Overall, I think the SIM encounter went well. I still have areas to grow in, but I am improving each time we do this. This experience required us to explain many things in a short amount of time, which other SIMs have not required. I felt like I was talking really fast during the encounter. When I went back and watched the video, I was talking at a normal speed and didn't appear as nervous as I felt. This is something I need to be aware of in future practice because I do not want to show that I am nervous to a parent or child.
If I was given the opportunity for a do-over in this SIM lab, I would have checked for understanding in a different way. Instead of asking multiple times if the parent understood what I was explaining, I would also be sure to ask if there is anything in their life and schedule currently that would meet Libby’s need that we were addressing. This would allow the parent to think about their schedule while keeping the examples I provided in mind.
An attitude of caring can be communicated to a parent by incorporating their child’s interests when matching their needs. For example, in the sensory schedule, I should have incorporated Libby’s interests in arts and crafts. This would allow the parent to see that I care and Libby is an individual person. Another way to communicate that I care as an OT student is by asking if the examples in the sensory schedule could fit into their current schedule. I did this by asking if the mother would be okay listening to loud music on the way to school instead of telling her to do it. It is a team approach and as future OTs, we need to be aware of how to provide opportunities for the client and parent to be most successful.
I will be more aware of my language in the future and remember to refer to the child or client by name, instead of by “bystander” in this case. I didn’t call Libby by name as many times as I should have, and I think this could have increased the mother’s trust and confidence in me in a short meeting time.
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