OT setting I am interested in working in

When I think about what kind of setting I would want to work in I immediately think about Pediatrics and early intervention.  From shadowing other OT settings, I really feel in love with the idea of helping kids develop long lasting skills to help them live the most independent life possible.  I enjoyed all aspects of Pediatrics including feeding, working with children with developmental delays, and also working with kids that have some sort of physical disability that need help learning how to do some activities of daily living on their own.  At the outpatient facility I spent a lot of time with, I really enjoyed getting to know all of the clients and seeing them improve.  It was extremely rewarding to see a child with a developmental delay finally learn how to walk, or crawl correctly.  I found myself really cheering them on and thinking about them when I left the clinic at the end of the day. I wanted them to succeed and I wanted to help get them there.  That is why I think I want to work in a more long term setting where I can really get to know my clients and develop a relationship with them.
Another thing I like about hopefully becoming a Pediatric OT is that they have to be creative in how they run their therapy session. They have to almost trick their client into thinking they are playing in order to get them working on what they want them to improve in.  I think all children learn through play and it would be incredible to help them and teach them to become more independent in their daily life while playing.  Something I realized while being around children in OT is that it really takes a village and the OT is not just working with the child, but also with the parents or caregivers. After each session, the OT would debrief with the family to let them know what they worked on in the session and how to help them improve on those skills in the home.  I hope to one day be an OT that helps children be able to live the most happy and independent life possible in really any setting.

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