Occupational therapy-Can anyone advise me where to start?

[sunchild77]

I think I'd like to train to be an OT, but I need to do some research first..
Is there any OTs out there who would be willing to talk to me?

I have no personal experience in the area at all, and although one of my local uni's does an Bsc in OT and Ive read online about the basics But I don't really know much about what it is like at the coal face so to speak..

I guess Im just making the first baby steps into investigating it as a possible career for me, so Id love to hear about other peoples experiences either as a patient or Therapist..

Thanks in advance :)

I am not an OT but my DS1 has had a fair few OT appointments so I know a little about their methods. I have also thought about doing it myself although never got very far.

For a paediatric OT it seems quite a physical job. You have to be prepared to get down with the children when they are doing their exercises. You have to deal with children who may not understand you very well - my DS has dyspraxia and mild AS and part of his condition is that he doesn't follow instruction very well - he can't handle more than one or 2 steps at a time. Patience must be very important.

She seems to work out of the hospital and DS's first assessment was there. I think she runs clinics there on a weekly basis. She also travels around the local schools checking up on the children and suggesting programmes for children like DS who has TA support to do his regular exercises as school. Having started off with getting him stronger and his therapy now tends to be more practical, ie helping him do things that he needs to do on a day to day basis. He has been doing a lot of sporty type things so that he can keep up with PE lessons. He is in yr 6 now and his therapy finishes at the end of junior school which I think is pretty standard so you would be working with younger children. Every visit is followed up by a written programme and a report of where he is at with regards to his improvements and what needs to be looked at.

I know, having spoken to a trainee OT last year on a course I did that working with the older patients, who maybe have lost life skills through accident or illness, means teaching them to care for themselves. My grandfather worked with OTs regularly when he had a stroke and they helped him make things like a woven waste paper basket and some placemats. There was no hope of him being able to care for himself again but they worked on maximising his capabilities and keeping his brain active.

If you can think of any specific questions then ask away. I can't promise an answer but hopefully somebody better qualified than me will be along shortly.

Thank you so much for that Niecie, I really appreciate hearing about whats involved from someone who knows the service. :) It sounds a bit silly but I havent got a clue where to start. I suppose I hadnt given much thought to OT for children as a potential specialism. But whether children or for adults it really sounds like its just up my street.

I think what I really need to know is what it is like to study, what I need to do to get on a course as an adult returner, and how to go about getting some work experience or a visit to an OT workplace.

I've lost my self confidence quite a bit, but since Ive started to do this research I've got quite excited at the thought of this as a study/career path.

Anyone else got anything to add? :o

As a long winded 'bump' for your thread, I was going to say that actually, as with all my plans for a career change, it was lack of experience that stopped me in my tracks. However, the trainee OT I met was when we were both doing another course - she was doing the OU MSc in psychology, the same as me, whilst training to be an OT and doing the BSc for that too. She said she didn't have to show any particularly relevant work experience. I did find that hard to believe but she said that she did a day shadowing an OT, that was all. She worked in an office before that if I remember rightly. The course she was doing was somewhere in Essex if that is of any help Maybe that particular course is more amenable to older students. You could write to the course administrator to ask exactly what it is they look for on applications which could be very helpful. I would also suggest writing to your local OT department and asking for a tour and a day of shadowing. That is what this lady did.

They had rotation of work experience - they had to try several types of OT so it wasn't all class room stuff. I was just wondering if your local university has a department open day. You might get more specific info about your course that way.

I must say that after talking to the lady on the course I was quite interested in doing it again myself but I still had a hard 4 months of the OU to go at that point and the moment was lost. I think I might look at it again now!!

Hope a qualified person comes along soon to relieve you of my ramblings.

My friend is in the process of applying for an OT degree. She's just completing an Access to HE Diploma which unis seem to love. She was also asked to get work experience before applying so she has been volunteering at a school for children with disabilities. I think your first step is to contact your local uni - find out what the entry requirements are and maybe book youself onto an open day. Good luck.