Practice

Perspectives
A Magical Teacher
Kirby Scott
Kirby Scott is a 19-year-old man who
was diagnosed with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) at age 3 years. Scott is
a currently a student at Northern Oklahoma
College, pursuing an associate
of science degree in engineering. He
graduated from Enid High School in
2014 and completed a 2-year program
in drafting and design at Autry
Technology Center in 2016. Scott is
the third of four sons born to Jon and
Sue Scott. His younger brother, Luke,
also has high-functioning ASD (the
type previously identified as Asperger’s
syndrome). Scott’s future plans are to
pursue a bachelor’s degree in animation
and filmmaking. This essay, about his
occupational therapist Diane Fosmire,
was part of an assignment for a college
composition course identifying someone
who made a difference in his life. Fosmire
was Scott’s school-based therapist
at Enid High School and is now in
private practice, as owner and operator
of Acres of Joy, in Enid.
A
teacher is someone who
instructs, but a teacher takes
many different forms. Not all
kids grow up knowing what
occupational therapy means.
For some, they might think it’s about
getting a job, because of the root word
occupation. For me, I learned quickly that
an occupational therapist was my friend,
my teacher, my mentor; Diane Fosmire was
just that. I was King Arthur, and she was
my Merlin.
When I first met Diane Fosmire, I was 3
years old and I kept mostly to myself. Diane
was a sweet lady. She had short, straight
blonde hair with subtle hints of grey. Her
smile was as beautiful as her voice. She
always spoke calmly and firmly. She always
dressed in business casual, comfortable
clothing that suited her personality perfectly.
Diane had a great sense of humor
along with a heartwarming laugh. She
was physically fit, which was most likely a
result of her daily work.
During my toddler years, I didn’t speak
to many people, but Diane was different.
Diane had many tools and games that
sparked my interest. She helped me learn
how to get my needs and wants met. The
first step she taught me was to say, “I
want.” Then, she had all kinds of activities
for me to choose from. I listened as the
computer spoke the words for my choices,
and soon I was speaking along with the
computer voice. She taught me the power
of communication. She made my life less
complicated and confusing because I could
speak to the people who I cared about and
understand the world around me. I was
finally able to make choices instead of
melting down because nobody understood
what I wanted.
Diane had a keen understanding of kids
with disabilities. There are many people
who choose a job based on the amount of
money they might earn. However, there
are others, like Diane, who choose a career
because it lets them help people and not
because of what it pays. Diane knew me
so well, and she pushed me very hard to
do things that I wouldn’t do on my own.
She always had a reward for me when I
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE SCOTT FAMILY
OT PRACTICE • AUGUST 22, 2016
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