Comments on: Breaking Free From My Session Plan Obsession – Part 2

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 23:21:31 +0000

In reply to Antoinette Morrison. Antoinette, that is such a great reminder for all of us. I love the idea of going into the assessment starting with a clean slate and looking at the child with a fresh set of eyes; no preconceived notions (that's hard to do!) It is powerful to look back and remind yourself of those initial observations.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 23:19:49 +0000

In reply to Christina. Hi Christina!! Thanks for chiming in - I have learned so much from you and from our co-treatments together! I also agree that just observing the child before implementing any planned intervention can be very powerful.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 23:16:39 +0000

In reply to English. No problem!

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 23:16:10 +0000

In reply to Angie Kopshy. Turning an ocean drum into a tire...now that's creativity!

By: Antoinette Morrison

Antoinette Morrison — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 14:12:36 +0000

I was just writing a note yesterday, and saw one of my original findings in the initial assessment to be highly valuable and something I had been overlooking in the sessions. I find those initial assessments a huge tool even before we have gotten to know our clients. Some of the things I re-tread from those initial meetings are things I have noticed, not knowing the client. Although they are subtle things, are invaluable to their progress!

By: Christina

Christina — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 03:00:42 +0000

Wonderful post Amy! I love to hear how others therapies work though their treatment sessions. As an occupational therapist, I have specific testing that has to be done for billing purposes, although, I use my “therapeutic eye” to judge when to start each standardized assessment with a new client.

When I walk into a home or school, I like to first conduct the interview with the parent. I let the parent know that as we are talking I would like the child to engage in his/her typical play routine. As I am talking to the parent, and discovering their areas of concern, I can observe the child during play. Will they play with their toys? Are they curious about who I am? I also leave a bag of toys out,and watch to see if the child will go inside the bag. Is the child tolerant of my voice? There are many things I learn just though observation of play that allow me to continually grow as a therapist.

By: English

English — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 21:30:45 +0000

Great post! I plan out my assessments bc they are all IEP based and I still come across goals they struggle with that I’ve never worked on before.
Thanks for sharing!

By: Angie Kopshy

Angie Kopshy — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 18:09:44 +0000

Yes to everything, Amy. I particularly love what your comments about assessments of new clients. I still struggle with the idea of providing freedom for exploration within a larger container of safety and boundaries. I want a client to observe the stack of tambourines on the shelf, but I need to be ready to catch them and set boundaries when a little guy decides to knock everything off the shelf in one giant sweep.
Or…and this happens a lot…a child exploring the cabasa before tossing it over their shoulder.
But one of my favorites: a little boy who turned an ocean drum into a tire and rolled it around the room, running over and exploring everything through the safety of a secondary object.