Blog #2

    Today was the first day, and I could not have asked for a better first day. On Mondays, it is solely Occupational Therapy, so I spent the day with the OTs. We saw kids of all ages and disabilities, and every session was different. A common theme I noticed among many of the patients and their sessions is that the therapist usually lets them do their own thing for the first 15 ish minutes. This allows them to get all of their energy out, and make their experience a little more enjoyable and fun, rather than them fighting and being upset all throughout the sessions. It is also important to give the kids the space that they might need, and sometimes that involves me stepping out. While most of the kids we work with are okay with a new face, some are not and react in a shy or angry way. With kids, especially those with special needs, they have a hard time participating in activities for a long time or doing things that they don't want to do, so when preparing for sessions, there are lots of activities available, and we switch up the activities often. In the facility, there are many resources. There are resources such as playing equipment and games for everyone to share, and then there are resources such as exercise tools or rooms designated to a certain therapy. The building has 2 gyms- a small and bigger one with lots of playing equipment such as swings, cars, trampolines, and silks. The gyms are where all the sessions start, and it is all of the patient's favorite. No matter the disability, there is something for every kid to do in there. 

    The patients I worked with today were all very different. I started the day off working with a 1-year-old boy who has some developmental delays. We played with lots of toys and worked on his fine motor skills. Along with that, one of his goals is to eat with utensils, so we spent the last 20 minutes of the session working on him using a spoon for yogurt rather than just grabbing it with his hands. My next patient was a non-verbal 5-year-old. He just got an iPad that helps him communicate, so we spent the session playing while also teaching him the words and using the iPad to communicate. Anytime he would want to do something, he would have to say it on the iPad first. In the afternoon, we worked with a 10-year-old girl who is working on being independent and completing multi-step tasks. We went to the kitchen with her and helped her cook ramen. With the older kids, they can become less engaged quicker, so we often spend most of the time in the kitchen cooking or making something. While we had to help with things such as the hot water, we mainly let her take control. 

      I loved my first day, and I am super excited for the next 3 weeks!





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