Glen Waverley, Victoria, Australia
As an occupational therapist with a specific focus on paediatrics, I have gained extensive experience in both clinical and community-based settings. My expertise encompasses early childhood intervention and the support of young children, adolescents, and teenagers living with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), developmental delay, and intellectual disability. In my professional experience, I have honed my skills as a supervisor, providing clinical education for undergraduate and graduate occupational therapy students during their practice and fieldwork placements. Additionally, I have mentored junior and new occupational therapists, ensuring their skill development, confidence, and competence in providing occupational therapy services in paediatric settings and working with children and their families.
Placement Overview: A 9-weeks fieldwork placement at the community paediatric unit to provide OT services for children with special education needs, as well as linking families with services and funding programs, working with their education facility such as daycare/ kindergartens/ schools, liaising with a paediatrician if applicable, and building capacity in kindergartens as part of School Readiness Funding. Age range: From 0 to 18 years old. Clinical conditions: - Developmental delay - Autism Spectrum Disorder - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Sensory Processing Disorder - Speech and Language Delay Occupational issues: - Difficulty in PADLs (i.e. Self Care Tasks) - Difficulty in Social Participation and Communication - Difficulty in Self-regulation (e.g. anger control) - Difficulty in Developing School Readiness Skills - Difficulty in Developing Play Skills - Difficulty in Sensory Processing Assessment experiences: - Initial assessment - Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 2 - Beery VMI 6th Edition - BOT-2 - COPM - Handwriting Speed Test - M-FUN-PS - School Environment Sensory Checklist - Sensory Profile-2 - Sensory Processing Measure - PDSM-2 Intervention experiences: - Alert Program (for self regulation and emotion identification & control) - Active Lorikeets (for improving school readiness) - Design sensory integration sessions and select appropriate sensory tools according to clients' needs - Assisted with providing information for clients with restricted eating habits, behavioural issues during mealtime or food neophobia. - Create and design social story for modelling behaviours according to clients' needs - Gross motor skills training - Fine motor and handwriting skills training - Provide cognitive strategies and training - Play skills training - Social skills training - Deep pressure therapy and heavy-work activities technique - Referral to Physiotherapy - Referral to Speech & Language Pathology
Placement Overview: St. John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital is committed to increase capability to provide Parkinson’s Disease intervention program by investigating the use of hydrotherapy as a potential alternative intervention program for this population. The aim of this project is to investigate the best evidence and best practice of hydrotherapy for people living with Parkinson's, and subsequently facilitate the development of hydrotherapy program for people living with Parkinson’s Disease in SJOG Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital. Clinical condition: Parkinson's Occupational issues: - Difficulty with Personal ADLs (e.g. self-care tasks) - Difficulty with Domestic ADLs (e.g. household management) - Difficulty with Community ADLs (e.g. reduced opportunity due to functional mobility) Tools to gather information: - Evidence-based research (research evidence) - Questionnaire (practice evidence) - Online survey to obtain feedback from staff members - Government reports - Websites Intervention implemented: - Three deliverables (report on evidence and best practice, presentation to staff and managers, brochure draft to introduce hydrotherapy for Parkinson's)
Placement Overview: A 6-week fieldwork placement at TWGHs Jockey Club Rehabilitation Complex in Hong Kong. The aim of this placement was to develop skills to manage own caseload which involves conducting assessments, identifying occupational performance issues, planning and implementing intervention, running groups, making resting splint and handing over clients. A caseload of 5 clients with different and complex medical conditions were given and handled with moderate support from supervisor. Age range: People aged 15 or above. Clinical conditions: - Bipolar disorder - Cerebral palsy - Different types of dementia - Intellectual disability - Visual impairment - Physical disabilities Occupational issues: - Difficulty in performing occupations due to poor short term memory, attention or concentration. - Difficulty to engage in daily occupations, PADLs, DADLs and community access due to severe dementia, intellectual disability or limited range of motion. Assessment experiences: - Initial assessment - MoCA - MMSE - MMT - ROM - Feeding assessment - Cognitive training group observation Intervention experiences: - Graded upper limb gross and fine motor skills training - Cognitive training (e.g. memory, orientation) - Transfers education & weight-shifting training (e.g. bed to wheelchair, HOIST, sit to stand, dynamic sitting) - Oral motor stimulation - Run music group for clients with severe intellectual disabilities - Run reality orientation/reminiscence group for elderly with dementia and visual impairment - Made a resting splint - Observed and assisted with running drawing group - Observed gardening group - Observed cooking group - Observed sensory integration room - Observed multi-sensory stimulation room