This semester I had the opportunity to work as an intern at Pediatric Therapy Partners in Lewis Center, Ohio. This is an outpatient clinic that offers comprehensive sensory-based Speech and Hearing Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Neurofeedback. They also specialize in co-treatment for kids with complex co-existing conditions, provide request-based school consultative services, and provide a variety of groups and classes for kids during the summer. Play is a huge motto that Pediatric Therapy Partners stands by. Their entire clinic consists of different gyms with numerous swings, ball pits, monkey bars, slides, and more. The therapists want every kid to be excited about therapy every week and use play to motivate the kids to engage in developmental and regulation exercises.
This clinic is small, the staff is close-knit, and I immediately felt welcomed and one of the team my entire time there. I was mainly with one Occupational Therapist, Allison Aldrich, but at times when there were cancellations or she was not there, I got to work with the other Occupational and Speech and Hearing Therapists and see how they use unique skills to treat their patients. The therapists would always provide a quick overview of their child before each session, explaining what goals they would be focusing on, specific games they would be playing, and how these helped work on their goals. They also always allowed me to ask follow-up questions if I needed. When there was free time, I got an overview of how to document for each client, helped prepare different activities for the therapists, and helped clean toys and gym areas. The relationships I got to make with not only the staff but the kids I got to see every week was one of the best parts of this internship. At first many of the kids were a bit shy or hesitant of me joining their sessions but within just a few weeks they were inviting me to join in on different games like hide and seek, tag, board games, and more. Getting this interactive experience with each kid allowed me to learn an extensive amount about how Occupational Therapy works and how you customize a plan for each child based on their goals that they come in to work on.
I have always known what Occupational Therapy was and had a passion to work in pediatrics, but after this internship I know this is my calling. Everyone tells you to get a job that you look forward to going to every day and I can say that I was always thrilled to go to my internship and see all the kids and therapists. I have had various eye-opening experiences throughout this internship and learned so much about how outpatient clinics operate. Interning with Pediatric Therapy Partners truly exceeded all my expectations and solidified my desire to pursue graduate school for Occupational Therapy and continue to learn about all the different ways I can help people through this career.
-Maria Rossi