• Occupational Therapy,  Pediatrics,  Reflective Practice

    Childhood Memories and Lessons that Influence my Work as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist: Part 1

    Below, I will share childhood memories that influence my daily work as a pediatric occupational therapist. Accessing my childhood memories helps me identify with a child’s perspective, even if that child has a specific disability or challenge that I did not experience. When I find myself mystified by a child’s behavior or perspective, I conjure up vivid memories of what it was really like to be a child. Remembering the complexity of my social, emotional and academic experiences helps build a crucial bridge of empathy between myself and my students.  My lessons are geared towards older elementary aged students who are mostly in the general education setting, as those are the children…

  • Occupational Therapy,  Reflective Practice

    From decorative tissue boxes to puppies: first lessons from my OT fieldwork internship

    It’s an exciting time in my life – in the last 3 months I finished the classroom portion of my Masters in occupational therapy, got married and went on a wonderful honeymoon, and started my first occupational therapy fieldwork internship. After I finish two full time, three-month internships*, I will officially graduate with my Masters and be qualified to sit for the board exam. This is the last step before I can actually be an OT in the real world! My Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) houses mostly geriatric patients who are rehabilitating from a variety of physical ailments, from hip replacements to strokes.  The occupational therapist’s role in this setting…