Observing the Gray

I did a TON of shadowing hours, 450 to be exact,  in various clinics before starting the OT program I am currently in. I observed in various settings, several different age groups, and many different cultures and ethnicities. If I knew then, what I know now, some of the activities I saw could have raised some question with me. Not at all because the facilities and personnel were doing anything "wrong" necessarily, but because now I know what a preparatory activity is and that there is a length of time that is appropriate for each client. I also know that it is something that is done usually at the start of the session and it is not be used as the only therapy activity during a session. Preparatory activities can include things such as an arm bike, a finger ladder, resistance bands, etc. As OTs, these different activities can be very beneficial, however, our job is to find what is meaningful to the client and also incorporate those into their therapy. It can be a challenge sometimes to motivate clients to do certain activities, but it will be so much easier for them to have that drive if we incorporate activities they are interested in. Some preparatory activities can become boring to the client and they quickly loose their motivation to even come to therapy, and it is very important for their improvement and quality of life.