in the community.
but again, these are just my initial impressions. maybe if i ever get attached to MINDS in the future clinical placements, the experience may change my mind.
It might not, too.
è¯å yawned @ 10:34 PM
______________________________
In glory of Coralfish, my 1st and last fish, who died on 08/01/06.
You've outlasted Grad,
who mysteriously disappeared.
You've outlived Spike,
whose sudden death, i wondered.
You've battled illness,
that'd rendered you disabled.
You'll be on my mind, always,
My pet, my fish, my dear.
Rest in peace my dear~ i'll miss you...
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name: .::dor::.
age: 22+
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course: Nanyang Poly, School of Health Sciences, Occupational Therapy
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