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UOTA Conference
The annual Utah Occupational Therapy Association (UOTA) conference was very insightful. It was amazing to know that this is the 70th year anniversary of the conference. The conference allows everyone from the Utah OT community to gather together, share experiences, and build connections. As a first semester student it gave me something to look forward to and hope for the future.
The keynote speaker that started off the conference, to me, was the best part of the conference. The whole conference was amazing, he was stuck with me the most. The speaker was Chad Hymas a C4 quadriplegic. He spoke to us for an hour about how his life changed in an instant, but his OT is what truly changed his life. It was very emotional; he shared some very vulnerable aspects of his life and his journey. It struck me that through this profession I can have this kind of effect on many people. It made me want to be a better future practitioner and always be a support for someone no matter the circumstance.
The remainder of the conference had various break-out rooms focusing on various topics. The first one I attended was an hour-long focus on the NBCOT exam. I may only be a first-year student, but I have major test anxiety. This gave me reassurance and information on what I can do now. The second breakout room was an hour focusing on meditation and mindfulness and how various clients can benefit from it. We walked through guided mediation and were given tips on how to introduce it to new clients. Third, I spent 30 minutes learning about sensory integration for adults. It was really cool to learn about that side of things. Sensory integration is typically used in pediatrics, but they have seen a growth in the need in adults. I find sensory integration very interesting, so this was good information to know moving forward. The next 30 minutes were spent looking at my classmate’s homemade adaptive equipment devices they have made. They were all so creative and very intentional with their decisions. I liked all the thought they put in behind it and their functionality of them geared towards an individual. It helped spark ideas on what I can do. The next hour-long session I attended was focusing on difficult behaviors in children and a new perspective. It was focused on the thought “if they could they would.” This changes the mindset of the caregiver or practitioner to realize there is an outburst for a reason. If the child could perform, they would, the outburst comes from the lack and frustration related to a task they cannot complete. I loved this mindset and will use this as I hope to go into pediatrics. The final session I attended was focused on self-awareness. She talked about video recording clients performing a task to increase their self-awareness. I have used this method in sports but have never thought of it in the clinical setting. It definitely makes sense and can be used to increase understanding.
Overall, the conference was a success, and I gained a lot of knowledge. The OT community is so welcoming and helpful. It was fun to build connections that I can use moving forward in my schooling then further into the field. I am excited to continue into this profession.
AOTA Conference
Philadelphia PA. April 3-5 2025
UOTA Conference Reflection 2025
I really enjoyed conference this year I felt like I got a lot more out of than I did last year. I think the reason for that is I went into it with a better mindset and willingness to learn knowing that we are getting so close to becoming practitioners. I want to be able to learn as much as I can so it can support me in my future practice.
The keynote speaker was also amazing he set the tone perfectly for the conference. Neuropathways are something that has always interested me, so I really enjoyed learning about it from his perspective. The statement “your experiences have molded our world, and you act based on your experiences” really hit home to me. I have seen this firsthand in my life and some of my loved ones’ lives. As a practitioner it is good to remember that people’s lives shape who they are now, but it’s so cool that we can help further shape their future and their lives by what we provide for them. It’s always good to remember your thoughts, words, and actions matter.
A class that I really enjoyed attending was focused on addressing sexuality and body image in OT. This is sometimes a topic that is often overlooked, especially in Utah where the culture has shaped us to not talk about it or be uncomfortable talking about it in any setting let alone our job. Sex is a part of everyone’s life whether they are doing it or not so it should be addressed. The presenter gave an example of you don’t have to ask flat out “hey do you want to talk about sex?” that makes everyone uncomfortable. Instead, you can throw it in when you are introducing OT, so it sounds like “hi my name is Danica I am going to be your OT practitioner today. My job is to help you with your daily functions eating, dressing, bathing, sex, anything along those lines I can help you or answer your questions about it.” I really liked this example because we are not taught how to approach it. Having put it that way as a future practitioner eases my mind when it comes to talking about it. She also ended the session with giving us lots of resources we can use in relation to talking about sex in OT. I really enjoyed this lesson because we don’t talk about it much causing it to be weird when it shouldn’t be.
I also attended the NBCOT class, I attended this class last year but now that it is coming up sooner, I paid more attention. They gave us a lot of amazing resources and information on where to look for certain resources and answers to our questions. One thing I liked that they did this year that they didn’t last year was give us information on free study materials and websites too. Some of the NBCOT study packs can be expensive and not everyone can afford them but having some free options is super helpful. I also liked how they talked about what to do after you get your NBCOT scores. Theres a lot more that goes on after you receive your score than I thought so that was good to learn about too.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time at UOTA this year. Even presenting my adaptive equipment. I loved how supportive everyone was and I even had a few people as if they could make their own so that they could try in their practice. This was a huge confidence booster to me that I do know what I am doing and I am doing a good job with everything I know. I’m glad that I was able to attend this year and learn so much more to add to my already existing knowledge of OT. OT is awesome!
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