For today’s 12 minute talk, I’m interviewing Ashley McGaughy.  Ashley is a pediatric occupational therapist from Chicago, and she primarily works as an independent contractor with kids in intervention programs, ages zero to three.  She works on everything from play to daily life skills, and she gets to see kids both in their homes and in private community settings. She has a lot of expertise to offer, and I’m so excited to share it with you.

In this episode, we talk about…

[1:09] How Ashley got into occupational therapy and her current work

Ashley has been in the field of pediatric occupational therapy for eight years now. She currently works in the Illinois early intervention program,, serving children from the ages of zero to three.  Before she got into the field, she didn’t know what it was or that it existed. Her last year of undergrad, she took a child development course and one of her professors mentioned it in conversation. Ashley’s professor told her that her best friend was an occupational therapist who worked with children and designed adaptive spoons for kids. 

From that conversation, Ashley decided to look into occupational therapy. She thought she wanted to do something related to healthcare, but she wasn’t sure exactly what. After doing her research and shadowing an OT, Ashley decided it was a cool profession. She got to use her science background along with her creative side and her love of working with children. 

[3:00] Beneficial occupational therapy in the home setting

In her job, Ashley has the added bonus of getting to go into her clients’ homes. She has taught parents that their homes can be used as therapeutic settings every day. No matter what you are doing, you can turn it into an activity that will help your child. For example, you can turn your couch into a little jungle gym with an obstacle course. Jumping and crashing into the cushions can provide kids with the input they need. If a child needs support with fine motor skills, you can have him help you in the kitchen while you are cooking. Those day-to-day activities can be some of the most therapeutic activities.

Clinics are great, but the home environment is where the child spends most of his time. Ashley tries to educate parents on different ways they can use what they already have. It translates better and it helps the parents feel more empowered and aligned with helping their child. You are probably already doing therapeutic activities with your kid just by performing household tasks and playing the games you have available at home. Tweaking or focusing on certain things to help that particular child can make a big impact.

[5:37] Activities that get great engagement and feedback from kids

A lot of the children Ashley works with do really well with movement and music-related activities. If you can get the child moving and up dancing or singing songs with you, it makes him more focused and regulated so he can later focus on those more structured activities.

[6:22] Parent engagement in occupational therapy

When working in a child’s home, Ashley prefers the parent(s) to be present and engaged. Some children may not attend or listen as well if their parents are in the room, so occasionally she advises them to back off a little bit but still be present. For the most part, however, having parents involved is key because then they will know exactly what to do to help their child.

[7:21] Fun and surprising moments as an occupational therapist

Working with young children as an occupational therapist, you are definitely working with the parents as well. Parents need to be on board in order for the skills to translate and carry over to other situations outside of the clinic. Ashley takes a lot of pride in communicating not only with the parents, but also with any nanny, daycare provider, or teacher involved in that child’s life. Everyone should be on the same page and working toward the same goals for that child.

[8:50] Ashley’s favorite part of being an occupational therapist

Ashley really enjoys the variety and the diversity involved with her job.  No day is the same, especially when you work with children.  They are still little, but they have such big and different personalities. Ashley never knows what will happen that day when she wakes up in the morning. Nothing is predictable, so she is always on her toes.

She also feels special to have the ability to impact a child’s life. No matter how big or how small it is, to know that she played a role in their lives really fires her up inside.

[9:56] How to follow and learn from Ashley

One of the reasons I wanted to interview Ashley is because she has such great absorbable content for parents.  You can find her on Instagram, sharing content and education for parents revolving around sensory and child development.  She also has a YouTube channel where she goes a bit more into detail and shares video resources to help parents.  She is on Facebook, but she is not as active on that platform.

[10:44] Go with your gut when it comes to your child

Ashley advises parents to go with their guts when it comes to their children. Being in her field and working with so many families, she has heard a lot of stories from parents who felt like something just wasn’t right with their child but didn’t know what to do. Ashley would encourage them to seek out their pediatrician or primary care provider.  If they aren’t satisfied with one doctor’s answer, they can seek a second opinion. It is easier to get issues looked at and addressed earlier rather than later, and the sooner the better.

Trusting your instincts as a parent is so important, because you are the expert about your own child. Yes, there are OTs, pediatricians, and other professionals out there, but at the end of the day you know your child better than anyone else.

Ashley McGaughy

Pediatric Occupational Therapist

instagram.com/ashtheot

youtube.com/c/ashtheot

 

 

[12:15] Casey’s favorite parts about being Ford’s dad

First, Ford has an unbelievable laugh. It is such a pure expression of joy. If you check out Effie’s podcast, Once Upon a Gene, his belly laughing is included in every episode. Casey says that the joy in his eyes and face matches his amazing laugh. Tickling is a favorite activity, and seeing other people happy can bring that out in Ford as well.

[16:17] What they want medical care teams to know about Ford’s condition

Casey and Effie need to make sure Ford’s medical team is aware of all the different components of his medical chart. He sees a lot of different specialists and they all have extremely important information that the team as a whole needs to understand. As Ford’s parents, they have to bring all the pieces together and make sure everyone is on the same page.  

Sometimes they also have to  educate people on the syndrome itself, because there isn’t a lot of information out there about this rare condition. In the beginning, the best source of information Casey and Effie found was a Facebook group for CTNNB1 families. They can bring commonalities they have seen or things that other people have experienced as they have grown older to Ford’s medical providers.

[19:15] Connecting with other parents of children with rare disabilities

Casey shares that he is an introvert, but it’s always wonderful to get to know other families with kids who have CTNNB1. All the kids they have met are older than Ford, so they feel like they have seen into Ford’s future a bit in some ways. Casey has been able to connect with other dads through Effie’s podcast as well as through Facebook.

[21:28] The hardest parts about having a child with a rare genetic condition

For Casey, the hardest thing was the grief and loss he felt for Ford. It was difficult to let go of the things he wanted for Ford and to accept him the way he was. This is something that can be tough for all parents, but it’s extremely difficult and it hurts to learn that your child’s life will not be the way you envisioned it.

While it’s no longer at the forefront of Casey’s mind, it does come up at unexpected moments. Especially now that their two-year old daughter is doing things that Ford cannot do, Casey is noticing the stark contrast. Those moments are the hardest.

In addition, Casey notices that Ford shapes the decisions that he and Effie make in terms of their personal decisions. He has to have a job with excellent healthcare and they have to live in a place that has top-notch medical facilities. Their home has to be accessible for Ford, and they have to be conscious of running errands at a time when someone can be home with Ford. Getting a babysitter is impossible, but they are lucky that Grandma knows Ford’s ins and outs and takes care of him regularly. Those day-to-day life decisions, both big and small, are much more narrow than they otherwise would have been.

[25:13] Casey’s advice for other parents in similar situations

Casey advises others to focus on your child. Don’t focus on the things that your child is not, or the things they or your family don’t have. Focus instead on that you do have, why you love your child, and being present in the life you have. You will never be happy if you focus on the things you can’t have.

[26:34] What Ford has taught Casey about himself

This experience has taught Casey about empathy for those who are different from you. It has opened his eyes to see society and his community in a much broader light.  Previously, he saw people with disabilities as more separate from himself. Ford has taught him not only how wrong that mindset is, but also that the disabled community is so much larger than many of us realize. They are not separate; they are a wonderful and important part of our larger community.

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