#psychblock

If there is anything that can relate to OT fieldwork, it would be the above quote by Albert Einstein. Without fieldwork experience, our lectures would just be lectures. The provision of theoretical knowledge to individuals, without the opportunity to practice what is being taught. Research has revealed that the retention and understanding of knowledge is better or improved through experience (Richardson, Davey, Done & Adamss, 2006). Fieldwork has afforded us this prospect of active learning which I feel is extremely important with respect to our career. OT is a health profession that requires us to be hands on with our clients. We are not sitting behind a desk, but need to be practically involved with them.

Being on psych block has allowed me to grasp a better understanding of various diagnoses, through the interaction with clients presenting with them. Through the assessment of clients, one is able to observe the impact of the client’s diagnosis on their daily functioning. For example, on fieldwork, one of my clients, was an autistic male.  Research has indicated autistic individuals to experience difficulty with social interaction/communication (Orsmond, Shattuck, Cooper, Sterzing & Anderson, 2013). This was observed during prac by him struggling with the demonstration of social skills resulting in him being socially withdrawn.  

Third year psych block also means that we are allowed to treat. I am still in the process of learning how to do this perfectly, but with time and additional practice I am sure I can achieve this. I have learnt through feedback from my supervisor that my treatment principles need to become more specific. The principles are in essence the basis of treatment. They determine what, how and why you want to achieve a specific goal with your client, as explained by my supervisor.

Personally, I have learnt that I am an extremely positive person, keen to learn, open to constructive criticism and resilient. I think these are important qualities to have as a student, as it opens the door for learning and helps you to survive in the stressful life of a student. I conclude this blog entry with the inspiring quote below:

References

Orsmond, G. I., Shattuck, P. T., Cooper, B. P., Sterzing, P. R., & Anderson, K. A. (2013). Social participation among young adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 43(11), 2710–2719. doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1833-8