In this episode we are talking all about strengths based occupational therapy with Kavita Murthi. We discuss:
- What strengths-based practice is
- How we can embrace a strengths-based approach in our assessment and therapy
- How we can write strengths-based reports
- What strengths-based practice looks like when working with neurodivergent people
- How to stop using a deficits-based approach today
- How we can identify the strengths of the people we work with
- Research that supports strengths-based approach
- And SO much more!
Kavitha Murthi is pursuing her doctoral studies at NYU Steinhardt in the Department of Occupational Therapy. She works with Counselor to the President, Dr. Kristie Patten, on a National Science Foundation (NSF) project titled “Developing Abilities and Knowledge for Careers in Design and Engineering for Students on the Autism Spectrum by Scaling Up Making Experiences.” Through this project, Kavitha intends to explore the impact of interest-driven and strength-based engineering activities on autistic students’ learning and social development. She is very interested in understanding how neurodiverse adolescents interested in engineering and designing participate in maker clubs to problem-solve using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) independently. She is also very keen to find and highlight the missing authentic autistic voices through her research by partnering with them in the research process.
Resources:
1. The scoping review: https://research.aota.org/ajot/article/77/2/7702185060/24094/Strengths-Based-Practice-to-Enhance-Mental-Health?searchresult=1
2. Double empathy problem by Dr. Damian Milton: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09687599.2012.710008
3. Assessments that promote strengths:
a. American Institute of Research (AIR) Self-determination Scale: https://www.ou.edu/education/zarrow/resources/assessments
b. Child Occupational Self-Assessment (COSA): https://moho-irm.uic.edu/productDetails.aspx?aid=3
c. Child Self Efficacy Scale (CSES): https://www.rand.org/education-and-labor/projects/assessments/tool/2006/childrens-self-efficacy-scale-cses.html
d. Participation and Environment Measure (PEM_CY): https://www.canchild.ca/en/resources/248-participation-and-environment-measure-for-children-and-youth-pem-cy
4. Paper that talks about the value of language and terminologies: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/aut.2020.0014?fbclid=IwAR0xbVb5qTBFAxI9hU2DXtJSJX3GsE4Ljh1qAqrQ27hqxf_Jn-oQAYJE5lE
5. Round table discussion that helped us develop the operational definition: https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.29002.aju
6. Assessment that uses strengths-based visual assessment: https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-015-0006-3
7. Paper on strengths-based assessments: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/154079690603100206
8. ASD Nest Model: https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/asdnest/about-nyu-asd-nest-support-project
