Hi all. I am new grad (3 weeks in) and finding myself really struggling in the acute setting. The environment is so busy and overwhelming that often I find myself processing what happened later in the evening when I’m home, and realize I’ve made a dumb mistake or missed something quite important. I did today, and now I fear I’ll be spending the whole weekend worrying until I can try to fix it on Monday.

I’m spending evenings after work trying to learn more about different conditions and OT assessments and interventions but I truly feel like I have no idea what I’m doing 90% of the time. I’ve been trying to slow down and make lots of notes and use tools available but often there isn’t time in the moment to use these resources or my brain just can’t keep up with the speed and overload of the situations I’m in.

The anxiety has been intense and I’m not feeling great. Looking for any reassurance or tips on how to transition into this, or signs when you knew a setting just wasn’t right for you? It’s early days so wanting to feel hopeful 🥹

Thanks in advance!

Hi! New York Homecare hiring PT’s/OT’s/SLP’s/COTA’s - DM me for more info!

I’m an OT with 4 years of experience and just started working in home health a few months ago. I am looking for advice on tips for when a patient should be adding a patient to case load vs an eval only.

I’m not talking about obvious reasons and diagnosis but patients who have dementia, 24/7 care, appear to have declined but are know at their new baseline. OR people who are independent but deal with pain/poor balance making them an increased risk for falls.

I feel that everyone can benefit from occupational therapy but in the home health setting what/when is it not appropriate to add a patient to caseload?

Thinking about making the switch to OT. I am currently a SPED teacher and I am considering switching to OT. Any thoughts/advice?

Hello, I recently got moved to UW Madison group interview process ! Any tips or tricks for what to expect during these interviews? Thank you

Okkk Just curious, but Its on my mind lol. For all my fellow travel OTs. Where's your dream spot?
I've been to FL (home), NC, SC, AZ, WA. Any spots I should for sure have my recruiter look for?!

I find that chronic cases, especially inpatient, have alot of repetitiveness to their sessions because there's not really much else to do. Let's say for example you have a parapeligic SCI patient that has been taught feeding, dressing, grooming, transfering and showering, yet still takes OT sessions. Fine motor skills are normal and has really good upper body strength. What is there to do? Don't get hung up on this particular case in your reply please, be more general because I deal with a good amount of chronic patients

Not only do I want the sessions to be more fun but also actually beneficial, other than the fact that he gets like 45 minutes of moving his arm and that's it

Having trouble finding a pediatric level 2 in Philadelphia area. Any leads?

I’m looking for recommendations for a qualified Occupational Therapist in the Sydney area with experience in psychosocial functional assessments and health-related housing needs.

Ideally, the OT would have experience assessing how health-related functional needs affect accommodation suitability and preparing comprehensive written reports for formal assessment purposes.

This is not primarily a request for physical home modifications.

If you know an OT with relevant experience, I would appreciate recommendations or feedback on their services, fees and availability. Please feel free to message me privately.

Thank you.

Just did my interview for BCU and feel like I’ve flopped it :( Their cohort is so small as well, I genuinely feel I have no chance. I’ve still got interviews left for Lincoln, Northampton, and Coventry so would appreciate any interview tips and questions, I really need an offer 💔

Looking at getting into travel OT but unsure about the best companies to work with and the ones to stay away from. Any input is welcome.

Are any other students seeing this in their classes?
We have one course this term where the professor is using AI for tons of things - assignment worksheets, PowerPoints, rubrics, and apparently grading.

While I am a pretty avowed AI hater, I don't really have much to say about using it for administrative type work - fancy up your PowerPoints, put your assignment materials into weird tables in Word docs, fine, fine. I don't like them, but it's largely preference (I think with some larger word ethics too, but also willing to set that convo aside for this) and does not really affect my experience or outcomes as a student.

AI grading though? Even with manual review, that feels like there are some pretty significant ways it affects both experience and outcomes. It is not a good faith interaction with students.

Has anyone seen any university policies or other discussion about this?
The AOTA policy doc on Ethical AI Use is... pretty vague.

We have clear expectations for student use, but I have not seen much in terms of expectations for faculty and think we are going to need it.

I am a new mom and wondering if anyone in the ot world can help shed some light on flexible jobs you’ve had that let you spend more time with your kids.

My baby (6 months now) is my whole world and I’m having the hardest time picturing going back to work and leaving her at a daycare most days. I work in school based ot so I have the summers, but I was wondering if there are any other OTs out there that were able to find that unicorn position balancing wanting to have a job but also be home with your child (bonus points if peds) 🫶🏼

Hi, I'm OT in Korea.

I have a question. What do you think about OT's property or duty for local communities. What can I do for those?

I'm now between jobs and I hope to work as OT again. But the job market in Korea is really tough. And.. in this time, I have an opportunity for job interview for local community public healthcare center. So I'm preparing for that.

I'd like to ask you guys to help me... about my job interview.

Hi everyone! I’m an OT working through teletherapy with a child who has difficulty distinguishing between b and d when spelling/writing words from memory, and I’d love to hear what strategies have worked for others. We’ve been stuck with this specific issue for quite a while now.

One thing I’ve noticed is that I’m not entirely convinced this is a typical visual-perceptual or directional confusion issue.

She doesn’t confuse b and d when copying.

She doesn’t appear to misread them when reading.
I’ve completed some visual-perceptual testing, including tasks involving laterality and directionality that don’t use letters or words, and she performed well.

I haven’t observed similar reversals or directional confusion in other letters/contexts. The difficulty seems quite specific to b and d.

The confusion mainly occurs when she knows a word, says it aloud, and then has to write it down. She seems unsure whether the sound in the word corresponds to b or d.

I’m wondering whether the difficulty may be more related to phonological processing, phoneme–grapheme correspondence, or retrieving the correct letter during spelling rather than visual discrimination alone.

I’ve previously used visual strategies such as the bed mnemonic, but lately I’ve been considering using articulatory cues, such as drawing attention to lip position and how the sound is produced, to help her connect the sound with the corresponding letter.

She also attends face-to-face speech therapy, although I haven’t yet had the opportunity to discuss this specific difficulty with her speech therapist.

For those who have worked with similar presentations:

- Have you found phonological or articulatory cues more helpful than traditional visual mnemonics?

-What strategies have helped children differentiate b/d when spelling from memory, despite being able to copy and read the letters correctly?

- Would you approach this as a letter-reversal issue, a phoneme–grapheme correspondence difficulty, or something else?

- Have you used any specific activities to help bridge the gap between identifying a sound orally and selecting the correct grapheme when writing?
I’d appreciate any practical strategies or insights from your experience! 😊

Hi! I work full time as an OT in an outpatient hospital but want to do some nonclinical work (related or not to OT). What have you guys been doing as a side hustle?

Tyia! Help a girl out trying to pay off her student loans but can’t do travel therapy

Hi all! I am a current junior in undergrad and hope to go to OT school. I work a part time job right now and it already is hard to manage while I'm taking one difficult class with other easier general education classes. Is it normal to work during OT school while taking several difficult classes all in one semester? Do most people just save up money before school specifically allocated for rent/groceries?

Not for me but my husband as he doesn’t have Reddit. He just found out he failed his 6th attempt by 6 points. His previous scores have been 417, 448 (this was brutal), 439, 440, 436, and 444. His morale is in the toilet and he’s thinking about not taking it anymore. I’ve never seen someone be so studious about taking an exam. He’s purchased the packets, studied with many different OT’s young and old, completed tutoring lessons on test taking strategies, and just about anything else you can think of.

My heart breaks for him because he was to wait 6 months at this point, and financially it has/will be a strain on us. He knows this and he feels as though he is failing our family (we have a 5 month old) because of his scores. He’s working as a therapy aide and has been for the last 5 years so he’s in the field and surrounded by the practice. I’m just at a loss what to do for him. I’m more looking for support and want to show him that he isn’t alone in this boat and it’s happened to others as well. Thanks all for listening.

*I just posted this in NBCOT exam group so this may look familiar to some. I didn’t realize there was an OT Reddit when I posted.

I’m 21 and really struggling with a career decision. I’d love some outside perspectives from people who have been in a similar situation or work in these fields.
For some background, I currently work two jobs, including as a vet tech. I have a good work ethic, and people often tell me I’m well put together for my age, but honestly, I still feel behind in life. I’ve changed my mind about my career path so many times, and I’m getting to the point where I just want to settle on something, have a stable income, and be able to afford to live independently and comfortably.
I know I want something hands-on. I love animals, especially dogs, and I enjoy working with people, too. Ideally, I’d love to be outside working with animals, training dogs, or doing something similar. However, I also know that passion doesn’t always pay the bills, and I want a career that offers decent money and long-term stability.
I’ve considered radiology because of the pay and stability, but getting into a program is extremely competitive. I’ve also realized that just because I think I’ll love a job doesn’t mean I actually will. I thought I’d love being a vet tech, and although I have learned a lot and enjoy parts of it, I don’t see it as a long-term career for me. It can be physically exhausting, emotionally draining, and not necessarily worth the pay. I also don’t want to end up in a career where I’m basically doing the equivalent of CNA work.
Recently, I randomly came across another program just a couple of days before applications were due. I impulsively applied, thinking it was worth a shot, and somehow I got accepted! I was genuinely SO excited at first. I FaceTimed my mom immediately because I was so happy. But now that it’s actually happening, I’m freaking out.
The program seems interesting and much more hands-on, which appeals to me. It involves working with animals, including things like service dogs and horses, and working in a school setting. Having summers off would also potentially give me more time to pursue my dog training interests. I already have experience as a vet tech, and I think I’d enjoy learning something more practical rather than spending all my time in a classroom.
My biggest concern is whether it’s a smart long-term career choice. I’m motivated by the potential to make a decent living, and I’ve heard that income can depend heavily on where you work. I’ve also heard about burnout in this field, so I’m worried about putting myself through school only to end up in another job that I don’t enjoy or that doesn’t pay enough.
Going back to school full-time would be a big adjustment. Right now, I’m juggling two jobs, working through weekends, and constantly feeling like I’m running around. In some ways, going to school full-time might actually be a relief compared to my current schedule, but I also honestly hate school sometimes, and I know it won’t be easy.
The other thing stressing me out is that I have until Tuesday to accept or decline my offer. I genuinely didn’t expect to get accepted, especially because I applied on the literal day applications were due. Everything happened so quickly that I barely had time to think about whether this was what I really wanted.
Part of me feels like maybe this opportunity came along for a reason. I never would have considered it if I hadn’t randomly found it, and now I have the chance to do it. I don’t want to regret passing up an opportunity that could lead to a good career, but I also don’t want to commit to something just because I got accepted when I might be better suited for something else, like radiology.

Hi,

I’m moving to a new state and have been interviewing around. I have two offers.

Option 1 is 60 minute sessions (10 ish minutes for report writing / notes) and an hour paid lunch. No doc hour built in. No 401k match.

Option 2 is 45 minute sessions with 1 full built in doc hour each day (and 30 min lunch). Pay is higher (about 650 a month more than option 1), 401k match, good insurance though we can also be on my husbands, overall better benefits.

Struggling to make a choice. The extra $$$ sounds nice but I’m worried that 45 minute sessions stacked back to back sounds stressful?

Not a new grad - 10 years experience in peds.