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[rockinot]

Hey friends! 

I have been MIA due to the fact that I started my first fieldwork level 2 placement 6 weeks ago! I know, that’s absolutely wild! My previous semester was a whirlwind of emotions as we crammed 6 months of adult related content into 7.5 weeks! I have always considered myself a future pediatric OT, but after my adult semester I am open to a wider age range; however, my current placement is at an outpatient pediatric clinic! Here are some thoughts from my first week:

1) Something that is as I expected:

 I am currently at a private clinic. Based on what I knew from previous volunteer and shadowing experiences, I expected two things. The first one being that the caseload would be large. Outpatient OTs get paid per visit, so their goal  is to tack on as many visits on their schedule as possible. This is very true for my setting. My fieldwork educator has anywhere from 30-35 kids on her caseload! And I met at least 30 by the end of my first week. 

The second thing I expected corresponds with the first. I expected long hours because of the large caseload. I was right!  Long hours or not, though, I had already fallen in love with the flexibility of the setting, and the range of clients we see on a daily basis!

2) Something that surprised me:

When starting at the clinic I came in hesitantly, because I had been told by several people that pediatric outpatient clinics are heavily saturated with SI/ sensory based intervention. So much so, that sensory-based intervention tends to be the focus, and the occupations of the children being treated tend to get lost in the shuffle. Also, there is still the question of evidence, and the correct implementations of SI specific interventions. However, after a week at the clinic, my fears were quickly put to rest! Interventions here are directly relevant to each child and their family. The uniqueness of this setting allows for parents to be as involved as they would like. Careful time is spent communicating with both the children and families about goals that are important to each of them. Some of the goals addressed in the clinic are very similar to goals I've seen in the school setting. We work on visual motor integration, fine motor precision, and so on, but it's always within the context of specific occupations. We also work on a lot of self-care goals, social skills goals, and feeding. Basically, in 1 week, I felt like I had already seen so much variety! Sensory-based intervention definitely plays a large and important role in this clinic, but it is done right among other things!

3) Something I’m curious about:

At this point in fieldwork, I was curious about some of the other professionals represented at the clinic. MY clinic has OT, PT, SLP,  psychological services, and education specialists. I asked upfront if co-treating was common among the different professions represented. My supervisor made it clear that while OT and speech generally co-treat together,  OT/PT co-treats were rare, and other types of team-ups generally didn't happen due to scheduling conflicts. This was surprising to me, because a lot of them shared various clients. So I wanted to know more about how treatment went with the other professions represented.

Til next time

-Rocky

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[rockinot]

A Space To Call Your Own

Graduate school is no joke. There is a lot more reading, writing, research, and in general a lot more content to grapple with. When I first got to school, I knew that in order to be successful, I had to find a space where I could get things done. Know what I mean? My new apartment is cute and cozy, and usually I try to study either in my living room or bedroom, but that can lead to distractions. And according to my “Human Capacities” professor, the bedroom is not for studying. It’s for sleep and sex, period. So where do I go from there?

The first week of class was all about settling down into a new place, new routine, and new occupations. But it was also really important that I find the perfect study spot. Thankfully, I had some friends who have been living in this area for a while, and they gave me a list of places to check out. The cute cafe pictured above was the first place on the list, but the moment I stepped foot onto its gravel path, I knew it was the place for me. The atmosphere was just right, there was the perfect amount of background noise, and a variety of options for seating inside and outside (perfect for changing weather conditions). In this little town that I currently reside in, there are lots of places like this, but when you know, you just know. I lugged my textbooks and notes to the little cafe one carefree Friday morning with a burdened mind. “Man I have so much work to do! Am I ever going to finish these tedious readings about the anatomy of the brain?” But the moment I took the first sip of my mocha latte and heard the playful conversations rummaging around me, I knew I had found my spot.

To be fair, I tried out the other places on my list, but my heart had already found a home. And now every weekend, I enthusiastically pack up my backpack and head to my favorite spot in town. I guess I said all that to say this, take the time to find your place. Studying doesn’t have to be a chore. Find an environment that makes you happy, one that helps you thrive, and then get to work!

-Rocky

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