LAST BLOG

I feel like I am now in a place of great knowledge with pediatrics. I have learned allot about diagnoses that I had some knowledge of, but now know the background and can apply my knowledge of OT to these diagnoses and help treat these patients. I can also better "diagnose" patients just by looking at their behaviors or physical characteristics. This may not be what I will be doing (diagnosing) but I can pick out treatments that will better concentrate on treating these symptoms.

The most interesting part of this class was getting to interact with he students at the elementary school. I have always just gotten to watch treatments not do them. This was fun for me to create treatments and get to look at the kids and problems they were having and act like an "OT".

I am going to apply this to my practice by being able to show patience, creativity, and adaptability when treatments don't always go as planned. Children have showed me all of this is important, but I can use this with all patients, throughout the spectrum.

I am ready for fieldwork! I am ready to get out there and practice, and to learn how to cope with different obstacles that may stand in my way.

My aha moments was during treatment with the elementary student when what I was doing with him was actually helping him with his cutting skills. To see him cut in a better way and to facilitate improvements in his skills was cool to watch and was definitely my aha moments and to see that I can really do this!!

And to all a goodnight!

Coming of Age

When I first started this semester I had mixed feelings about PEDS. Not sure if I could make therapy FUN, I was nervous about interacting with the children.

Peds FW was not as “scary” as I thought it once was. I actually could see myself working with children (initially thought working with only adults). I learned a lot with this class and FW. I learned that handwriting is one of the most important thing for a child to master. Without good handwriting skills; attention decreases, grades go down, and bad behavior can escalate and that children with autism are just children trying to handled the sensory overload.

My “aha” moments were at the elementary school, where what we learn comes to fruition in the classroom. On two separate occasions, techniques used to calm the child worked well. K was more active than usually that morning, my supervisor used proprioception technique by pushing down on K’s shoulder and arms. It actually worked (wow)! He was able to complete his breakfast and proceed to the classroom without incident. With other child, my supervisor let him crawl on the floor when transitioning from one activity to another and he was able to complete the task with less verbal cues.

I am a little anxious about FW2. We have learned a lot of material and it feels jumbled in my head but I do believe that I have what I need to be a great OTA.

They sure are cute...maybe one day?

I just went back to read my first blog of this semester and WOW... so much has happened since then! I blogged after my first night working with the children at the transitional homeless shelter. Boy did they trick us on that first night! They were so well behaved and sweet…the last 2 sessions weren’t as rewarding and I was rethinking my desire to bare children!

Since I started the program, we’ve had such a wide variety of experiences and each of them I’ve been treating them like a job interview. I would frequently take a step back and say to myself…Could I work with here? Do I want to work with this type of population? Does this area of OT bring out the best in my skills? Do I feel like I can make a difference here? And this semester I’ve been doing the most “assessing”! As I said in the first blog...I really didn’t think working with children was my cup of tea, but I’d keep on giving it a fair shot. After the fieldwork experience at the shelter, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to work in a setting like that. I didn’t count out other Peds setting though, as I knew there are many settings that OTAs can work with children. My second FW experience in the school setting was amazing! I really felt like could actually see myself working in the school system. However, I realize that I just had a small taste of what the job really entails and my feelings could be swayed by the type of children I saw during that experience as well. I’m more confused now than ever (in a good way) and very interested to see where I actually end up working after all of this is through! I’m anticipating my future FW II experiences (which have nothing to do with children), and can’t wait to find out more about myself as a therapist. Every semester I’ve gained more and more confidence as a future therapist and I really do feel as ready as I will ever be to step out and have my own patients!

I’ve learned so much about working with children this semester and feel like I have a great base of experience/treatment activities ideas. So if God has a sense of humor and I end up working with peds, I will feel comfortable starting out!

A few little Aha moments from this semester: A really funny moment looking back to the beginning of the semester (I think it was the first day) is when we were asked to pick something in the room that worked on a certain skill and create an activity. Lol I thought it was a good idea to have them close their eyes and feel different types of materials. What child would sit there and do that? I had no idea what sensory integration was at the time and how the heck to make fun treatment activities for children. Anyway, it took me a little while to figure it all out, but I feel like I’ve come full circle with my ideas J

While I was on my school FW, I saw the same 3 children each week. One of the kindergarteners is very far behind for his age and the OT had been working with him writing his name. On the last day, he miraculously made an e out of wiki sticks and it just blew both of us away. It seemed so small, but it was such an aha! moment for both of us! The OT and I looked at each other and said WOW! I was so grateful to see this tiny improvement before I left. Patience is key in peds!

Where am I now?

When I first started in this program, I thought the end of this semester would never get here. Now as I look back on the last 5 semesters, I am in awe of how far I have come and how fast time has gone by.
The most interesting thing I have learned this past semester is how many things can affect a child's handwriting. I never thought about how posture, grip or even sensation could play a part in how well a child writes. As I was doing fieldwork at an elementary school nearby, I saw several children who were having difficulties with handwriting. I was able to put some of the skills I learned into motion. The feeling I get when I help someone is amazing and uplifting.
If anyone had asked me at the beginning of this semester if I was ready for fieldwork II, I would have told them no way! Now, I am ready. I am ready for the challenges that will come my way and ready to put to use the skills we have worked so hard on. My fw supervisor was great, and the way she encouraged and praised me, made me feel good about myself.
The support from my supervisors, family and friends has given me the confidence to realize that I can accomplish anything I want to.
Whenever I heard a patient or client tell me "thank you", it was an "aha" moment. Those moments made me aware that I am where I should be, helping others using the skills I have learned.
There have been times when the road has been very bumpy, but now, I am ready for the next mile in this journey. Next stop, graduation!

The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do. ~Author Unknown

Double click on the quote I found for my title, and there you will find many, many more that will help you gain the confidence you will need, that is, if you're doubting yourself, on FW 2.

I feel much more comfortable now than I did in the beginning of the semester. I was intimidated by treating children, but by letting them feel like they have control and with our guidance and a lot of fun, it's really not a big deal at all!

The most interesting information I learned this semester was the importance of tummy time. Even though I have three children, and they all did have plenty of tummy time, no one ever really explained to me all the benefits it affords our children. If I ever work with babies, I will be able to confidently explain to the parents why this is such an important time in their children lives and how it prepares them up for the rest of the life.

I feel like I'm as ready as I ever will be for FW 2. I believe I am much better in the field than in school anyway, so I can't wait to get out there! It's refreshing to finally see how all we've learned in this program coming together and making sense.

It was refreshing to see children during my fieldwork experience like and participate in activities that I made and tailored to the skills we were working on. What has made me feel like, "Yes, I can do this!" is the feedback I have received from all three of my instructors. If they feel like I can do this, then, why should I doubt them!

When I'm at a fieldwork site, and my CI is conducting a treatment session and I understand why and what she's doing, makes me feel like I have "come of age" in my OTA development.

Closer to the finish line

The 3 classes I have taken this semester, FWI, Professional Skills, & OT Media, have made me more prepared for my 2 FWIIs that begin in January. I have learned alot of new diagnoses for pediatrics & the types of treatments that help each of them. I have also learned about splinting that I will use in the acute care treatments for some patients. Professional skills has helped me become more prepared for FWII, & it has given me all the ins & outs of becoming a COTA. I'm beginning to think more like a therapist than a student, which has given me a big confidence boost.

FWI has also been a big confidence booster for me. I have been to a variety of settings - DD groups, outpatient treatments, SNF treatments & pediatric treatments. I’m most comfortable in the pediatric & DD settings, & I hope I’ll be able to find a job in one of these settings.... that is, if I don’t fall in love will my FWII that’s in the acute care setting in a hospital, & I don’t fall out of love in my FWII in a school setting.

As far as blogging..... I’m afraid I was not excited about blogging beginning in OTA 163, & I am still not excited about blogging. It is a bit more easier to get my thoughts down (from ~ 1hr to ~ 20 min, depending on the topic), but I don’t think I will ever blog again. But who knows, never say never!

Hmmm.....

As we are challenged to think back to the beginning of the semester, and compare to where we are now--or where we perceive that we are now--I can honestly say that I have learned a lot. This learning is about combining classroom materials and FW experience--and learning/understanding different ways to approach the kids in our daily transactions. It's about bringing our best efforts forward to serve a growing population, and assisting our autistic kids to realize their full potential.
I feel privileged to have been assigned to a terrific OT in a local public school system, who provided me with some "AHA" moments, without even realizing it! She changed her schedule so that I would be able to see different classrooms, teachers, and kids, which allowed me to observe a variety of levels at the different schools. I saw pre-K, elementary, and middle school classrooms. Moving forward, I will be able to carry with me information that I picked up while on this most recent FW.
Just a few of my "AHA" moments include:
changing a child's position from sitting at her desk, to laying on the floor, so that she could more easily and effectively work on a fine motor activity.
Purchasing a large plastic container from a hardware store, cutting an opening in the side (smoothing all surfaces down), and placing in a quieter spot in the classroom, allowing for a safe place to calm down, or pull together.
I knew the importance of schedules, but was still amazed to see how smoothly an autistic classroom may be managed when students understand their daily routines.
Visual cues were abundant in each of our stops. Whether it was an actual picture of a child, a picture of an activity, or a picture of the bus telling the kids it's time to go home, the kids were able to be successful by using the appropriate tools.
My supervisor had a child hold a marker top with digits 4 and 5 while doing a writing activity.
These few things seem so simple, but it was amazing to see the effectiveness!
While I sit here studying, and stressing, I know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I do believe that once I get through these exams, the full impact of what awaits will hit me. I am both excited and nervous about FW--and I know that I am not alone in that. So as far as "coming of age"--I can't say right now, but ask me again after these 2 exams are over!!!! I hope to be shouting from the rooftop, "I can do this!!!!!!!!"
After sitting in class for 2 years with my peers, I feel certain that an amazing group of COTA's are on the horizon. I do believe that this class has so much to give, and to bring to the table. For whatever population each chooses to serve, the individuals in this class will go above and beyond the call. I have seen in the classroom, time and time again, humor, concern, sympathy, caring, understanding, and acceptance (just to name a few!), all traits that will be huge as we venture out in the "real world."
Back to the books--

From "student" to "therapist"

This semester has been the start of trying to make that transition from "student" to "therapist". With that said, I have a long way to go. I am still a student and will continue to be a student during FW II but feel it is important to start making the transition now because it will definitely be a process. Back in OTA 163 was still focused on A's and B's and not real clinic work. Sometimes the classroom does not translate easily into the real clinical world or clients home. I am now seeing the importance of therapeutic use of self and knowing your client and how essential these qualities in a therapist are. I use to think that everyone had this, but now I see that not every student has this gift and sometimes you have to work at it. The most interesting thing I learned this semester has for sure been the information about school kids and OT. I never understood how important basic skills are to a school aged child and how important OT can be in helping children. I am really just applying these skills to my own children who are 4 and 6. I can be a better therapist and parent at the same time. I look for scissor skills and handwriting red flags. We do hand strengthening activities and they don't even know it, they simply think we are just having fun. I love it. I have two more exams and then honestly I am ready for FW. Sink or swim ladies, it's time. I feel ready only because this is the way I learn. I have some doubts of course but recently took on a new PRN job that is showing me that I can do this. I am starting to think like an OTA and I don't even know it. I am getting positive feedback from supervisors that are not teachers and this increases my confidence. My yes moments have for sure come from my new jobs. I am practicing like a therapist (kind of) and others are actually listening. Not only that, but my suggestions are working. I am seeing improved function and independence with clients. I am able to create relationships with clients and family members with little effort. I still need my pocket OT dictionary, but I can alway look words up. I can say I have started the transition. I have a long way to go, but I am going forward and this is what the last two years have been all about.

Time For Reflection

Only four months ago we started working our Peds semester. I truthfully can say that I enjoyed every single interaction I had with the children on both my FW assignments. The first assignment was a little stilted because we had to do evals and really, with no previous experience, we just muddled through that. I honestly felt a little unsure about myself working as an OTA with kids those first few weeks. I think mainly because I had so much OT Peds “stuff” to learn. My second assignment was much better. I got to work and interact one-on-one with an OT in the school who had 30+ years experience and she was just an encyclopedia of knowledge and ideas. She let me share my ideas with her and we happily worked together with the kids. I loved the hands on, and observing the kids throughout was a real eye opener. I feel like not only my knowledge, but my confidence increased from the beginning to the end of the semester.

What I learned this semester is that kids are very open to learning, especially if you make it FUN and also that so many developmental issues can be corrected with good OT help. When I saw what the OTs do with the kids and then heard the OT tell me about how many kids she was “discharging” from OT, the reality of the success of OT intervention really hit home.
In the future I will apply the idea that OT can be made interesting for anyone at any level with some creativity and imagination, and also that we really can make a big difference in people’s lives - a fact that makes me really happy. It has also helped me understand my 3 year old grandson a bit better. (He needs a lot of heavy proprioception to calm him down). The picture above is of him and his "Papa P" working on his fine motor skills.

My “aha moments” came when I did my own treatment plan with a group of about ten 3-4yr olds, one at a time. As I upgraded and downgraded and adapted the same activity for each child, I realized that I was doing it quite easily and naturally and at that moment, I felt like all that I had learned previously “clicked”. My second moment on the surface probably would have looked to most people, quite innocuous, but the importance of the moment really struck me. I was watching circle time in a classroom of developmentally delayed children, when a boy with Autism who never speaks, and rarely show emotion, responds to others or makes eye contact, saw the OT sit down on the floor beside him. He twisted himself around to put his face right in front of her and then smiled this huge smile at her, staying there until she responded with a huge smile and greeting. I think the teacher and I nearly fell off our chairs in shock, but I realized that whatever the OT had done in the past to reach this boy, had in some way gotten through to him to make him want to connect with her... it was a beautiful moment. I felt really proud to be a future OTA at that moment. :)

THE END! (well...almost)

Where am I now? Right now, I'm ready to be done. I don't mean that in a negative way. I feel like I've learned so much this semester. Both academically and personally. I have decided that I'm less than 100% sure I want to work in peds. I was so sure for so long but idk...I don't think I can be "on" all the time. For example, there was a day on FW when we all went to the school together. B was up sick the night before and I was really not feeling it. It showed. I don't think my kids noticed that I wasn't into it but classmates and my instructor noticed. And then I was exhausted during my in-service on self regulation, yep that showed too. Exhausted usually=low patience. My patience was shot by the end of that night. But hey, you never know.

I feel ready-ish for FW 2. I do feel more prepared now than I did at the beginning of the semester. I feel the most prepared for the SNF just b/c I know what to expect. In-patient (possibly out-patient) rehab is another story. I think I can do this though. Hmmm...I don't know if I really had an "aha" moment. I guess I just have faith that our instructors have taught us well....

I feel kinda like I've grown up in this program. Like when I'm finished I think I'll feel like a real adult (lame, ik) I was 20 when I started this program. I'd never really had to be professional before. I still remember doing a transfer comp. when I got feedback that I was really bubbly and casual and acted really young. Well, I am the youngest. I think by about 5 years. They didn't say it was a problem...just something to be mindful of. I'm still bubbly and casual but I try to pull out the professionalism when I need to. I certainly don't think I'm awesome at it, but I've gotten better. I've also gotten better about talking about whats bothering me or what I need help with, with my instructors. I remember going to one of our instructors in the spring semester b/c I wasn't doing well on her tests. She gave me study tips and then I did fine. I wish I had gone to her earlier. Geriatrics FW wasn't going great (actually it was going terrible) but I really felt ok being honest and asking for help. Had that happened this time last year, idk what I would have done.

I'm glad to be done with classes but I will miss everyone. We've been through a lot together and it'll be weird not seeing each other every day. I'm also scared to be off on my own.