When completing an occupational therapy evaluation for a preschool aged child, there are extra items you will want to have with you in order to complete information observations. Today, we dive into Genna’s own evaluation kit she has developed over the years. These are the extra items she utilizes during an evaluation, that will promote engagement and allow for informal observations of play skills, motor skills, and sensory processing skills. Considering structured sensory observations are not appropriate for ages 4 and younger, utilizing various tools can be helpful to developing your hypothesis of the challenges the student is experiencing. We discuss how to utilize these items and the potential observations that can be made. We also share some tips we have developed through our experience with evaluating children in this age range. 
And today’s momma segment (34:45), we share some tips for developing a sleep routine with your newborn. We found starting a sleep routine from day one helps with your little one getting a good night sleep and can carry on as they get older. 

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Handwriting challenges is a common reason for an OT referral in the school setting and in the clinic. Today, we discuss some handwriting assessments occupational therapists can use, including Learning Without Tear’s Print Tool assessment. And we offer OT tips for informal handwriting observations that we include in our evaluations. Obtaining a thorough evaluation is key in order to determine the specific area of handwriting concern (ie: memory, letter sizing, letter placement etc.) and to determine underlying areas that are contributing to handwriting difficulties (visual perception, attention etc.). This will guide your goal setting and remediation plan for improving a child’s handwriting. For today’s momma segment (27:30), we talk about activities parents can do with a newborn baby that will promote development. Our top two activities are tummy time and engaging in books. We have some great recommendations and resources for mommas in this episode.

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In today’s episode, Genna and I discuss other areas in the school setting beyond the classroom that we will observe student’s participation. We observe their participation and performance while on recess and in the cafeteria, to their independence in the restroom, and even helping students and staff prepare for field trips. These are all areas that occupational therapists can provide support within the school setting. And for today’s momma segment (28:30), we open up about our experience in the 4th trimester. This is the time when you bring your beautiful baby home. There is a bit of an adjustment period for everyone as life has changed. Know that if you do have challenges at this time, you are not alone. We both had our experience with anxiety, extreme worry, and some sadness. It is important to lean on your support system or speak to your doctor if you have concerns. We felt it was important to share our experience during this time to bring more awareness and support to other mommas. 

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This is just the beginning of our series on occupational therapy evaluations in the school setting. As OTR’s, we complete a comprehensive evaluation that begins with skilled observations. We share our top 9 steps to beginning a school based OT evaluation. And for our momma segment (21:50), we dive into breastfeeding. For some momma’s this can be a smooth process, however for both of us,  we experienced challenges. Ranging from engorgement to difficulties with milk production, we share our experiences and what helped us successfully breastfeed our children.

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Occupational therapists have the opportunity to work with patients of all ages. When working with adults, there are several different practice settings an occupational therapist can work in. We discuss our experiences working in an adult rehabilitation hospital and dive into the treatment areas (ADL’s/IADL’s) that are typically addressed in rehab. Shannon compares her rehab experience to working in a skilled nursing facility. We touch on the importance of the therapist's comfort level of working with their patients on bathing and toileting. One takeaway we both have from our experience while working with adults is the genuine conversations and connections we formed with our patients. Today’s momma segment (19:40) continues with recommendations for baby registry items. Don’t miss this segment if you are expecting or know someone who is, there are some great recommendations of baby items.

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Due to COVID-19, many occupational therapists needed to quickly transition to  using telehealth in order to provide clients with therapy services. In today’s episode, we discuss our initial experience with telehealth. And for our momma segment, we dive into our recommendations for your baby registry.

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Genna: @occupational_therapy_love
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Shannon: @brightsidemomma
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Occupational therapy is a diverse profession. Even in the area of pediatrics, there are several different practice settings an occupational therapist can work in, ranging from the NICU to an outpatient clinic. We discuss our experience with the responsibilities and treatments in these settings, as well as the potential diagnosis you may treat in each. And for today’s momma segment (43:30), we discuss our experiences with having an unplanned cesarean. We offer tips for the recovery process with focus on momma’s accepting help, resting, and the main focus of loving and feeding your baby.

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Shannon: @brightsidemomma
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Job interviews can be challenging especially as a new grad. We share our interview highs and lows and offer a few tips for feeling confident during the job interview process. Also we are introducing our momma segment, where we will share tips for mommas from nursing, feeding, ways to support your child’s development, and to promoting a healthy lifestyle. Today, we start by sharing what we found helpful after we found out that we were expecting. 

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Genna: @occupational_therapy_love
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Shannon: @brightsidemomma
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All occupational therapists need to take continuing education. In this episode, we discuss our experiences with various continuing education courses we have taken and  make recommendations for some of our favorite courses.

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Genna: @occupational_therapy_love
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Shannon: @brightsidemomma
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As an occupational therapy student, your fieldwork experiences  are what begin to shape you as an entry level practitioner. Genna and Shannon discuss their own fieldwork experiences while offering helpful takeaways for students as well as clinical educators. 

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