Pediatric Occupational Therapy Interview Paper

Introduction:

I chose to interview a pediatric occupational therapist as this is a field I am interested in going into. The interview was held over zoom on February 15th at 2:00pm. For this interview, I spoke with Dr. Herban, a licensed pediatric occupational therapist with over 17 years of experience in the field. Dr. Herban received her degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University in 2001 and has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including hospitals, schools, and private practices. Dr. Herban especially works with children that have developmental delays and various other conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, hemiplegia, sensory processing disorders, motor planning difficulties, and visual processing difficulties

Herban shared several examples of communication strategies that have worked well for her in the past, as well as some that have presented challenges. One of the most successful strategies she described is using play-based therapy to connect with children and build rapport. She emphasized the importance of being flexible and adaptable in her communication style, tailoring her approach to each individual child's needs and preferences. She stated that this could involve paying close attention to sensory/emotional cues and flipping how she runs the session midway through such as switching from verbal communication to something such as visual images or cues in order to help her patient better understand. Dr. Herban also highlighted the importance of involving parents and caregivers in the therapy process, both to ensure consistency outside of therapy sessions and to build a strong collaborative relationship. On the other hand, Dr. Herban shared a story of a time when she struggled to communicate effectively with a non-English speaking caregiver. She admitted that she didn't have a strong understanding of the caregiver's cultural background, and found it challenging to effectively communicate. However, she was able to overcome the barrier by seeking out a translator and making an effort to understand the caregiver's perspective. Dr. Herban emphasized the importance of cultural competence in her work, and shared that she has since taken steps to improve

Herban’s thoughtful approach to communication in her work. Her emphasis on building strong relationships with patients and caregivers, tailoring her communication style to meet individual needs, and prioritizing cultural competence are all valuable skills that I hope to incorporate into my own practice. I can also seek out opportunities to collaborate with other professionals to provide comprehensive care. An example of how I can apply her experiences to my future work is by attending cultural competency training to improve my ability to communicate effectively with patients from diverse backgrounds. This training could help me to better understand cultural differences in communication styles and develop strategies to overcome language