Neuro Wellness Clinic

One of the most meaningful experiences during my occupational therapy education at Saint Francis University was participating in a community-engaged Wellness Clinic as part of my OT 509: The OT Process in NeuroRehabilitation course. Each student group was assigned an individual with a neurological diagnosis (stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, etc) to treat on a weekly basis for six weeks. This enabled us to practice our evaluation and intervention skills, and gave us the opportunity to form a meaningful relationship with a client. 

My student group worked with an individual who had experienced a left middle-cerebral-artery stroke. The stroke resulted in many functional impairments, such as the loss of her ability to walk independently, speak fluently, and use her right hand. My group was able to increase her independence and confidence in dressing skills, functional transfers, and most importantly, we helped her re-engage in sewing, which she had stopped doing after her stroke. My team collaborated to create an adaptive device that allowed her to sew using only one hand.

Reflex Integration Through Play & Go Baby Go 

I completed a course called Special Topics in Pediatric OT, in which my class engaged with local parents of children with special needs. Our "Reflex Integration Through Play" labs involved student-led, playful interventions that incorporated primitive reflex-integration exercises. I was so impressed with the improvements of the kiddos involved in these labs over time, and grateful to have learned about the impact of retained reflexes on cognitive and physical performance.  

Additionally, our "Go Baby Go" project involved designing small "cars" that children could use to increase their mobility skills and interaction with their environments. My OT cohort collaborated with engineering students at our university, as well as family members of these children, to create these client-centered mobility devices. 

St. Michael's Elementary School Program

Part of my graduate pediatric OT education invovled weekly visits to an elementary & middle school local to Saint Francis University. During these visits, my classmates and designed activities for each grade level. This taught us how to engage students in meaningful occupations, and how to create create activities that are appropriate for various developmental levels.

Clinical Simulations in the Experiential Learning Commons 

An enriching part of my occupational therapy education was performing simulated evaluations and interventions in the Experiential Learning Commons here at Saint Francis Univeristy. Using simulated hospital rooms and materials, my classmates and I problem-solved through case studies and sample medical charts. Role-playing as "patients" and "therapists" with my classmates allowed me to problem-solve through clinical scenarios in a hands-on way.