OTA 1150 Phys Dysfunction Lab

Students will be able to describe neurological structures, muscles, bones and joints and relate them to functional actions. Students will apply this knowledge to concepts of motor learning and analyzing occupational dysfunction.

1150

Reflection

This semester was full of unknowns, curiosity and observation. One of the educational opportunities that had me most intrigued was the clinicals, where we were invited to sit and observe other students conduct an intervention with a client either online or in person, on site. There was so much happening all at once and I found it fascinating to hear and see all the many different things we were learning being utilized.

         My first clinical was with a client over telehealth and it just so happened that it was a first session for the client as well. This means I was able to observe an evaluation which consisted of a lot of question. I observed the OT practitioners as they build rapport with the client and his parents, and also come to know what was important to the client, what was he doing well in, and what was he struggling with.  Upon learning what was most important to the client they then used that knowledge to help guide future interventions. At the time I was learning about how important it is to find meaningful, purposeful goals in order to engage the client and improve their chance of successfully reaching their goals.

         In another onsite clinical I observed the client talk about how much she loved the adaptive equipment that was sent to her. She talked about how useful it was and how it improved the quality of her life. The OTA student educated her about some strategies to relieve stress and then proceeded to conduct a body scan. We learned in Mary’s class about the many different types of adaptive equipment and strategies used to help with ADLs, stress and other occupations.

         That leads me to the third connection. We talk quite a bit in each of our classes about the importance of educating clients during treatment. If we can educate the client, then we can possibly help prevent further harm.

         One connection to learning has been how important it is to have a clear understanding of the various types of dysfunctions that an OT practitioner might encounter. It’s important to know how dysfunction affects the client’s life so that we know how to safely and effectively treat that client.

         By observing the OTA students as they conducted therapy sessions, I was able to see all the components of my education come together. They incorporated therapeutic use of self with the client which builds trust, found what was meaningful to them, set goals that were just right and use FOR or models to help guide the process. The opportunity to observe a clinic has brought education to another level. This is one of those teaching methods that has provided more knowledge, understanding and prompted more questions than any other learning source. I’m starting to see how all the pieces of OT fit together.