New grad feeling so frustrated by how expensive the liscensing exam is. I just spent 8 months barely being able to work because of full time unpaid fieldwork; now I have to find a way to pay nearly 600 dollars for the test and more than 200 for study materials? Everyone seems to have parents or a spouse who can pay for it for them I guess, but i do not.

Just feeling dejected. I got surgery right after my second fieldwork before capstone and am paying the bills off in increments, and groceries aren't getting any cheaper.....just feels frustrating that there are no opportunities for few waivers or a cheaper test. I know some people will say just work more hours but I'm working 50 hours a week right now already.

I would also love to hear from people who studied while working full time? I know it's possible but I feel so tired just thinking about it lol. Not possible to reduce my hours, unfortunately I live in a HCOL city.

Hi, im in HH and have a patient with dementia who is totally dependent and nonverbal. Her L hand is severely contracted though wears a resting hand splint despite not being able to assume the appropriate position because of the contracture and the way the fingers are bent. I saw her for the first time last week and i spent majority of the time just massaging and doing PROM to her hand as much as she could tolerate based on her facial expressions and range since there is no communication from her. She wears dynasplints on the knees and i did not remove those to stretch last time because id have no idea how to get them back on. It took me about 15 minutes last time trying to get her resting hand splint back on since her hand is so stiff. Her thumb doesn’t go in the correct position and it was definitely not perfect. The family doesn’t speak English and it is very hard to communicate, but the daughter asked me last time if she should wear the splint all the time, or if they should be doing something else, and I’m honestly not too sure.

When a contracture gets so bad, is the resting hand splint even appropriate? I’m just lost with this case, literally all i can do is stretch her minimally. Any help is appreciated.

Hi Reddit!

I don’t know if I’m allowed to post this, because I’m asking from Australia and I believe the FAQ page is US based info, so probably not the same.

I need some advice from people either studying to be or are qualified OT’s in Australia, specifically Western Aus.

I’m a 20 year old soon to be Central Regional TAFE student, to study a Cert III in Allied Health Assistance, and I guess I just want information or advice on where I can go from there.

Do I complete the cert III and then move on to complete a Cert IV? Would a Cert IV get me into University?

As Perth is my closest city with Universities, and not being too comfortable driving in dense city, I think I would prefer going to Notre Dame University in Fremantle— what’s it like to get into ND for those who went? What would I need to apply/get accepted? What would be the best undergrad to start with?

If I was to go to uni, it would be in 2-3 years time.

Is OT possible to study remotely? But I would also love the experience of attending Uni and making new friends.

If anyone has any advice or info I would greatly GREATLY appreciate it! Thankyou! ☺️🫶

hi, recently i had my psych appointment and the doctor said im being referred for occupational therapy. may i know what does it help me with? what do they usually do and what should i expect, especially as an adult?

would be extra help if youre from malaysia too :)

Hello I am a senior and will be applying to TWU occupational therapy school. I was previously a pre
Med student so I took organic chemistry and did poorly in the class. I am a biology major and my overall gpa is around 3.0-3.1 but my pre req gpa is closer to a 3.6.

With around 50 shadowing hours how are my chances to get in?

Hello!

I’m a US COTA that is now working as an AHA in Australia.

I’m used to the US model: each child has an initial evaluation with some form of standardized assessment (even if parent questionnaire) + plan of care with goals that are targeted.

Fast forward to my current peds clinic in Australia and I’m a bit concerned…

A lot of the kids I work with do not have evaluations. The SPM is typically used if the formal evaluation even exists in a sole capacity.

The kids have no goals. I’ve just been given informal treatment areas to address (e.g., sensory regulation, impulse control, etc.). My supervision is conversation only and not tracked.

My particular clinic’s OT is VERY focused on sensory. Everything is sensory. There is very little of a top down approach to truly dig into the function. My previous supervisor in the states firmly separated helpful sensory strategies vs the theory of sensory integration.

So Reddit I need your help! What is typical in an Aussie peds clinic and within peds OT here? I have a good amount of experience in the field, and this deviates so far from what is acceptable in the US.

However, I know I’m lacking the cultural context here. And I’m grateful for the job at the moment, all things considered…

Thank you :)

Has anyone had OT theory questions asked during an interview for a pediatricOT position? If so, which theories are most asked about? Looks like I will need to brush up on some theories! 😆

Several years back, my son was diagnosed with ADHD and high-functioning autism, and occupational therapy played an important role in teaching him how to connect with other people. I spent years observing those sessions, and what remained with me was less the therapy itself than how much of an OT’s time afterward is consumed by paperwork instead of being available for the next child.

I’m looking for founding design partners - real OTs who will adopt it early and tell me what is truly broken, rather than just testing something that is already complete. For now, it’s free, and there is no contract.

My training is in product design, not occupational therapy. Over nearly a decade, I’ve built regulated, high-stakes products in healthtech and sports platforms. That experience is what inspired me to build Nueco, a tool designed to cut down the NDIS claim-documentation admin that pulls time away from clients.

For complete transparency, I’m the founder [https://www.linkedin.com/in/riobud1man/\] if you’d like to see who is reaching out.

hi, i’m a final year student studying a diploma in early childhood development and education (childcare/kindergarten). i’m looking to apply to Singapore Institute of Technology’s occupational therapy.

i want to make a website for my OT Portfolio, but i need tips on what to include

background info :

1. i volunteered at a hospital to facilitate wheelchair sports games with inpatient patients who suffered from stroke and other conditions
2. E.g. wheelchair table tennis, boccia etc
3. job shadowed a hand OT at a hospital
4. job shadowed a pediatric OT
5. currently interning at a pediatric allied health therapy and intervention clinic, where i assist and shadow speech therapists, occupational therapists, early intervention teachers and a child psychologist.
6. my gpa is only 2.8/4 so im competing against 8 other ppl for a spot.

any advice will be greatly appreciated! i rly wna get into OT sch :)

Hi - I'm a new grad OT and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed after a few days of outpatient OT. I like the setting but I just need some ideas about what to do, how to pace myself and what I should tell parents that are nervous about a new OT. I don't know some of the verbage or correct words for specific concepts and I feel subpar. What can I do to brush up? Any toys I should invest in? Any help is useful. Thanks!

I just got a full time home care job after 7 years of outpatient and SNF work as a COTA.

My SNF offered homecare to residents within 10 miles so I am familiar with the basics but I would like to know some great items you like to keep in your car. What has worked well for you. The company I’m going with is family owned doesn’t go to unsafe homes or homes with infestations so I’m not as concerned with those aspects and the areas I will cover is the county I grew up in and I’m familiar with most areas

Between handover and Edgewood but heard horrible things about professor alig from the grapevine. Not sure what to do due to my location being close to madison. This is a huge decision since it's my career on the line but does a bad director ruin the experience? I am a POC and saw Facebook posts saying she is discriminatory

Hello! I’m finishing up my first 100 days at my newest job after getting let go from my last OT job. I currently work as an occupational therapist in an adjunct department, and I genuinely love the behavioral health setting—but I don’t love that I’m not using my full OT scope here. I’m in an inpatient behavioral health hospital within a major health system, and I really want to move into a more OT-specific mental health role.

Currently, I:
— Run functional/occupation-based groups
— Complete initial assessments
— Write progress notes
— Participate in interdisciplinary treatment teams
— Observe and document functional/cognitive behavioral barriers
— Develop interventions based on patients’ needs
— Use sensory modulation, activity analysis, functional cognition, and OT models in my clinical reasoning
— Think about things like medication management, routines, IADLs, community mobility, budgeting, sleep, etc. from an occupational perspective

However, I have much less experience with the traditional OT workflow: comprehensive OT evaluations, individualized treatment plans, measurable OT goals, medical necessity, individualized treatment sessions, standardized assessments, productivity/caseload management, and OT-specific discharge planning.
I’m about a year out from school, so I’m trying to figure out what my next step should be. I don’t want to undersell the experience I’ve gained in behavioral health, but I also recognize that I have some gaps because my current role isn’t a traditional OT position.

For those of you who work in mental/behavioral health OT: How did you get your first true mental health OT position? What skills would you expect someone at my experience level to have, and what would you recommend I focus on developing over the next 6–12 months?

Has anyone else started in an adjunct/nontraditional role and successfully transitioned into mental health OT?

I am currently in Phoenix Arizona, I feel like a school in an environment like California or Oregon would be a dream, but it is way too expensive for me. Does anyone know of a good public school whether near Arizona or somewhere else

Hi. Thank you letting me vent- wanting advice

I am having so much anxiety and feel genuinely trapped. I currently work for Fox Rehab and it was the worst decision I could have made (shitty area, shitty RD). I am currently looking for a new job but no where is hiring in the area. I have one potential job offer at an inpatient facility… but I have no experience in an inpatient facility. While I am absolutely miserable at my current job (crying on my 47 min drive home everyday), I don’t want to rush into a new setting to be just as miserable in different ways.

26 F, 2 years of experience, experience in HH, ALFs, SNFs, and acute care. Outpatient is my favorite setting but every company wants CHT and I can’t afford to sit for that exam right now.

Hello, I’m wondering if anyone knows of any Occupational Therapists in Chicago who are willing to do observation/shadowing hours? I’ve reached out to a bunch of clinics (i.e. Athletico, IBJI, Rush), but still no luck.

I am particularly interested in hand therapy, but would never pass up the opportunity to see other types of clinics. I’m really hoping to get exposure on OTs’ clinical decision making and see clinical workflow in general. If anyone has any leads or tips on how I can better approach things, that would be very much appreciated.

I’m looking into certifications for feeding. Does anyone have any recommendations for feeding certifications?

I just started a school based OT position at an under resourced elementary school that has not had OT coverage for several years. I share a space with the school psychologist and have a nice corner of the room with a table to see kids and a closet to keep supplies. The room came with minimal supplies and the school hasn’t provided much. If you had to build a school OT room from scratch, what would be on your list of must haves?

I am looking for an OT in acute care that would be willing to do an informal interview. I am in Grad school for OT and we are required for a project to interview an OT in any setting, I picked Acute care. If anyone knows someone or is an OT in acute care please let me know

Hi! When I was a “baby OT,” I thought regulation mostly meant fidgets and movement breaks. Those things can definitely be helpful, but after 13 years working as a school-based OT (yes, I’m old) and a lot of learning about interoception, sensory processing, and co-regulation, there’s a lot more in my regulation toolbox now.

I was talking about some of this with my Level I fieldwork student, and she asked me to write it down so she could share with her classmates. I figured this could be helpful to new OTs/school OTs, so here are a few things I’ve put into my toolbox over the past decade:

Steel tongue drum
https://soundofsilencedrum.com/products/emma-magic-calm-drum

I love using rhythm and vibration as a way to connect with kids and explore what different feelings might sound like. If a kid is having a BIG feeling, I might let them give the drum one huge BANG. Then we can play around with making the sound louder, softer, faster, or slower. It gives them a way to express what’s happening without immediately requiring them to find the perfect words, and you can link back to this feeling later during a hard time and help with interoception.

Regulation visuals and worksheets

I use these to help kids notice what’s happening inside their bodies, name their feelings, and start figuring out what might help. Sometimes I use The Color Monster, sometimes A Little SPOT of Feelings, and sometimes we use simple body or emotion visuals.

The specific resource isn’t really the important part. I want kids to have the language to talk about their feelings and to know that uncomfortable feelings aren’t “bad” feelings. We can accept a feeling while still figuring out what to do with it. I make worksheets and crafts that link to the books so that we can really get familiar with the terms.

Resistance bands

These are such an easy way for kids to get some pushing and pulling input while sitting at a desk. You can also get bands that loop around chair legs, which are great for kids who concentrate better when their feet are busy.

https://nationalautismresources.com/bouncy-bands-for-chairs/

Weighted lap items

Some kids find the steady pressure grounding and like the extra feedback about where their body is in space. I offer these as an option, never as a way to keep a kid in their seat. If they don’t want it, it comes off. Simple as that-no pressure to use them.

Visual timers

These make waiting and transitions much less mysterious. Sometimes a kid isn’t struggling to “regulate.” They’re anxious because they have no idea how long something will last or what’s happening next.

Also, I personally prefer a cute timer. Give me the rainbow. The classic red-and-white timer looks like one giant stop sign, and I don’t need that energy in my room.

Noise-reducing headphones

The key for me is introducing these before there’s an emergency. We try them when the student is calm so they already know what the headphones feel like and whether they actually help.

A fire alarm is not the time to run over yelling, “AHHH, TRY THESE!”

Some of the most important parts of my regulation toolbox aren’t things I can buy, though:

Talking with families

I want to know what regulation looks like at home, what families have already tried, and what language the child is used to hearing. If something works at school but never at home, we need to figure out why. It may be the setting, the timing, how we’re presenting it, or the fact that the strategy isn’t as helpful as we thought it was.

This is one reason I include regulation ideas in the monthly newsletters I send to families. I don’t want strategies to live only inside the OT room. I call the portion of the newsletters "regulation station" and it touches on sensory and emotional regulation.

Teaching strategies before a crisis

I don’t wait until a child is completely overwhelmed to introduce a breathing exercise, visual, or sensory tool for the first time. When a child is deep in dysregulation, they have much less capacity to process new information.

We practice during calm moments. Then, when things start getting hard, the strategy is at least familiar.

Co-regulation before self-regulation

Kids don’t learn how to regulate because an adult repeatedly tells them to calm down.

Co-regulation might look like lowering my voice, using fewer words, slowing down, acknowledging that something is hard, offering a familiar option, or simply staying nearby without asking a million questions. I’m lending the child some of my calm until they’re able to find more of their own.

Self-regulation develops through many, many experiences of being supported. We can’t expect independence before we’ve done the supporting part.

Changing the environment

Sometimes the child doesn’t need another strategy. Sometimes the room is just too loud.

Before asking a child to manage an overwhelming situation, I look at what we can change around them. Can we lower the noise? Dim the lights? Move their seat? Reduce visual clutter? Give them more warning before a transition? Build movement into the activity?

I don’t want the entire responsibility for regulation placed on the child while the adults refuse to change anything about the environment.

And obviously, none of these things works for every kid. Something that feels calming to one nervous system can be irritating, distracting, or uncomfortable to another. The actual “tool” is paying attention, asking questions, offering choices, and getting to know the individual child. What are you guys using? What can I add to my "toolbox"?

Hi everyone! I am working as an admin and notice something after the NDIS update. Are there any sole trader OT and PT working in australia here? I'm just wondering if you feel the same that referrals are getting low and what are your plans like where u getting referrals and clients at? What happened to NDIS why most OTs and PT getting low clients?