Student Reflections on Fieldwork, continued from Page 9
What did you learn about yourself? I learned how to
prioritize a lot of moving parts and that time management
is key in this setting due to no set schedule. Most
importantly I learned that each setting is stressful in the
beginning, however I am capable of handling the stress
and being successful.
Where are you working now as an OT? I currently work
in a school setting.
What is your dream OT job? My dream OT job would
be working in a nontraditional setting or an emerging area
of practice, such as setting that utilize hippotherapy or the
use of another animal as a modality within treatment.
Tommy Loranger, OTS
Elmhurst College MOT Student, Class of 2019
When did you complete your
Level 2 fieldwork at Marklund
and at which campus? January-
April 2019 at Marklund Day
School in Bloomingdale.
What other fieldwork experiences
did you have, and how was this setting different from your
other Level 2 experience? This was my first fieldwork.
What was the most difficult aspect of being a Level 2
student in this setting? The most difficult aspect was finding
the “just right fit” for everyone. Each student has varying
levels of skills so that made it difficult. On top of that, some
students had skills that they might not have demonstrated in
a certain session. As I got to know each student it became
easier and I was able to identify what each student is capable
of, but I struggled at first.
What was your favorite client experience? I wouldn’t say
that there was just one experience. I think developing rapport
with the students has been my favorite part. I think that the
students are enjoying therapy with me more now that they
are comfortable with me.
What models or theories of practice did you utilize during
this rotation? I used the PEO a lot. I’ve looked at the skills
of each student (P), looked at if there is anything in their
environment to help them succeed (such as a barrier wall
to decrease visual distractibilty), and promoted increased
independence in their occupations (i.e. handwriting).
What qualities are important for students interested in
this setting? I would say that thinking on your feet is super
important. A lot of times therapy is not going to proceed
how you envisioned; when that happens you have to think
how to grade an activity or think of another activity. I
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think patience and remaining calm are also very important.
Sometimes students will not listen or demonstrate behaviors
such as screaming or hitting; when that happens it is best to
be patient and remain calm.
How did this FW setting prepare you for future practice?
It taught me evaluation skills. I’ve learned that the evaluation
processes is always ongoing and there is always something
that can be evaluated. It also promoted my creativeness. I’ve
had to think of many different fun ideas for therapy, and I’ve
had to think of various ways to grade them up and down.
What did you learn about yourself? I’ve learned that I love
OT even more than I thought I did!
Where are you working now as an OT? I have one more
fieldwork placement in outpatient hands.
What is your dream OT job? I am thinking outpatient hands
or in a school, but I’m open to working in a lot of different
settings. I think that doing travel OT for a little bit would be
great so that I can see how OT varies throughout the country.
At the end of the day, I just want to be making a difference
and getting the patients/students back to functioning in their
daily lives.
References
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
(2018). An Overview of Certificant Data. (Certification
Matters, Summer 2018, pp.4-5).
About the Author
Rita Moore is an occupational therapist who works
at Marklund in Geneva, IL. She currently serves as the
Developmental Disabilities Special Interest Section (DDSIS)
chair for ILOTA.