The first full week of May is designated as Licensed Employee Appreciation Week. At Clackamas ESD alone, we have at least 20 types of licensed jobs, with many variations in those positions. These are people who have completed higher education and earned licenses to be certified to teach students, lead continuing education training for staff, serve as social skills specialists, and provide speech, physical and occupational therapy within Clackamas ESD programs and the school districts we serve.
This Licensed Employee Appreciation Week, we’re highlighting a few of our approximately 185 licensed staff members and contractors to provide a peek into the diverse ways this large group of employees lives our mission of service. We appreciate our entire licensed team and the meaningful work they do.
MingMing Hohensee is an occupational therapist in Clackamas Education Service District’s early childhood special education program. She supports children three to five years old in developing their motor skills and ability to process sensory information to help them play, be independent in daily activities and do well in school.
“We define occupation as anything you do to occupy your time. So children, what do they do? They don’t have a job; they play. So we work on anything that prevents them from playing,” explains MingMing.
MingMing’s approach to occupational therapy blends play and exercises in the child’s natural setting — their classroom or their home.
“The best results come when they forget you are working with them on something, and they just think, ‘Oh, you’re so fun, and when I see you, it’s playtime!’” says MingMing.
MingMing often uses process art — projects focused on the process, not the end product — to improve children’s skills. Through exploration with tools like markers, paint brushes, scissors or tweezers and sensory materials like paper, paint, slime, dirt or sand, children develop their fine motor skills, muscle strength, coordination, focus and sensory integration.
For example, small muscles in the hands can be strengthened with Play-Doh. MingMing will hide an object in Play-Doh and ask the child to pull the Play-Doh apart and dig out the object. As the child’s hand strength and coordination improve, using TheraPutty, which is harder to pull apart, can increase the challenge.
“When a teacher or a parent wants to know what they can do, I tell them to play! Join their play, get their trust so they feel like you’re a good playmate,” MingMing suggests. “A lot of times, when you bring a child to a table and say, ‘Okay, I’m drawing a circle. Now it’s your turn,’ they will either push the paper away or walk away. But if you say, “Oh, you’re playing with a truck! Let me show you how I’m going to draw a truck,” and then have them add the wheel at the right time, they’ll work on making a circle without even realizing it.”
Sometimes challenging behavior, like not sitting still and paying attention at circle time, can be triggered by a need for sensory input or movement. Occupational therapists can offer different appropriate ways to meet those needs, like weighted lap pads, alternative seating options, fidgets and oral chewies.
“Activities that provide proprioceptive input, or sensory input to our muscles and joints, can help a child feel calmer and more regulated,” MingMing says. “So we try to find natural opportunities for kids to engage in activities that give sensory input throughout the day so they can help regulate themselves.”
Before becoming an occupational therapist, MingMing earned her undergraduate degree in computer science and worked in coding and programming. When she was ready to start a family, she decided to transition to a career that would allow her more time with her children. Initially, she was interested in physical therapy because of its “clean-cut” scientific qualities, but she found occupational therapy offered the perfect combination of science, creativity and connection. She earned her master’s in occupational therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and began practicing occupational therapy in school settings.
“I really enjoy working with kids. They make you constantly think outside the box about what you can do to help them. It is so much fun to finally find a way to connect with a child,” MingMing shares.
“Recently, there was a kid I had difficulty finding functional play activities that would interest him. One day, I was working with his classmate with a spin toy and saw him looking. So I spun the toy again in front of him, and he smiled. So I spun a big round cap, and he laughed. Eventually, he picked it up and tried it by himself. Suddenly I felt like he was looking at me. We’re looking at each other. It was just a great moment.”
