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Describe how are you feeling going into the Pro Bono Clinic.

I am currently feeling a little overwhelmed and nervous for the pro bono clinic. With that, I am also really excited to work with kids because I don't have too much experience in working with them.

What personal biases do you have in working with pediatric clients? How may you address these personal biases?

One personal bias I may have when working with pediatric clients is expecting all children to be motivated by play or to respond positively to playful interventions. Because we often view a child’s primary occupation as play, I may unintentionally assume that fun and interactive activities will always be engaging. However, this is not always the case, some children may find certain activities overwhelming or uninteresting, which could impact their participation. To address this bias, I can ensure my sessions remain child-led and take the time to learn about each child’s preferences, triggers, and motivators through careful observation and collaboration with their caregivers.

Identify your strengths/ areas of need. What personal strengths do you have that will assist your performance in a pediatrics case?  What personal areas of need do you have that you feel may inhibit your performance in a pediatrics case?

I think one of my strengths is that I truly enjoy working with children, and I find it very rewarding to have the opportunity to support them through therapy. On the other hand, an area I hope to continue developing is my creativity. This is something I sometimes struggle with, but I believe it will improve with experience. I’m hopeful that participating in this clinic will help me become more creative and confident when planning interventions.

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Clinical Reasoning Reflection- Post- Pediatric Pro Bono Clinic Evaluation

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Clinical Reasoning Reflection- Post- Pediatric Pro Bono Clinic Evaluation

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What did I learn?

I think the first day of the clinic went well. I learned that it is very important to build rapport with the child right away in order to help them feel comfortable and engaged.

I learned that in pediatrics, many times your session does not go as planned.

I realized that flexibility is key during these sessions. Being able to adapt is huge.

What did and didn't go as planned?

I think that overall our session did go well with our client. Our client has a Dx of ADHD and was very energetic during the session. He was able to complete our craft we had for him as well as participate in an obstacle course. I think that I need to be more stern with our rules for him because he does seem to lack some safety awareness when he has a lot of energy.

How will I incorporate this learning into your future sessions with your assigned child participant?

I will continue to use positive reinforcement and structured activities during our sessions to ensure his success. I think setting boundaries and rules before each session can help this client understand the objectives. I also plan to prepare a few backup activities that align with the child’s interests to maintain participation if attention begins to drift.

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Unfortunately we were unable to hold our own treatment session this week but I was fortunate enough to watch my classmates implement a great intervention session for their client.

1. Session Management & Planning

How did you plan and organize today’s session?

What went well in terms of pacing and flow, and what would you adjust next time?

Our session did get cancelled this week but I did feel like both my partner and I were prepared to implement our interventions with our client. We planned and organized while working together and problem solving. We understand that our client likes to move around, so we try to plan movement breaks into our intervention plans.

I also saw this in the session that I watched over zoom. The client had a good mix of fine motor and gross motor t/o the intervention session. I thought this was an excellent approach because it kept the client interested while addressing multiple skill areas.

2. Strategies & Adaptations

What strategies did you use to support the child’s participation and engagement?

Did you need to adapt or modify your original plan during the session? Explain why and how.

As mentioned above, we plan to implement a mix of gross and fine motor activities with our client. Since one of the primary areas we are addressing is attention, incorporating a combination of both types of activities can help maintain the child’s engagement throughout the session. This approach also allows us to observe how the child sustains focus across different types of tasks and gather more information about their specific strengths and areas that may require additional support.

As of right now we haven't had to modify our plan yet, but I'm sure we will have to, so we are planning ahead with additional interventions so we are prepared.

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1. Response to Behaviors or Circumstances

How did you address any unexpected behaviors, challenges, or environmental circumstances that arose?

Probably the biggest challenge that had to be addressed is our client being unable to attend this weeks session. Overall, I think that we were able to adapt and still practice our interventions with our peers. I felt like this helped me practice implementing interventions as well as hear feedback from my peers which I value a lot since I'm not the most creative intervention planner.

What would you do differently if the same situation occurred again?

I think I would do everything the same I still valued my time in the Peds clinic this week since it helped me practice and grow. I think I may ask for more feedback from my peers but other than that I thought everything went well.

2. Activity Selection & Justification

Identify one activity you created or used in this session.

I created a bean bag target toss activity in which the child sat on a balance board and rotated 180 degrees to reach and grab a bean bag, alternating between the left and right sides, before throwing it at a paper on the wall that displayed the matching color name.

Why did you select this activity, and how did it address the child’s occupational needs or goals?

I selected this activity to target the child’s attention, motor planning, and self-regulation skills in an engaging and movement-based way. The bean bag target toss required sustained focus, sequencing, and body awareness while incorporating gross motor movement to support sensory regulation.

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How would the OT provide supervision or guidance to an OTA?

I think in an outpatient pediatric clinic the OT can provide supervision and guidance to an OTA in many ways. The OT is ultimately responsible for the overall evaluation, intervention planning, and outcome measurement for each client. The OTA can carryout interventions and support the therapeutic process. For best supervision and guidance, the OT should prioritize communication to discuss each Childs progress and review treatment plans and strategies. The OT should observe sessions lead by the OTA to provide feedback on treatment techniques, clinical reasoning, and child engagement strategies.

How would the OTA contribute to the overall treatment process?

In an outpatient pediatric setting, the OTA plays a key role in the implementation of occupational therapy interventions. The OTA follows the OT’s intervention plan and uses age-appropriate, engaging activities that are tailored to support each child’s unique developmental needs. During sessions, the OTA gathers objective data on the child’s performance, behavior, and participation to inform ongoing treatment decisions. This information is communicated to the OT to ensure that interventions remain effective and client-centered. Through this collaborative process, the OTA helps translate the OT’s treatment plan into meaningful, hands-on experiences that promote the child’s growth and independence.

What tasks or decisions would be appropriate for an OTA to carry out independently versus those requiring direct OT input?

OTAs are able to carry out certain tasks and make decisions independently within their scope of practice. Tasks such as implementing treatment sessions, collecting and recording data, and adapting activities within the existing intervention plan—such as modifying tasks or increasing sensory input—can all be completed by the OTA without direct supervision during each session. However, tasks that require advanced clinical reasoning, such as completing evaluations, developing or modifying intervention plans, and making discharge decisions, must be completed by the occupational therapist.

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1. Strategies & Adaptations

What strategies did you use to support the child’s participation and engagement?

Did you need to adapt or modify your original plan during the session? Explain why and how.

This weeks developmental play session with Katies niece was truly I child lead session. I think we had to adapt some of our session ideas to brooks needs by letting her decide what she wanted to play with and what activities she wanted to participate in. It was interesting to see how her play choices revealed her preferences and developmental strengths. This experience reminded me of how important flexibility is when working with children, sometimes the most meaningful interactions happen when we follow their lead rather than our own plan.

2. Professional Growth

What did you learn about yourself as a developing occupational therapist through this session?

What is one goal you will set for yourself in the next clinic session?

I think that I learned that I like having the child lead in what activities they would like to participate in (in a structured way of course). A goal of mine for the next session is to offer more meaningful activities for our client now that I know her a little more.

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1. Professional Growth

What did you learn about yourself as a developing occupational therapist throughout this entire Pro Bono Clinic?

I think the probono clinic taught me a lot about myself as a developing OT. I am not entirely interested in going into pediatrics, but I wanted to make sure I fully experienced the clinic to its full potential. It taught me that even if it isn't a population that im 100% interested in working with, it is still just as rewarding as other populations in OT. It taught me that I am able to adapt on the spot, and meet the client where they are at, and sometimes things don't always go as planned, and that's okay.

What skills did you develop during the Pro Bono Clinic?

During this clinic, I developed skills such as adapting activities in real time to meet developmental and sensory needs, building strong therapeutic rapport with clients in just a few sessions, collaborating with peers and supervisors on treatment planning, and strengthening my clinical reasoning, confidence, and overall professional identity.

2. Discharge Planning/ Home Program

How did you go about discharge planning and creating the home program?

How did your family/ pediatric client (if appropriate) respond to your education/ instruction on the home program?

- Since my client wasn't present for the d/c we torrent able to give it to him and his family but, me and my partner Katie developed a personalized d/c plan and HEP based off of just one short evaluation with our child which I think is pretty impressive. We did this but taking all our subjective and objective information that we received on the EI and developed a plan.