Üsküdar Üniversitesi Occupational Therapy Department students, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova, organized the 18th “Corona Diaries: Occupational Therapy Interventions” program. The importance of Occupational Therapy Interventions was emphasized at the event. The program, moderated by Berkay Karpuz, Representative of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Occupational Therapy Department, was attended by Üsküdar Üniversitesi 2020 graduate Occupational Therapist Berfin Demirci, OT. Veysel Özkök, OT. Abdulkadir Ulu, OT. Zeynep Nur İpek, and Expert Physiotherapist İmran Toylan as speakers.
Berfin Demirci: “The goal in therapy is for the child to always be happy”
Occupational Therapist Berfin Demirci delivered her speech titled 'Environmental Regulation in Sensory Integration and the Importance of Used Materials'. Demirci stated: “Sensory Integration means the discrimination and registration of sensory information in the nervous system. It is the perception of stimuli from the environment by our sensory organs and the processing of this information in the central nervous system. The goal in therapy is for the child to always be happy. A child being open to interaction and communication, and being able to tolerate environmental stimuli easily, facilitates learning positive experiences.”
Veysel Özkök: “Mobbing is observed more in the public sector than in the private sector.”
Occupational Therapist Veysel Özkök addressed Mobbing and Occupational Therapy Interventions. Özkök said, “Mobbing is psychological violence. Since the mid-2000s, mobbing has emerged as one of the most prominent issues related to the work environment. The root word 'Mob' refers to meanings such as disturbing, intimidating, or gathering around someone. Frequent exposure to such behaviors indicates that a person is being mobbed. There are two types of Mobbing; the first is Vertical Mobbing (Hierarchical Mobbing), which is the most common type of mobbing where the upper class oppresses the lower. The other is Horizontal Mobbing, where a person of the same status engages in mobbing. Mobbing is observed more in the public sector than in the private sector.”
Abdulkadir Ulu: “Fine Motor Skill is the ability of small muscle groups to move”
Occupational Therapist Abdulkadir Ulu addressed fine motor skills and daily living activities in children with autism. Ulu stated, “Fine motor skill is the ability of small muscle groups to move. These skills can affect a child's ability to perform self-care activities such as eating, writing, using a computer, turning pages in a book, dressing, and grooming. For example; bead stringing activities are studies aimed at developing hand-eye coordination, sustained attention for a specific period in a certain activity, and pattern formation skills in children.”
İmran Toylan: “The baby's safety, calmness, and remaining free from stress are the most important factors”
Expert Physiotherapist İmran Toylan addressed the Learning Pyramid - Body-Mind Connection. Toylan stated, “The learning process begins the moment a baby opens its eyes to life. It continues in school and throughout life. Creative games and activities in their environment help develop the body-mind system. The mind-body system is essential for acquiring the necessary skills for academic learning.
If a baby grows up in safety and love, their relationship with people and the outside world develops in an equally secure and calm manner. In short, the baby's safety, calmness, and remaining free from stress are the most important factors. Being free from stress will increase the baby's experiences and provide sufficient motivation for learning.”
Zeynep Nur İpek: "The occupational therapist's role is to evaluate the effects of substance use on an individual's activity performance"
Occupational Therapist Zeynep Nur İpek addressed Substance Addiction and Occupational Therapy Interventions. İpek stated, “Substance addiction is the use of substances that negatively affect the body's functions, and the inability of a person to stop using the substance even when they continue to use it despite suffering harm. Situations such as psychological factors, hereditary factors, biological factors, sociocultural factors, etc., are causes of substance use and addiction. Cognitively, it negatively affects the brain's regions related to decision-making, learning, memory, sleep, emotion, and behavioral control. The occupational therapist's role is to evaluate the effects of substance use on an individual's activity performance and the extent of functional impairment in their life.”