Miriam Friedman – Occupational Therapist at Lakeridge, IMS, and High School

Job Description: Miriam works with several different students to help improve fine and gross motor skills that impact each student’s educational performance. Miriam identifies the underlying impairments that contribute to a motor dysfunction and plans her treatment accordingly.

Location: At Lakeridge Elementary 3.5 days per week. At IMS and MIHS the remainder.

Typical Day: On average Miriam works with 33 students per week. She tries to make therapy fun. “If it isn’t fun,” Miriam says, “it isn’t good therapy.” She sees students from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, and the rest of her day is spent doing paperwork, session planning, evaluations, screenings, meetings, and communicating with parents.

Best part of the job: The challenges. Miriam loves knowing she is helping students overcome challenges in fun ways. There is one game in particular that she and her younger students enjoy: A child lies stomach-down on a swing, which hangs in the middle of the OT room. Miriam holds out a large plastic ring to the child and they play “tug of war” until someone lets go—which either sends Miriam stumbling backward or the child swinging off in the opposite direction. “It’s a hoot!” Miriam says. “The kids have no idea they are building their proximal shoulder strength. They just know they are having fun.”

Something people may not know: After growing up in Chicago, Miriam began a career in advertising but then rediscovered an interest that took root at age 7 when she volunteered her time on Sunday mornings to help children with disabilities. After moving to Seattle, she pursued a Masters of Occupational Therapy degree at the University of Washington. Miriam then worked at Harborview in trauma rehabilitation prior to joining MISD in March of 2009.

Years worked in the district: 1 year.

Outside interests: Miriam and her husband, Jon, moved to Seattle six years ago when he began a job with Microsoft. They enjoy spending time with their children Jacob (age 3) and daughter Iyla (age 6 months), and traveling, often to visit family back in Chicago. Their most recent trip was to Israel.