For my exercise science senior practicum, a required experience for my degree program, I wanted to work with either the elderly or infants. These are the age groups that I have the least experience with, and I will likely work with both in the future as an Occupational Therapist. I applied for just about every related job I could think of, just putting my name out there. By a stroke of luck, I was approached online by a couple who was looking for a nanny for their 2 month old son, and I jumped on the opportunity.
After an extensive process through the exercise science department, my “study in infant development” idea was approved as a practicum. With my advisor’s help, I also met an occupational therapist who works with infants, toddlers, and young kids to fill in my off days and allow me to experience abnormal early development as well.
After an extensive process through the exercise science department, my “study in infant development” idea was approved as a practicum. With my advisor’s help, I also met an occupational therapist who works with infants, toddlers, and young kids to fill in my off days and allow me to experience abnormal early development as well.
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This is the letter I wrote to my advisor, begging to let me complete a "study in infant development" as my practicum. I am extremely thankful that the department was receptive to my request, because this job has been the perfect experience for me.
This semester, I take care of the baby (I’ll call him Luke) 3 days a week and shadow the OT 2 days a week. I have learned so much more than I could have anticipated during these months, and I am still extremely grateful to have been given this chance. Luke has already developed so much in the time I’ve been with him, and our days are filled with exciting new activities. His firsts have been awesome to experience; his giggling, reaching, blowing bubbles, and now sitting, have all been milestones which I have read about since the beginning of college in various classes.
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Through my time as an undergraduate researcher, I have come to learn that the core of research is simple; we ask questions and find answers. I thought this semester nannying and shadowing would be a break from research, but I have come to realize that this semester is a research project in itself. Every day at Luke’s house, I am predicting, asking, and experimenting. What does this cry mean? Does he know how to reach yet? What will happen if I hide the toy- will he remember where it is? I am actively researching normal development in all areas, and this gives me a great frame of reference for when I work with the OT. The therapist and I ask questions to one another throughout each session, and we learn through each other’s eyes. She has experience and I am curious, so our personalities and viewpoints complement each other. When we see unusual behavior, she is able to explain what is going on physiologically, and she asks me what I would do with the patient. Sometimes I am on the right track, and sometimes I have no clue, but her guidance has given me the chance to experiment with methods of treatment and my own theories. Being an occupational therapist is being a researcher; we identify weaknesses by asking the child to perform tasks, experiment with different activities to see what works, and assess behaviors to conclude the success of the day.
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On the left, I have attached one of the Daily Journals that I wrote for my practicum. I complete a few notes everyday, which allows me to remember all of the experiences I've been having. On the right is the handout I made for my Fine Motor Kits. For this project, I made 6 bags (for kids with fine motor difficulties) that are filled with little activities to do that all strengthen different aspects of handwriting. There are preschool and grade school bags, so there are handouts to instruct parents about how to use each object. The last page is a game board I made for the grade school kids to play by themselves outside of therapy.
This schedule of mine has overlapped with the lessons that I have learned in multiple classes, including Exsc 303, Perceptual Motor Development. This was a class which required a deep understanding of the developmental motor milestones and where I began to grasp how important each milestone is for the next one to build upon. When a baby learns to hold his head up while on his belly, he can start to strengthen his back muscles, which allows him the ability to roll, then sit up, then crawl. Luke has followed most of the stages in order, and his strongest abilities have allowed him to develop quicker in subsequent skills. In Exsc 303 and Exsc 342A, I learned what sort of future issues can be caused when a child misses milestones, and what causes common childhood problems. For example, when a child goes to an OT because he has severe handwriting problems, it is commonly a symptom of poor core strength. This core strength can be traced back all the way to when the infant learns how to roll and crawl; if the muscles weren’t developed enough then, future complications can arise. Several of the OT’s clients have difficulty bearing weight on their hands and arms, which explains fine motor problems.
By working with Luke, his family, and an OT, I am getting a wonderfully well-rounded perspective of health care. In class, we hear about proper development and treatment, but these perfectly theorized plans don’t always work out. Sometimes Luke is cranky and doesn’t want to roll for me, sometimes the kids in OT are hungry and won’t cooperate, and sometimes I’m having an off day and don’t work as hard as I know I can. Working as a pediatric OT is interesting because there are so many moving factors, like schedules, moods, illness, and distractions, and a good OT can work with and not against all these parts. |
Here's one of the books I read this semester to help my understanding of some of the OT patients. It's a great read!
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Because of this semester, I have a much deeper understanding of parental involvement and compliance too. I have realized how busy families get, and sometimes therapy is not on the very top of a parent’s list. I have experienced a lot of overlap between my book knowledge, my nanny involvement, and my shadowing role, which I think will all contribute to how I will be as a health care provider. The setup of the practicum also promotes making these connections, and I write daily logs, monthly discussions, and completed a research project that relates to what I'm seeing. I made the decision to explore the topic of feeding disorders after seeing several children in OT who had severe feeding problems and transitioning to solid foods with Luke. Luke, though he struggled in the beginning with solid food, eats very well now, but many other children have serious problems with textures, smells, flavors, or temperature, which can make mealtime a nightmare for the family. This project has been a formal product of the research I do every day; seeing something that makes me curious, inquiring through books or the internet, and learning about the topic.
This practicum has allowed me to use my last semester at USC in such a productive way. So many of my courses I have taken at USC directly relate to my day to day. In the Psych 420 Survey of Developmental Psychology course, I learned specifically about infant cognitive development, like information regarding physical and mental milestones, growth points, and general trends of cognitive stages, but I wasn’t able to visualize those concepts until now. As I play with the infant, I have a frame of reference to know what he should be able to do at each month. My coursework has given me a look into motor and cognitive development, and the hands on nannying has allowed me to see it all together in action. Since I spend so much time with Luke, I feel like I have a responsibility to promote healthy development, not just keeping him fed and clean. I know that I am getting the practical knowledge of child care that I was missing as well as the therapeutic practices which I will be studying in OT school.
This practicum has allowed me to use my last semester at USC in such a productive way. So many of my courses I have taken at USC directly relate to my day to day. In the Psych 420 Survey of Developmental Psychology course, I learned specifically about infant cognitive development, like information regarding physical and mental milestones, growth points, and general trends of cognitive stages, but I wasn’t able to visualize those concepts until now. As I play with the infant, I have a frame of reference to know what he should be able to do at each month. My coursework has given me a look into motor and cognitive development, and the hands on nannying has allowed me to see it all together in action. Since I spend so much time with Luke, I feel like I have a responsibility to promote healthy development, not just keeping him fed and clean. I know that I am getting the practical knowledge of child care that I was missing as well as the therapeutic practices which I will be studying in OT school.
[Artifacts: Within the Classroom: Daily Journal, research slide. Beyond the Classroom: letter, fine motor kit, ]