Empowering Clients for Inclusive Thanksgivings: An Occupational Therapist’s Guide

As occupational therapists, we play a crucial role in helping our clients navigate daily activities and participate fully in life’s meaningful events. With Thanksgiving approaching, it’s an opportune time to equip our clients and their families with strategies for creating inclusive celebrations. This guide offers practical interventions and advice that we can implement in our practice or share with caregivers to ensure a more accessible and enjoyable Thanksgiving for all.

Environmental Modifications

Enhancing Physical Accessibility

When working with clients who have mobility challenges, consider these interventions:

Ramp Assessment and Training: For clients using wheelchairs or mobility aids, assess their ability to navigate ramps. Practice using portable ramps of various inclines to build confidence. Educate families on proper ramp installation, ensuring a slope no steeper than 1:12 for manual wheelchairs and walkers and 1:20 for power wheelchairs.

Seating Adaptations: Work with clients to identify optimal seating arrangements. Practice transfers to different chair types, focusing on those with armrests for added support. Recommend table heights of 28-30 inches to accommodate wheelchairs comfortably.

Consider toileting options: Work with clients and their family members to identify toileting needs in an unfamiliar home. Identify which bathrooms in the home are accessible and quick modifications that can be made to increase accessibility.

Sensory Integration Strategies

For clients with sensory processing disorders, autism spectrum disorders, or persons with dementia consider the following:

Sensory Diet Planning: Develop personalized sensory diets that clients can implement during holiday gatherings. Include proprioceptive activities like chair push-ups or wall presses that can be discreetly performed at the dinner table.

Environmental Modification Training: Teach clients and families how to create sensory-friendly spaces. Practice using light dimmers, noise-cancelling headphones, and identifying calm-down areas within various home layouts.

Cognitive and Communication Supports

Enhancing Predictability and Communication

For clients with cognitive impairments or communication difficulties:

Visual Schedule Creation: Work with clients to develop personalized visual schedules for Thanksgiving day. Use picture symbols or simple text to outline the day’s events, practicing schedule reading and time management skills.

Social Story Development: Create and practice social stories about Thanksgiving traditions, potential challenges, and coping strategies. This can help clients with autism or anxiety disorders better prepare for the social aspects of the holiday.

Adaptive Mealtime Strategies

Promoting Independence During Meals

Utensil Adaptation: Assess clients’ fine motor skills and introduce adaptive utensils as needed. Practice using built-up handles, angled utensils, or plate guards to enhance independence during the Thanksgiving meal.

Dysphagia Management: For clients with swallowing difficulties, provide strategies for safe eating. Teach techniques for food modification and educate families on appropriate food textures to ensure safe participation in the meal.

Therapeutic Activities for Holiday Participation

Engaging Clients in Meaningful Holiday Tasks

Adaptive Cooking Sessions: Incorporate Thanksgiving meal preparation into therapy sessions. Practice adapted cooking techniques, such as using one-handed cutting boards or recipe following with visual aids.

Fine Motor Craft Activities: Engage clients in creating Thanksgiving decorations or place cards as part of hand therapy or cognitive training. This not only improves skills but also allows clients to contribute meaningfully to the celebration.

Family Education and Home Programs: Empowering Caregivers and Clients

Caregiver Training Sessions: Offer workshops for families on creating inclusive Thanksgiving environments. Cover topics like sensory-friendly decorating, stress management techniques for caregivers, and strategies for including family members with disabilities in holiday traditions.

Home Exercise Programs: Develop Thanksgiving-themed exercise programs that clients can perform at home. Include exercises that improve endurance for long family gatherings or strengthen core muscles for prolonged sitting at the dinner table.

By implementing these strategies in our practice and sharing them with clients and their families, we can significantly enhance the Thanksgiving experience for individuals with various abilities. Remember, our goal as occupational therapists is not just to address impairments but to promote full participation in life’s meaningful occupations – and few are more meaningful than sharing a holiday with loved ones.

Let’s empower our clients to enjoy a Thanksgiving that’s not only accessible but truly inclusive, celebrating the diversity of abilities within every family and community.