u/limerenceandwhimsy

Hello! Advice needed please for those who’ve worked in the field longer than I have.

When working with a kiddo who throws things (wooden blocks, etc) and you try to reduce access to items and they shove into you/hit/throw themselves to the ground even if unsafe- what would you recommend doing to support yourself and them? I was working with a kiddo who was just going for it and when I tried reduce access to the item they threw themselves back and I could only reach their arms (I quickly moved to trunk) to try and prevent them from falling onto the very many blocks (the kiddos balance and coordination is not good at all). There was a struggle but I couldn’t really get them stable without just outright dropping them. I sat them on the table and just blocked the hits and verbalized “we do not hit” and offered moving to quiet space or mo where they re regulated and sat on my lap. I feel discouraged because I feel like I restrained/did something wrong but I did my best in the moment. Idk- any constructive advice would be appreciated.

Hi. I work in an outpatient clinic where I’m half adults half kiddos (I had fieldworks in both). I feel like I’m getting discouraged working with kiddos with executive functioning deficits where progress isn’t linear. For example, I’m working with a kid who when they come in they won’t stay in the waiting room and any attempt to redirect them they get very dysregulated. Attempts to give a waiting task, closing doors, providing options of how to wait don’t really work. Then when we get into the session attention and engagement in a task (whether or initiated it or not) is decreasing over the past two session. I’ve seen this kiddo for 20 visits and I know I’m trying my best but I feel like maybe I’m just not a good OT? I think I just need some motivation, I’ve been practicing for 8 months and feel like I know nothing.