1st Pediatric FW Experience

I definitely see myself working with adults once I graduate but I was excited to explore another facet of OT. Working with seniors is something that I just naturally have a knack for and enjoy. Kids intimidate me a bit more because I don't have kids of my own and am not around them on a regular basis. I really enjoyed this first day of fieldwork. It's nice to get out of my comfort zone and realize I am able to switch gears when I need to do so. The children are so precious and it is exciting to realize that I can help sculpt their lives. When planning therapeutic interventions for older adults, you have to choose between games, crafts, exercise, function-based activity, etc. and it's always a concern whether or not they will find your choice meaningful. It is a bit easier planning activities for children because you pretty much know you're safe choosing play/fun activities. Not to say they don't need to be age-appropriate, graded properly, etc. but you know the basic direction in which to go from the beginning.
In regards to applying material learned in previous semesters, I studied ADHD a few semesters ago and I had a child on FW today that was pretty much textbook. A year ago, I would have just seen him as unruly but now I am able to understand the behavior and see the potential that lies beneath it. It is pretty cool to know that I could possibly be one of the keys to unlocking that potential.

Ped's

We did our first FW in ped’s this week. I have always worked with the geriatric population and I have thought maybe I would like to work in the pediatric field when I graduate. I’m so glad I have this opportunity to determine how I feel about this field. Our teachers have drummed into our heads Tx sessions should be fun and to have several activities planned for 1 Tx session. Oh, how right they were!! Both of my children, who are in Kindergarten and 1st grade, we did a fun assessment activity, and 3 one on one activity in a 45 minute session. Now I see how significant craft activities are going to be in this particular field. Play is children’s occupation!! Boy, will I be researching all sorts of craft ideas to keep my Tx sessions fun!! And I have to admit I enjoy planning something fun and occupational based.
I think the next couple of sessions will be difficult for me because one of my children speaks no English. I think I worry unnecessarily about the future sessions with her because it is a new situation. I get anxious when I have to go into a situation and have no experience. But I am looking forward to this challenge knowing that I will develop news skills that I will use in the future.

First Day in the School

I have to say that going into the school setting for FW this semester was the most comfortable for me. It's probably because I have so much more experience now, and the fact that I have children and I volunteered so much when they were in elementary school and know what it's like. I think it's also that children are usually so much more eager and open. My main concern was that I would have a really unruly child that I'd have to really firm with or there would be a language barrier which, thankfully I did not encounter.

Seeing the difference of writing abilities between K and 1st grades was interesting. It was surprising to me how many of the 1st graders used the quadropod grip until I read the chapter in the book that described the developmental sequence of writing grasps. The kindergarteners were mostly still in the static tripod grasp phase mostly used the "correct" grasp. The 1st graders were in the predynamic tripod phase which includes the quadropod grasp which gives them more control. They may not ever change this grasp which is still efficient but it is a stepping stone to the preferred dynamic tripod.

From experience I knew that in general, kindergarteners and 1st graders are eager to please and will find the fun in almost anything you bring them to play with. It was evident in the way all the children, even the more active ones, followed directions for the most part during the writing screen and though they got a bit rowdy during the free activities, they quickly came around when it was time to clean up. Also, you need to be very clear about how you expect them to behave when you need a certain behavior as in how to walk back to class after a session.

Over the next 2 sessions, I look forward to doing the MFun assessment and seeing where my kid falls in relation to where I think he is developmentally with his writing skills. I also look forward to seeing what ideas my classmates come up with to work on specific prewriting/writing skills.

What I found during this first session was how easy it was to go with the flow of what my kids were doing when they didn't want to do what I suggested and still get them to work on stuff I wanted to see them do. Just asking "can you make small balls out of the clay" didn't work but when he was making a spider, "make some eyes" worked.

Pediatrics

I have looked forward to pediatric FW since day 1 of this program, and we finally made it! I can't say I disliked geriatrics as much as I thought I would, but I am def. more excited for peds. I have to say that I was a little concerned in working with kids because they can be much more honest and head strong.. you never know what to expect; but these kids opened us with welcome arms, possibly because we were getting them out of classwork :)

I learned in class that when working with kids the most important thing is to make whatever you are doing FUN! Afterall, play is the primary occupation for kids. How true that is.

Since the start of the program we have been taught the importance of tailoring any activity/tx to each individual. Working with kids is no different. Each child in our group had their own unique personality. It is important to make sure you are prepared with alternatives to keep them engaged and interested.

I am looking forward to getting to know my children more, and just becoming comfortable working with kids that I do not know. I am looking forward to completing an actual assessment, and getting to put actual data with my observations.

I also learned that kids feed off of our energy, and will be the first to pick up when something is wrong. I was sick on my first day, and my energy level was running on 0. I am sure that my kids could tell, and I am ready to start again tomorrow more energized!

2 sides of the spectrum!!

As I was getting ready for fieldwork this morning I was very realistic. Since we are in the school systems, doing some writing assessments and such, I wondered if the child I would be paired with could even write yet. Are they going to be off the walls with ADHD, be scared of new people, or be very content and listen to every word I said. Well, I got a mixture of the two.

The first child I saw was in kindergarden and was very mild tempered. But, she loved to make up what she was doing. Very imaginative play. We played with play dough, and a few other things, but it struck me that she was using both hands to create everything she made. She wouldn't or couldn't manipulate the materials in one hand. I will see how this affects her as we work together. I am also very interested in her gait pattern. I noticed that when she walked down the steps she would plant both feet on one step before proceeding to the next step. However, on the way back up she took the steps one by one, as most individuals do. I would like to know more as to why she had the difference in step patterns, or if she was just playing around.

My second child I worked with today, I don't think I was as prepared for. It has been a while since I have worked with a hyperactive child with a wild imagination. No, I do not have a diagnosis on any of these children, but I believe he will be a handful either way. It was very hard to get his attention, or keep it for very long. He wanted to make his own rules to the game, instead of playing like the others, even when the rules where explained to him. But, all of this made me wonder, if like children with ADHD, he had a lot of physical activity before sitting down would he be able to concentrate better? So, I am hoping to get the chance to try this out. As we learned in class, some people crave that joint stimulation of jumping, running, and any other form of energy withdraw possible, which can help them concentrate as they sit down to do an activity.

Something that I truly learned today more than any other fieldwork, is that I am going to have to do some physical activities with some children and some quieter slower activities with others. I will be bringing a lot more activities to the site, just to better help the kids I am working with. They may not have all of the abilities that they need for school yet, but hopefully we can start them on the right direction and see where that leads. I know we won't have much time with them, but hopefully the information we get will be useful for the teachers and caregivers that want them to succeed.

If you are wondering what Occupational Therapy can do for children, or why OT's work with kids check out this video about Sylvie. This clip if very informative, and I hope you will enjoy learning what OT can do for children of all ages.