Vision Australia Melbourne Victoria Australia
Senior Occupational Therapist April 1995 - Present
•Assess clients' functioning in areas such as vision, orientation and mobility skills, social and emotional issues, cognition, physical abilities, and personal goals.
•Train clients to use tactile, auditory, kinaesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information.
•Write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes.
•Collaborate with specialists, such as rehabilitation counsellors, speech pathologists, and occupational therapists, to provide client solutions.
•Monitor clients' progress to determine whether changes in rehabilitation plans are needed.
•Develop rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients, based on results of assessments, needs, and goals.
•Train clients to use adaptive equipment such as large print, reading stands, lamps, writing implements, software, and electronic devices.
•Design instructional programs to improve communication using devices such as slates and styluses, braillers, keyboards, adaptive handwriting devices, talking book machines, digital books, and optical character readers (OCRs).
•Refer clients to services, such as eye care, health care, rehabilitation, and counselling , to enhance visual and life functioning or when condition exceeds scope of practice.
•Identify visual impairments related to basic life skills in areas such as self-care, literacy, communication, health management, home management, and meal preparation.
•Participate in professional development activities such as reading literature, continuing education, attending conferences, and collaborating with colleagues.
•Provide consultation, support, or education to groups such as parents and teachers.
•Teach independent living skills or techniques such as adaptive eating, medication management, diabetes management, and personal management.
•Administer tests and interpret test results to develop rehabilitation plans for clients.
•Supervise and train staff in a variety of key skill areas underpinning targeted and client centred service delivery.
•Provide related service development to external agencies including "The Australian College of Optometry" General practitioners and local health providers.
•Provide clinical Occupational therapy services across a range of Low Vision service providers.
Volunteer numeracy and literacy tutor (1994 – 1996)
Teaching basic numeracy and literacy skills for a government funded scheme targeting young adults entering the workforce.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING.
Yarra Valley Church of England Grammar School Victoria Australia
La Trobe University Victoria Australia
•Bachelor degree in Applied Health sciences. (Occupational Therapy)
•Certificate in “Teaching English as a Second language” Australian Training Academy.
