A CAPStone Internship is more than just doing some job for the 2nd semester of your senior year, it is an investigation of the industry of which you are a part. So to get the ball rolling for you, write about what your initial/preconceived idea of the industry is/was before you started working for your particular company/organization. If you have a point of delineation for where this perspective started, include it. (For example, maybe your initial understanding of this industry stems back to the fact that your aunt or grandfather was involved in it and he spoke about it at the dinner table or at family gatherings.)
My mom is a third grade teacher. Growing up, I heard all about what working in an elementary school is like. As I got older, though babysitting and playing with my little cousins, I found I also love working with kids. I have never been very wanted to be a classroom teacher, but my mom had mentioned many of the other services at her school I might be interested in. Two that stood out to me were occupational and speech therapy. Fast forward to my senior year, I am shadowing these professions at the ICCD for my CAPS internship. I have a vague idea of what to expect. From everything I know about occupational therapy currently, I know that it takes place mostly in a play gym. The therapist usually will play games with the child to work on various motor skills. As for speech therapy, I know much less about it. I know that speech therapy can help kids with pronunciation, articulation, etc. but I am interested to see how the therapist actually does this. I think focusing on the patient therapist relationship will be beneficial as well to see how it affects the therapy process. I am so curious to see what the office is like and how what the professional's daily work is like. All around, I am excited and grateful to begin interning at such an icredible place.
#2
What is the general employee attitude at your internship? Are the people driven by their work? Do they seem more interested in socializing/gossiping? Is there an air of respect for the job and the people who do it? Do people see this as “just a job,” and if so, how does this attitude influence their daily tasks within the job? Is this a job whose employees make you want to be a part of it? Reflect!
One thing I noticed right away was how everyone here seems to love what they do. The occupational therapists are all very positive, friendly, and invested in their work. A lot of them are very bubbly and energetic and some are more laid back. Their different styles each offer something great to the kids. They form connections with the children and their families to ensure the child is getting the best help possible. Usually there are a few therapists in the building at a time, since everyone’s hours here differ depending on their clients. It seems like a lot of people who work here work at schools as well. This leads to a very peaceful and quiet office environment. In the OT gym, therapists have a lot of freedom to set the tone. Some play pump up kids music and others like to keep it more quiet. This is definitely more than “just a job” to the employees working here, which does make me want to be a part of this passionate field.
#3
What is the general public’s knowledge about your industry? How do they perceive the company as well as the people who do the work within the company? How do you know? Try creating a survey to find out, or use interviews and ask around.
I created a google survey (It can be found on my artifacts page) asking what people know about OT/Speech Therapy. I got around 45 responses! 86% of people knew of OT and 100% knew of speech therapy. These results did not surprise me, OT is a rather quirky field. I put in a question asking what people's experience is with either field. Most people my age said they had none. Many adults who took the survey said they either know someone who is an OT or ST, their child receives one of the services, or they have worked with kids who receive these services. Most people had a generally accurate idea of what OT and ST are, many said they help people with disabilities. This is sometimes true, but really anyone can benefit from them. The stigma around this field seems to be very positive. Everyone who took the survey seemed to say that the main goal is to help people in their daily lives, which is definitely accurate.
#4
What is the goal of your industry? Customer satisfaction? Expansion? Profit? Research? How do you know? Is it static, or does it change?
The goal of Occupational Therapy, or really any pediatric service offered at ICCD is to help children. Occupational Therapy is a service specifically intended to help kids with daily life skills. The goal of Speech Therapy essentially is to help children better communicate. Those are the two services I observe directly, but everything at a pediatric clinic like ICCD is geared towards helping kids as much as possible. The services kids receive at ICCD will help them in school and home life. All in all, the goal of this industry is not profit, or expansion, etc. It is simply to help people, which I think is really nice. Therapists are dedicated in making sure the child is benefitting as much as possible.
#5
Sometimes there can be a rather fine line between work and play. How does your industry attempt to play? Is it productive? Should it (does it have to) be?
Occupational therapy, I think, is the perfect balance between work and play. In the most literal sense of the word, OT involves a lot of productive play. Playfulness and fun is needed in order to work with kids. In the therapy gym, while the kids are playing on the swings and equipment, they are actually strengthening muscles and building executive functioning skills. It is the OT's job to guide the activities towards the child's needs in a way that is fun and engaging. Sometimes sessions are goofier than others, but at the end of the day playfulness and work go hand in hand in this field. It is more a "work" environment when the therapists do their paperwork or reports for each client. Working with the kids seem to be the most playful times.
#6
Does your industry take pains to take care of the little things? How/why not? (Interpret how you see fit, but the more you think about this question, the better your answer will be.)
Occupational and speech therapy seem to go above and beyond taking care of the little things. Since the ICCD is a private pediatric center, it gives the therapists a lot of freedom to work on what they see fit and what the parents would like as well. In a school setting that isn't as easy to do since there are certain requirements and curriculums. While this freedom is really great, it can make things complicated. Sometimes the parents wishes are hard to meet, and they don't always understand when the therapist can't just "fix" the issue. Therapists go out of their way to make sure not only the child is comfortable, but also the parents. Communication is really key, which is not always easy. Since ICCD allows so much freedom for treatment, a lot of the therapists create their own way to help the child. This may involve making custom materials, incorporating the child's interest, etc. While it is a lot of work to do this, it truly pays off since it is so personalized to the kids.
#7
How would the world be different if your industry didn’t exist, or if it were to somehow disappear? Speculate and ponder.
In the grand scheme of industries, OT is relatively new. The 1920's was when it truly started emerging as a field. While education and childcare in general have drastically changed since then, I think OT is one of the best services being offered to kids today. I can imagine what life was like without it. So many children benefit from OT, and I think without this service, their struggles around motor skills, sensory processing, and executive functioning would be easily disregarded by adults. Occupational Therapists truly understand the various things children go through, and how hard it can be to function successfully in daily life. Without OT, I think many children or people in general would not have an outlet to grow and work on their skills since they are sometimes expected to "grow out" of certain issues. If speech therapy were to disappear, a great part of the population would have no way to work on their communication and speaking skills. ST can truly do wonders- the movie "The Kings Speech" really glorifies that. Without speech therapy, many children on the spectrum would face more frustrations trying to communicate and relate, people with speech impediments would struggle to communicate a way that is practical in this fast paced conversational world we live in. All in all, I would say these services are essential for the population to have access to.
#8
Answer the following question in relation to your industry: Is there an endpoint to learning at your job? Do you want there to be? Whatever you choose, explain your answer.
Both OT and ST do not have an endpoint to learning. Once a therapist learns the basics of their specialty, it really just continues from there. With every child they work with comes a new personality and issues to overcome. Every child that needs a service is completely unique thus the therapy they receive must accommodate to them as individuals. Because of this, therapists never really stop learning. For example, treating two children, both diagnosed with autism, can be very different experiences. A lot of my coworkers at ICCD who have 20+ years of experience are still learning and creating new techniques to work with different kids.
#9
Who were you the night before you started your internship? Who are you as you walk off site at the end of your last day? What’s changed? If you could go back in time to talk to the you you were the night before it all started, what would you say to your past self? Would your past self be impressed with / proud of your future self? How come/why not?
The night before I started my internship I can remember feeling so unsure of what was to come. It almost felt like the first day of a new school year; you try to look your best, be prepared as possible, and shake off the jitters. Flash forward to now as I walked off the site on my last day, it is such a bittersweet goodbye. I have become so comfortable at ICCD and the three therapists I have been working with have made such a positive impact on my interning experience. I would tell my past self that although I would be a little out of my comfort zone at first, it will be so worth it in the end. Before interning, I had only worked with toddlers in a school or babysitting setting. Interning allowed me to expand on this as I got to work with kids of all ages with various needs in a clinical setting. I think my past self would be very proud that I tried something new and managed it well. During CAPS, I had many different parts of my life, trying to balance school, interning, college stuff, my job, and my social/family life was certainly a lot! Yet I would not trade this experience for anything. I concluded that Speech Therapy is definitely a path for me. OT could be as well, but I was drawn to speech a little during my internship. I am so thankful to have the exposure to real world experience before I even start college.