First Practicum Experience

We had our first practicum experiences in our second semester of classes (spring '11).
I was placed at a local elementary school with 3 of my classmates and one of our professors. We helped out with an after school program called Beans and Rice. We went once a week and worked with kids kindergarten to second grade and we each took turns leading the group. Our group- the OT Zone-was 30 min every Thursday and we focused on things such as writing, telling time, coin values, and fine/gross motor skills. I learned a lot about working with children in a structured setting, dealing with difficult behaviors, planning sessions and documentation...

Disability for a day

Last Fall, our teacher assigned each of us a disability/condition and we had to pretend like we had that disability for an entire day.  Some had to use slings, some ear plugs (Deafness), some crutches and some of us were in wheelchairs.

I had to be in a wheelchair for the whole day! and let me know you- it was HARD! and I definitely underestimated how difficult it would be. My arms were sore the next day. The part I remember most was getting to work and actually having to work. The ramp to the building where I work was SO steep I couldn't make it up on my own, I had to grab onto the handrail and inch myself up...while people were watching me struggle. I also had a hard time at work in the library, some of the shelves were way to high for me to reach, and the isles too narrow. Oh and I had to go all the way across campus to the bigger library and had to use the elevator, a man was on there with me and was just staring at my legs, I really thought he was going to ask me why I had to be in a wheelchair.

Overall it was definitely a great experience and I have a whole new respect for those needing to use a wheelchair everyday.  Public places think they are doing such a great job at making their building "handicap accessible" but really, they aren't, ramps are too steep, doorways are too narrow, and entrances with the automatic doors are inconvenient... I'm very thankful I do not really have to rely on a wheelchair everyday.

First Year Recap- Tool kit

As part of one of my classes in my first semester (Fall '10)- we had a 'Tool Kit' assignment. We were each given a performance skill and had to come up with 5 activities to work on that skill that could fit into a medium sized container. My skill was balance.

I had a few ideas right off the bat but had to consult with on the of OT's that I had shadowed for some more ideas (gotta collaborate :) ) 

I can't find the picture of my tool kit but here are the items that I chose and why

1. Sidewalk Chalk/Red Duck Tape to make a Hopscotch board- play activities- going from a wide base of support (2 feet) to a narrow base of support (1 foot) challenges balance. Plus its fun, and children would enjoy this and may not view it as "work"

2. Stability Ball- I included this in my kit because while the client is sitting on the ball, they are required to maintain balance as their center of gravity and base of support are constantly changing and shifting

3. Pants (one for adults, one for a child)- Activity of Daily Living: dressing. Dressing the lower body requires balance whether you are doing it from a seated or a standing position. I also included an exercise band tied in a circle to simulate dressing if you were, for example, working in an outpatient clinic where the client would already be dressed.

4. Simon Says cards- play activity- The commands include “lean to the right side”, “lean to the left side”,and “lean forward and touch your toes”. Could also have them close their eyes to take the visual component out and really look at the vestibular system.  

5. Hanging Shelves (from my closet) and a couple common kitchen items: This would require the client to reach up and stand on their tip toes, or bend down toward the ground which requires the client to maintain balance in each of these positions.  I chose this because it is practical; most kitchens have high and low cabinets that the client would need to reach

First Year Recap

As I mentioned, these first posts are going to be a backtrack.
This post focuses on my first year of OT school!

My First semester was last Fall (2010) and I took Clinical Anatomy, Fundamental Clinical Skills, Occupation in Human Life and The OT Process.
Clinical Anatomy, is well, pretty self-explanatory.
In Fundamental Clinical Skills we learned skills such as maneuvering a wheel chair, transfers, setting individuals up for meals, positioning in different situations, teaching patients how to use wheelchairs/crutches/walkers etc.. and at the end of the course we had to "role play" with our professor as the patient and demonstrate the skills we had learned. We also focused on learning medical terminology in this course!
Occupation in Human Life consisted of reading many articles and writing journal entries.
The OT Process was an indepth look at each step of the OT process. It was the most challenging class of the semester. We administered the COPM on each other, went to a day care center and administered the Knox Preschool Play Scale. and had many other projects! At the end of this class we had to create a "Tool Kit" for a specific skill and fill it with activites that could be used to work on that skill. I had balance (will have a separate post on what was in my tool kit!). We also had to interview our professor and write a treatment plan based on the interview for our final.

My second semester this past Spring consisted of:
Human Development and Performance: learning about development through the lifespan. We had to visit a day care center and administer the DENVER II, and interview the parent of a child with special needs.
Clinical Inquiry- RESEARCH. we did an evidence synthesis and had to create a poster presentation to present to our class. I did mine on Cognitive Therapy for those with Traumatic Brain Injuries.
Contexts of Service Delivery- this was an overview of the settings in which an OT could work but there was an emphasis on Community Based Practice. We had a big group project in this class that we worked on pretty much all semester- we had to create a community program. My group created a transition program for the public school system in this area.
Psychosocial Aspects of OT- we learned a lot about theoretical models and group treatments. We also visited a state mental hospital 3 times and got to plan and lead group sessions there! It was really interesting!

We also had our first practicum experience in a community based setting. I was placed at a local elementary school at an After School Program. There was 4 of us there and each week one of us was in charge of planning a 30-min activity to do with the group of children. This was definitely a great learning experience in dealing with behavior issues while trying to get through a treatment session.

This past summer, my 3rd semester, we had a Level 1 Fieldwork placement as well as 2 classes.
The classes were:
Professional Seminar- we focused on the things we were doing within out fieldwork placements, and did case studies
Tools for Practice- we did lots and lots of crafts (paiting, stamping, leatherwork, beading, weaving, broom making, paper crafts etc..)
My Level 1 Fieldwork was at the same State Mental Hospital that we had visited in the Psychosocial class. I had a great experience at this hospital. I had no experience with the Mental Health population beforehand so I learned a lot from being there. I was pretty nervous before starting this placement because of the people I would be around, most of them had Schizophrenia or Depression. There was really never a dull moment there! If anyone has any questions about being placed in the Mental Health Setting- just ask!

Sooo.. that completes my first year of OT school! =)