MindWorks Collaborative celebrates the work of Dr. Frederick Covington of Washington, DC. He is an occupational therapist, entrepreneur lecturer, author and leads The International Institute of Therapeutic Intervention and Learning (TIITIL). He specializes in school-based interventions, working with children with Autism/Developmental Disabilities/Physical Disabilities, and geriatric patients. Holistic patient care is at the center of his mantra, “Treat the patient, not the diagnosis.”
What does Dr. Fredrick do?
For the last 16 years Dr. Fredrick has provided occupational therapy services and taught/supervised aspiring occupational therapist in the Greater DC area (DC/MD/VA). He has a passion for technology development and music and has been recognized for his work in blending these interests in innovative ways into his pediatric occupational therapy services. Notably, he has developed multiple therapeutic applications for iPad, Kindle, and Windows mobile devices.
Dr. Frederick may have had a successful career but foremost, he celebrates being a loving and concerned father. It is his experiences as a father of a child with a disability that sits at the core of why he does what he does. As a father who struggled to get his own son appropriately diagnosed he has firsthand knowledge of the importance of having special education practitioners who are culturally competent and make real efforts to include the unique insights, knowledge and perspectives of the child and their family in the evaluation process. He says that he is a student of the history of inequalities of education, and knows the potential life-long impact of inappropriate diagnosis for Black boys. His experience with his son lead him to ask questions like:
- What resources and services would my son not be given with the wrong diagnosis?
- What could be the educational and life outcome if my son was wrongly diagnosed?
- What if would be the outcome of this special education process if I was unable to be an advocate for my son?
- What about the parents who don’t feel comfortable challenging the medical or school based evaluation team?
Dr. Fredrick knows that there are so many parents who have the same experience but do not have the knowledge or confidence to challenge the system and win like he did. So, in his work he commits to providing exceptionally thorough evaluations and services, prioritizes listening to parents input regarding their own child, and making sure all parents feel empowered at team meetings.
How does Dr. Fredrick Advance Equity in Occupational Therapy?
Dr. Fredrick says that being a Black man in occupational therapy can be likened to being a unicorn, big foot, or the Loch Ness monster. It can be a lonely and isolating experience. “At times, since we are so few, it is like we are rumored to exists. Currently we are LESS THAN 1% of all occupational therapists. We bring a different mindset and experiences into occupational therapy. Being of a race that has essentially had to make ‘ends meet’ by any means necessary, throughout our history, has made us natural occupational therapists. We have been adapting and modify our world before any degrees came into existence.” He mentors aspiring Black male OT’s because they are uniquely able to model pathways of success for young Black boys who may be interested in science, sports, therapy or health but struggle to see themselves represented in careers other than entertainment or sports. Through his work, Dr. Fredrick has chosen to directly confront these images and paint a new picture of what a African American male can achieve.
He also notes that as a student of the history of inequalities of education, especially as it relates to disproportionality in special education, he has committed to supporting students and families in urban pediatric environments and schools. His son was fortunate to have a parent who knew how to navigate the system but many students of marginalized communities do not. So he stands in the gap for these families.
Please help us to celebrate Dr. Fredrick’s hard work to increase culturally proficient and family responsive OT services and the diversity of the occupational therapy profession! You can connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or his website to learn more about and follow his work.
LEARN MORE ABOUT Dr. Fredrick:
Name:
Frederick Covington, OTD
Title and Organization:
Founder/Owner of The International Institute of Therapeutic Intervention and Learning (TIITIL); Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at Howard University
Hobbies/Interests:
I like interested in pediatric issues, Special Education, Music, Mobile App Development, Writing, Technology, Brain Entertainment, Neurofeedback
Education Background:
Howard University – Doctorate of Occupational Therapy; Rocky Mountain University
When did you start working in OT?
I have been working in occupational therapy for the last 16 years
Why did you choose to become an Occupational Therapist?
I was driven to become an occupational therapist to help individuals with their activities of daily living. I decided to focus on pediatrics and expanded my thinking about the importance of the role in ensuring every parent had the right tools and capacity to help their child occupy their world and to advocate for their family after struggling to get my first son the appropriate diagnosis and services. Contrary to the original evaluation and expectations of my son, he is now a straight A student, in Advanced Placement classes, a 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo, a lead trumpet player in the school band, and a classically trained pianist.
Can you share a bit about what makes your job so rewarding?
Being an OT has opened many doors for me. Some of the things that I have had the privilege to partake or be a part of include:
- Being an author (3 published books)
- Getting nominated for a Grammy award for my work in brain entertainment music
- Being featured in commercials
- Speaking and lecturing abroad
- Developing mobile apps
- Creating award winning inventions
- Opening my own clinics which we are expanding internationally
How would you describe a good day at work?
Here is a typical good day for me which starts very early:
4:00am – Uploading discussion, study guides, videos, etc. to my ‘Occupational Therapy Insights’ app, blog, social media, Apple TV/Amazon Firestick channels
5:30am – Composing music or writing (depending on current projects)
7:00am – Headed to DC area schools to provide OT services for DC students
12:00pm – Head to Howard University campus to deliver lectures OT students
2:30pm – See students at our Georgetown clinic location
6:00pm – Lecture or consult abroad via online mediums
Anything else you would like to share about your job/experience of working in OT?
Occupational therapy is a job with no boundaries. You get to wear many hats as you focus on activities of daily living with a diversity of clients. You touch upon all aspects of a clients life and everything that they do, literally from the cradle to the grave, so your job potential is limitless.
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