sim lab reflection

              Overall, I think my simulation lab today went well but there were some things I wish I could have done differently. Some of the things I did well were engaging with the mother, making eye contact and providing more than 3 sensory activities. When I first walked into the room, I introduced myself, shook the mother’s hand and sat close enough to her where I was not invading her personal space. For the first time prior to a sim lab, I did not experience nearly as many nerves as I normally do. This was a big accomplishment for me because I normally experience a great amount of anxiety before any sim lab. I prepared a lot for the sim lab by researching what SPD was and knowing how to explain what a sensory seeker meant. I think I did a good job explaining SPD and sensory seeker to the mother using lament terms.

              One area I feel I need to improve on regarding my experience today was slowing down my pace when talking to the mother. I found myself talking a lot more than I initially anticipated, which did not leave much time for the mother to ask me any questions she may have had. Although I do not think I did a “bad” job, I will work on verbally describing what I am trying to say without using saying unnecessary jargon. By unnecessary jargon, I mean not saying things just to fill the time. This could potentially confuse the parent.  

An attitude of caring can be portrayed to the parent by an OT by letting the parent know you expect her to have questions and would be more than happy to answer any she may have. It is important the parents know the OT genuinely wants to help their child and that asking questions will not be annoying. Another way for an OT to portray they care is by body position and eye contact. Sitting close enough to the parent is important when going over an evaluation so they can follow where the OT is on the evaluation. Also, the parent may become emotional when hearing something about their child they did not want to hear. Therefore, being close enough to the parent to provide comfort is crucial to show you care and to show empathy.

              After this experience, I am going to slow down when talking to future sim lab and real clients. Slowing down will give the parent more of an opportunity to ask questions and not feel so overwhelmed.  Another thing I am going to work on is verbalizing my thoughts. This is an area I have always struggled with. I am not sure why I have trouble verbalizing what I am thinking but it is something I would like to improve on! Overall, this was a great experience and I think I am getting better each sim lab!