Caitlyns cruisin' through OT school!

Many of my beliefs about being a leader have stayed the same over the course of OT school. However a couple of my opinions have transformed over time. In the first picture there are no freckles on the drawing but I have added them in the second. This is because I now understand the importance of self-awareness and how this quality is necessary in being an effective leader and OT. The hair type has also changed from very curly and short to more wavy and longer. My views have shifted to believing that leaders need a more equal balance between creativity and organization. My viewpoint has also altered to now believing that introverts are capable of becoming leaders.  Face Shape: If you believe that leadership is an inborn trait, draw a triangle-shaped head.  If you think that leadership stems from nurture over nature, draw a square-shaped head. Eyes: If you think the vast majority of OTs are leaders, make big circles for the eyes.  If you think there is a fairly equal mixture

While discovering where I stand on the locus of control scale, I learned that I have found a spot right in the center of internal and external. After doing more research I have come to realize that there are benefits and setbacks to both areas of control. A person who identifies as having an internal LoC is consistently taking responsibility for their actions and outcomes no matter the circumstance. This is beneficial in the fact that these individuals believe in their successes and positive outcomes that come about are from their hard work alone. However, without the external LoC it is more difficult to become a team player. Those individuals with an external LoC believe in outside forces playing a role in success including other team members. of course, there is a drawback to this mindset as well because these types of individuals do not often take responsibility for mistakes because it was not in their control in the first place. The Locus of control is an important lesson for al

Overall, I feel as though the Sim encounter was a great learning experience and my encounter was positive.   Once I was settled and feeling more comfortable, I was able to convey the information in a clear and concise manner to the client. If I was given the opportunity to re-do this simulation, I would have been sure to ask more questions about Ms. Nelson and Libby’s home life and get a better understanding of their daily routine. I also caught myself thinking of Libby as a bystander, instead of a child that had some concerns with sensory processing. In the future, I will make a vigilant effort to approach the situation with a person-first perspective and be more self-aware of the whole person that is being affected. I believe that I provided an attitude of caring by letting Ms. Nelson know that she is not alone in this journey and will not be abandoned after this meeting. It is important for clients to feel support and understand that they are a part of a team that

This assignment taught me about the importance of using creativity to my advantage. It is important to be innovative when working with a client because adaptive equipment may not always be available or affordable for the client. What I have realized is that it is possible to make adaptive devices out of nearly anything with a little ingenuity. I am not a traditionally creative or crafty person, and often feel out of my comfort zone when in this position. What I have come to realize is that I am capable of creating something out of nothing when it is necessary. During clinical work, I will feel more comfortable making an intervention or an adaptive device because I now know that it is in my tool box of skills. Before this assignment I was intimidated by the thought of creating an original device or intervention for a client as I was unsure that I would be able to think up and implement my own ideals. This assignment has actually made me excited to put my skills to the

Dad living with Parkinson’s For my final neuro note I decided that I wanted to dive deeper into the life of someone who has been diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease. I chose this topic because I was interested to learn more about how this disease affects the younger population compared to the more commonly diagnosed population over 60. After researching on YouTube, I came across a video about Andy McDowell, a 48 year- old father of two and husband. He was diagnosed at the young age of 43 and decided to share his journey thus far. Andy is still living an active life but with modifications when necessary. One day on his way to drop off his children at school like he does each morning, he began to notice that his right foot was not able to move over in a timely manner to press on the brake. This became a worry for Andy as he would be putting his life and his children’s lives in danger behind the wheel. He was able to re-train his brain to using both feet while dr