DAY IN THE LIFE: Pediatric Outpatient Clinic & School Based Occupational Therapy Assistant

[@jamieb5485]

It’s my first year of being a COTA and I’m also in a school setting and we just went virtual too 🙃 do you have any ideas for virtual sessions

[@beinghabiba.a7406]

Hey girl, I’m getting ready to select my sites for practicum in spring as an OTA and I have trouble making decision in what setting to work. Do you have any suggestion or advice?

[@carlythecota]

I would say go for one that you’re super interested in (peds, geriatrics, etc) and go for one that gets you out of your comfort zone! Maybe a mental health facility, maybe hospital, maybe a hand clinic. Something that will stretch and grow you! It’s okay to go and not like the setting you work in while in school, that just makes it easier to know what to look for in a job when you graduate. Thank you for devoting yourself to this amazing profession! ❤️

[@jamieb5485]

Looking at your videos I actually have the same exact positions as you! School cota and pediatric clinic cota!

[@carlythecota]

Hey Jamie! So cool!!! This job is HARD, sister. I have one elementary school, two middle schools, and two high schools right now. I visit one or two a day depending on the day. Sometimes three depending on when an visit for a kid I see monthly falls. Oh no!! Bless you!! I don’t have a lot of experience with virtual treatments, but a few notes: 1. Try to have your session planned and written before you begin 2. Integrate movement into the session 3. Send the parent an email telling them your heart, supplies you will frequently use, and how important it is that they are present for the session & also ask what their main concerns are while the kids are at home 4. Highlights has cool hidden pictures games that you can share on screen 5. Break activities down into small and interactive tasks (for example, I have a kid who has a goal for drawing shapes, coloring in shapes, cutting out shapes, and pattern reconstruction… we began by drawing shapes, then coloring them in, then cutting, then I made a pattern with the shapes and then he had to replicate. Simple activity made into small tasks with lots of interactive conversations and movement breaks.) 6. Be mindful that lots of kids may not have a lot of supplies that you do, so get creative with what they could use! Pinterest is a great place for resources. :) Best wishes to you and I sooo feel for you during this time!! Don’t give up hope! Remember why you started!!!

[@victoriadorazio1575]

Hi!!! Love your videos!! Question- I know there’s a big pay difference between OT’s and OTA’s. Is it worth going to grad school to make the bigger salary and be an OT, or would you recommend the 2 year OTA school? I am about to make a huge career change and leave the school I am at and want to make sure OTA’s have a livable income vs. OT’s!!

[@carlythecota]

Hey Victoria!! Thank you so much for watching :) Great question! Some considerations: Pay for each is based on your setting, your experience, and location much like other professions. Home health and travel OT/A usually make higher than say a school based OT/A. Rural areas usually pay more than urban areas. Therefore, you can definitely make a livable salary, but don’t expect to be racking up $$ immediately as an OTA. OT’s definitely make more, but you need to consider if the responsibilities of the job are worth it. Work/life balance is so so so important in this field. You can get burnt out so quickly if you do not enjoy the responsibilities of your work. For me, I watch the OT’s at my work (pediatric outpatient) and get stressed with all of their responsibilities and struggles, I am more than content with being an OTA and doing my best to carry out their care plans for clients. I don’t want the responsibility of being over COTA’s or being in charge of a kid’s care plan or allllllll the paperwork they have to do, BUT that is what some people like. If you’d like more of a job that allows you to leave work at work, then I would suggest OTA. Ofcourse OT’s can do that too, (and I don’t claim to know the situation in every setting), but it appears to me that evaluating therapists just simply have more tedious work. If you’d rather come to work and plan treatments, then carry out those treatments, document, and then be done - I suggest OTA. There are so many considerations that you have to make for yourself. Also consider debt from grad school and how that would affect your future! Either way, the profession is amazing. You can find a setting and work place that suits you no matter if you’re an evaluating therapist or not. Remember - you can also begin with OTA, work for a couple years, then go back to grad school if that’s what you decide you want. I hope this helped some

[@victoriadorazio1575]

@@carlythecota this was SO HELPFUL!!!! Thank you!!!!! OTA is definitely more for me!!!!! Yay!

[@amanal4182]

Hi there. Love you videos. I wanted to ask if you were required to show proof of vaccination to get into COTA school. I noticed that some schools require them, and also if your work requires the flu vaccination each year. Thanks!

[@carlythecota]

Hi! I was not required, but highly encouraged. There were some fieldworks that would not accept students that were not vaccinated.

[@Universally272]

What are the work hours starting from when until when for someone who wants to work for district public schools? Do they get out earlier than the OT's?

[@carlythecota]

Definitely all depends on the school district!! Since school gets out around 3, you can expect that to be the end of your treating hours, but you would most likely have paperwork after that. I did a lot of paperwork at home for the schools.

[@jemlovesdolores]

This was so interesting to watch! Did not know you could do virtual therapy. Could you talk about expected salary as a new grad ?

[@carlythecota]

Hey Jem!! I’m so glad you enjoyed. I will add that to my list of videos to film! For now - my suggestion is to talk to COTAs and OTs in the area that you want to practice in. That’s really the only way you’ll get an accurate view of what the rates are. It all depends on location and setting and experience. Definitely no less than $20. I would shoot for $25 (or maybe even more depending on location and setting with a valid statement of your credibility and experience), and see where it goes. Thanks so much for watching!

[@Amanda72601]

Do you need to have a specialty in Pediatrics to work specifically with kids?

[@carlythecota]

Hi Amanda! You do not have to specialize in pediatrics to work with children. You can take CEU courses and receive certifications to *be more specialized* in the area, but there is no requirement to work with kids. Thank you for watching!!!

[@jamieb5485]

How many schools are you in a week and also in a day?!

[@venessaduenas-rubalcava8826]

Hi there! Are you an independent contractor?

[@carlythecota]

Hi!! I am not. I work in an outpatient clinic!