6 Must-Follow Blogs for Occupational Therapists

6 Must-Follow Blogs for Occupational Therapists

Get ready to breathe new life into your occupational therapy (OT) sessions! Whether you’re an OT working in a healthcare setting or a school-based OT, connecting with other professionals through blogs is a great way to gather new ideas and gain perspective when challenges arise.

There are quite a few passionate bloggers out there sharing, and we appreciate their valuable contributions. And though we wish we could include everyone here, these are our top picks for OT blogs you should know about and consider following.

  1. The OT Toolbox 
    Created by school-based OT Colleen Beck, this highly successful blog adapts a unique and creative approach to occupational therapy, with great visuals and easy-to-follow instructions. Colleen brings her craft skills and OT therapy experience to life with great visuals and easy-to-follow instructions that, as she puts it, help readers to think outside the (tool)box. For therapists taking a particular interest in hand therapy, Colleen has co-authored helpful books on the subject, The Handwriting Book and The Scissor Skills Book.
  2. Miss Awesomeness
    The name alone may compel you to check out this OT blog. As this blogger eloquently explains, the title began as a joke and stuck, along with the eventual tagline “Delightfully Awkward.” Blogging since 2006, this school-based OT and private practitioner presents articles with titles such as “Poem on Retrogenesis” and “Encouraging Self-Advocacy in Young Children” and covers topics like adaptive equipment design. She presents activities and other practical resources for those already in the field, as well as students. In addition to the valuable information presented, many OTs will also appreciate Miss Awesomeness’s offbeat sense of humor and relatable point of view.
  3. The Inspired Tree House
    Claire Heffron and Lauren Drobnjak are practicing Pediatric Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists who are passionate about sharing information in the blog world. We’ve featured activities from the Inspired Tree House before – and with good reason. There are tons of amazing ideas here, and they’re organized by Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Sensory, and Core Strengthening. Jump right into a category and find games, crafts, and activities for just about any age group. Within the navigation bar at the top of the page is a “Start Here” button, so when you’re ready to get browsing, click it and begin your tour.
  4. The Anonymous OT
    By remaining anonymous, this OT blogger (@TheAnonymousOT) has created a safe outlet to discuss topics openly. The site’s main goal is to offer candid advice from personal experiences—good, bad, and indifferent. And that’s what you’ll find! There are personal accounts of IEP meetings and off-the-wall parent/therapist discussions which will strike chords with many. Don’t miss the funny and painfully accurate account of how crazy things can (and often do) get in a pediatric therapy waiting room. The site’s design makes it easy to search specific topics of interest along the bottom of the right side using the blue keywords.
  5. The Playful Otter – OTR
    It’s easy to see why The OT Magazine named The Playful Otter one of the Top 5 Pediatric OT blogs. With an evidence-based approach to both her practice and her blog, Kathy Hanson provides interactive resources for therapists and teachers to adopt into their practices and classrooms. The belief behind this blog is that occupational therapy should be inspiring, meaningful, and of course, fun! There are many games dedicated to strengthening cognitive, motor, and visual perceptual skills that include card games, dominos, and bingo. What’s especially great about this blog is that it offers up familiar games that are easily accessible and infinitely creative.
  6. Handwriting is Fun
    Here’s a unique online forum for sharing an impressive array of handwriting resources. Occupational therapy blogger Katherine Collmer, M.Ed., OTR/L, and guest authors write about handwriting development skills, improvement strategies, and other information relevant to school-based occupational therapy. This OT blog is definitely worth checking out if you’re an Occupational Therapist looking for resources and good references to share with parents.

Used to its best advantage, the Internet can remove boundaries of distance and time to connect like-minded OTs.  We hope you find something within these blogs to try (and perhaps, to follow!)

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