My current work has involved a significant amount of contact with Occupational Therapists and their child patients who suffer from learning and communication disabilities. I have been deeply impressed with the dedication of the therapists and the effectiveness of their painstaking work. In my country of origin, Nigeria, Occupational Therapy for such patients is rare. It is my hope to do what I can to assist in the correction of this unhappy situation.
My ambition is to acquire the skills and knowledge to equip me to establish an Occupational Therapy clinic in Nigeria specifically for children and to train others in this specialism at the university level in Nigeria. Although I have never formally studied the identification and treatment of childhood disabilities, I have become well-read on the subject over the last couple of years. Nothing excites me as much as the way that early diagnosis of learning and communication disabilities, especially autism, is essential to enable early intervention and achieve optimum long-term outcomes. I seek to spread awareness of early indicators of potential disability to parents, caregivers, and nurses in Nigeria, indeed throughout Africa, along with helping to foster a greater understanding of basic treatments where specialists are unavailable or unaffordable.
My working life to date has involved either working with children and young people or healthcare or both. I have enjoyed my career as a health care administrator and know that good administration is vital to the welfare of patients. However, the great passion that I have for emotionally challenged children inspires and enables me to go that extra mile for them, resulting in the greatest sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. I have extensive experience as a teacher and have written several successful children’s books which are popular in Nigeria. I have a natural affinity with children and a long-cultivated ability to understand and empathize with them and help them, as well as train others to do the same.
My well-developed analytical and planning skills will be most useful to me as an OT professional. I know the importance of accurate record-keeping. I have well-developed communication skills and have been involved in the training and mentoring of junior staff. I also have an appreciation of how a medical facility operates and how its various departments interact and cooperate for the benefit of patients. The most notable advantage of my current employment is that it has provided the opportunity to see the enormous benefits that disabled children derive from Occupational Therapy and the dedication and professionalism of the therapy providers whom I now seek to emulate.
I have happily worked, studied, and socialized with people of many ethnic and social backgrounds, and ages. I am a gregarious person with a well-developed sense of humor who seeks to respect and help those around me. I enjoy sharing knowledge of my own culture and learning about the cultures of others.
I have had a successful academic career and anticipate no problems in succeeding in what I understand will be a demanding and challenging program of study. My particular interest is in the treatment of child autism, and I would be interested in assisting in research in this area. I am aware that promising developments are being made in the early and accurate diagnosis of autism such as the use of ‘emotion detection’ software and I hope to be able to help research effective means of diagnosis and treatments.
Occupational Therapy is the field in which I can apply my academic abilities, personal strengths, and enormous passion for the subject, to help children. It will be my intention, as always, to excel rather than merely succeed, and I can promise the reader very enthusiastic and diligent participation in the program for my own benefit, that of my fellow students, the faculty, the profession, and the patients that I look forward to over the course of the next few decades.
Occupational Therapy Personal Statement