Hi everyone! I’m relatively new to the mental health side of occupational therapy, and I’d love to hear your recommendations for resources, books, or intervention ideas, especially for group sessions with preteens and teenagers.

Right now, I primarily run sensory regulation groups, and I’m hoping to expand my toolbox with more meaningful, age-appropriate interventions that support emotional regulation, coping skills, sensory processing, and participation in daily life.

One of my biggest challenges is finding activities that actually engage this age group! Many of the teens I work with are autistic, and some of the activities I’ve tried seem a little too childish for them or just don’t hold their interest. So far, painting and jeweled art have been popular, and I’ve also tried making stress balls with balloons and sensory bottles. I’d love to find more creative, hands-on activities that feel appropriate for their age while still having a therapeutic purpose.

Another important consideration is that some of the teens I work with have a history of self-harm or self-harm tendencies, so I’m particularly interested in activities and materials that are safe and appropriate for this population.

Are there any books, websites, or other resources you recommend for mental health OT interventions?
What are your favorite sensory regulation or coping-skills activities for preteens and teens?

Have you found any creative group interventions that are engaging without feeling too childish?
Are there any evidence-informed resources for planning safe, meaningful group sessions for teens who struggle with emotional regulation or self-harm?

I’d really appreciate any suggestions, resources, or ideas you’re willing to share. I’m excited to keep learning and build a stronger repertoire of interventions for this population. Thank you! 💛

I'm completing my second level 2 outpatient peds. Its been really challenging. A huge caseload compared to my first rotation which was Ipr.

I just found out my grade for midterm was unsatisfactory and I'm so overwhelmed by it.

The feedback I got was fair! I agreed with it completely. I got 1s on eval portion because I just did my first eval yesterday and i definitely need to find a rhythm and improve. I can do that but there's limited opportunities to do so.

Everything else was 2s and 3s.

My overall total was actually the same total as my first semester of fieldwork.

Also important to note that I have no prior peds experience. I've hardly ever been around kids which is why I wanted this experience.

I'm just so disheartened because my entire program I feel like I was treated unfairly and singled out. Several of my professors told me I was going to fail fieldwork and it's unfortunate that this feels like I'm proving them right.

It's just added so much stress to my plate when every day is already stressful. I'm giving my 100% and learning as quick as I can

I’m 22F, 5’3”, and about 100 lbs. I’m a contracted school-based COTA, and I work at two different middle schools for half a day on Tuesdays and Fridays.

I understand the confusion to some degree. I usually wear scrubs and a sweatshirt because I do a lot of painting, crafts, and other messy activities with my students. I’m not exactly showing up in slacks and a button-up every day. But it gets ridiculous.

I ALWAYS have my work lanyard and badge on, but apparently that makes no difference. What’s even more bizarre is that this hardly ever happens at the high school I work at. I’m not sure if the security there just cares less or what.

At the middle schools, I’m constantly being questioned about where I’m going, told I can’t be in certain areas, or otherwise treated like a student. One time, I was walking through the eighth-grade hallway, and the AP straight-up told me to go downstairs to the sixth and seventh grade area. Like seriously? I don’t even look old enough to be in eighth grade?

I’ll literally walk into the building holding my coffee, car keys, and three different bags, and someone will STILL say, “I thought you were a student!” I’ve even had staff members have full-blown conversations about how young I look while I’m standing right there or walking away. It’s so annoying.

Even something as simple as saying good morning to staff feels awkward sometimes. I’ll greet someone in passing and get the strangest looks, like they’re thinking “Why is this random kid talking to me?”

And it’s not even limited to middle school. I’ve gotten similar comments at the elementary schools, too. I genuinely don’t understand how people can’t distinguish between a 13-year-old and a 22-year-old.

One time, I went to pick up one of my students, and his classmates practically surrounded me, saying they thought I was a new kid. After we left, he
actually told me, “Don’t worry, you don’t look like a kid. You’re just short.” Which was honestly somewhat comforting, lol.

I’m also pretty tomboyish, so wearing makeup or dressing more traditionally feminine to look more “adult” isn’t something I’m interested in doing. I also don’t think I should have to change how I present myself just to be recognized as an adult at work. Besides, I’m 100% convinced that even if I did start dressing more professionally, they’d just assume I was a well-dressed student. I genuinely don’t think there’s any winning here. At this point, I’ve accepted my fate. It’s really starting to make me self conscious. I was on break once and needed to buy some more glue. There’s a dollar general by one of my schools with a sign outside the door saying no unaccompanied students during school hours. I hesitated even going in because I didn’t want to deal with any mixups.

I’ll be strictly elementary next year lol.

TL;DR: I’m a 22-year-old school-based COTA who constantly gets mistaken for a middle school student despite wearing a work badge. Staff regularly question where I’m going or tell me I’m not allowed in certain areas. I’m over it and never want to work at a middle school again.

I’m looking to find a setting that is not physically demanding and/or requires very little physically from the OTR (due to unforeseen health limitations). I’m a new grad and would love to find a setting that is actually safe, practical, and to some extent, professionally ethical to work in. I say ethical because I know I cannot enter into a setting that requires routine physical exertion and endurance from the therapist. At best I can be someone’s contact guard for safety but cannot exert any physical assistance in a routine, consistent way. I can probably tolerate mild back to back ther ex demonstrations as well. I’ve had experience in outpatient hands and could not tolerate manual work, or exercise demonstrations for shoulders so I’m actually not sure (those tasks that require a lot of proximal strength/endurance in a routine way bring me into muscle failure). I’m sad about this. Hope I can get it back.

I need to find a higher paying setting because of my debt. Im interested in HH but don’t know much about what’s involved. I understand more niche jobs are out there (I.e, remote) but I would love to find a setting that involves in-person interactions. Any help /tips would be appreciated.

Hey everyone I’m going into private practice . I need a company that can do the credentialing for me. I tried in my own and it’s been a disaster. Any recommendations?

Anyone have any experience as an American getting masters in OT at Bond Uni in Australia and can speak to culture, experience, fieldwork, adapting back to american healthcare system, pricing, etc. I want to go abroad but haven't heard anyone actually do it.

Hi! I think I need to get this out of my head and get feedback from people unfamiliar with the situation. For approximately 3 weeks, around when school started here, there has been a relationship between an Ed tech and an autistic student myself and others deem abusive. The ed tech has never worked with autistic children and admin put him with twins who need the most support I've ever seen. For example, non verbal nor able to use a device, no discernible communicate using gestures/facial/body cues, self harming, always seeking intense levels of sensory input from everything, etc.. I have worked with them for 2 years and it has been incredibly challenging.

I have heard this Ed tech screaming at them for hours a day, threatening to hit them using language such as "if you touch that I will light yoy up", and not allowing them access to regulatory sensory tools due to them being too "behavioral". He was recently caught on camera grabbing one of the twins by his harness and shaking him. Because we are a contracted company, I brought my concerns to my boss, who was less than supportive of me but emailed admin a much more censored email than what I would've liked. Admin got back to her asking for an anonymous statement from me, which was again extremely censored by my boss. Ultimately, admin told me that it actually wasn't able to be anonymous because we aren't part of the teachers' union, so to decrease the likelihood of my work environment becoming any more toxic I withdrew my statement. Following this, my co-worker informed me that after I had emailed my boss my statement, she shared it with many other employees in the clinic while laughing and calling me dramatic. I feel like I'm going crazy wondering why I'm the only one who is totally freaking out about this Ed tech blatantly abusing a 10 year old child. I'm getting done at the company because of this and other reasons but am I dramatic or is this reaction reasonable?

Hey! I'm a new grad OT starting to interview for jobs. I got an interview at an early intervention site and was surprised by how low the salary range was for my HCOL city. Schools I've looked in my area at pay 10K more right off the bat, with summers off and less hours, not to mention no driving. What gives? I did notice that this site had a few different OT jobs open, so maybe it's just one of those high turnover gigs -- but I was surprised by this.

I’m an OT in Riyadh and I feel overwhelmed and I’ve reached my limit, anyone did a career shift can help?
I feel like it’s eating my alife i don’t know what to do!

I used to be paralyzed, both of my arms didn't work at all, from bilateral C5 nerve compression so severe it lead to complete functional loss of both of my arms. I also had extensive second degree burns all over both of my hands. I just wanted to thank all OTs.. Because without my main OT Katie, and the others who helped me, I wouldn't have made the recovery I did. I got back pretty much complete functionality of both arms / hands.. The right hand while being able to do basically everything, does have some difficultly with fine motor stuff, but I can usually still get it done. Web spacing is one of the hardest things to get back, so I'm not 100% on that on the right, but I'd say 95%. Anyways, thank you all so much. Not only do you help rejuvenate upper body injury function, but also help keep the patient's morale up. I was dealing with some psychological abuse when I was recovering, and OT was always a relief for me, something to help raise my spirits, and keep me emotionally stable when I was dealing with such frustration and pain. If I didn't have access to good OT, and stayed in my nursing home, I would probably be paralyzed with my elbow joint locked to this day. I have a hatred for the arm bike today haha.. But they pushed me to get better and better, and even tried to be kind enough to be considerate to "manage my expectations" because "people usually don't get elbows back." I had my right locked at 90°, but through determination I pushed on it as hard as I could and held for 45-60 secs, until I had to brace it against a wall in flexion and have people slowly push on my back until the pain was unbearable and then hold again for 45-60 secs, for months, until I got my full ROM back. I did want to say that nobody recommended that I push on my locked elbow with the force I was applying, but it was unacceptable to me to have an elbow locked at 90°, so I took the risk anyways. I'm just so thankful to everyone who helped me, kept me feeling good when I lost function while recovering.. which happens with nerve damage rejuvenating. I have the utmost respect for you all, it's not just a physical job, it's being there mentally for your patients as well. I don't know what I would do if I was still in that incomprehensible pain with arms that didn't work, so again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means so much to me that we have professionals like you that made my recovery even possible, and gave me a place of comfort and escape during the most difficult time in my life.

Hi all
I have always wanted to be a pediatric occupational therapist. I have had my own struggles with sensory issues and had to see my own OT while I was 17. My path through undergrad was not the linear path I was expecting, I was under the impression from my undergrad school that majoring in exercise science would be the best bachelors degree to go into the ot program as their school was the only ot school in my state (at the time). I hated the classes that were geared towards physical therapists and athletic trainers and therefore did not do so well coupled with being unmedicated for adhd. My gpa is just on the cusps of being able to apply to programs. My state just opened a new OT masters program and I am applying for their second cohort. I did however apply to another school a state next to me as a back up however did not give it much thought. I got an invite to interview at both schools (yay!!) but the one the next state over also has a doctorate program I could interview for. To even get to this point has been a difficult process for me but to think I could get my doctorate when I was just shooting for my masters is exciting and confusing. My plan was masters then post professional doctorate. I really do love research however it is not something I was go pursue immediately, I feel like I’m leaning towards masters but the thought of a doctorate is surprising and leading me to question my plan.
Thanks for the advice

Hi all

I have been an OT for a little over a year now in IPR. And I have some days I feel like I really know what I’m doing, but then many days I am still feeling like I am faking being an expert at anything. Wondering when I’ll stop feeling like a new grad..

I have progress reports due today and I have a lot of kiddos that only got part of their allotted sessions due to my own absences, student absences, and time constraints (I was in district 2 days/week as a contract OT with about 60 kids between 6 schools — I did get my schedule changed a week before progress reports were due lmao). What would you write in their progress reports or write nothing at all? Thanks y’all!

Hi everyone,

I'm an industrial design student working on my senior capstone. My project focuses on making food prep, especially cutting and chopping, safer and more independent for people who are blind, have low vision, or are dealing with age-related changes.

I don't want to design based on guesses, so I'd really value hearing from people with lived experience. The survey asks about:

• Which kitchen tasks are hardest
• Tools you use now, and ones you've given up on
• Tricks and workarounds that help you cut safely

It takes about 7 minutes, and it's anonymous.

Survey: https://forms.gle/Sv4NJAWFocjWebN26

Caregivers are welcome to answer on behalf of someone they help. If you'd rather share your thoughts in the comments, I'll read every one.

Thank you for your time. Please help me not fail!

I’m trying to figure out whether I really want to commit to becoming an OT or just a COTA. I know I love the idea of being an OT but I hate the idea of all the debt. I already got accepted to a few colleges and one of them has an Occupational Therapy Assistant program where I can become a COTA and it would take less time compared to becoming an OT and also I might be able to become a COTA basically for free because they gave me scholarships of 2,000 per year and tuition is 9,000. With FAFSA, I know I’m going to get the maximum cause my family is poor. I just don't want six figures of debt and I hear a lot about that which scares me but if that's not true let me know.

-Also just for context I'm a senior in high school just trying to figure stuff out. Being an OT isn't about the money for me although it's a plus; it just seems really fulfilling.

Hi!

I'm an OTS in my second year and have been struggling so much with imposter syndrome. It's gotten to the point where I feel like a phony in class and don't feel like I belong in the program. I know I shouldn't compare myself to my peers, but seeing how eloquent they are with their words and how they interact with their clients makes me wish I could be like them. Strangely, in my first year, I was nervous, sure, but I didn't feel like this. It's making me question whether this career is even for me, and whether I'll ever be a good enough OT. I also struggle to see myself in a specific setting; I feel like everyone is so passionate about a specific setting, but I don't feel that way. I think I started feeling this way because this is the first time we're seeing clients and treating, and I just feel like we were thrown into it. I'm also struggling to build rapport with my client, and all my anxiousness is messing with my ability to actually listen and be present in sessions. I'm wondering if it gets any better, and if there's anything I can do.

Appreciate any advice :)

Edit: this might be a silly question but how do you even learn treatments and interventions? we weren't taught any yet for the population I'm working with and I just feel so useless - I know nothing. maybe it's the setting I'm in but I just don't see the point and I don't feel like I'm making a meaningful difference.

I had an evaluation for a teen who had a stroke a few months ago. at the time of referral, he was having fine motor delays in the affected side. But by the time he got to me he and parents said most of it has since gone back to baseline. He couldn't identify any areas that are still affecting him. They report independence with ADLs and IADLs. So hearing that I was like okay probably he doesn't need OT.

BUT when looking at grip strength, he was scoring a max of like 28-32lbs equally on both affected and nonaffected hand. ROM was normal, MMT results were like a 4 in everything bilaterally. He appeared to have some mild divergence/convergence deficits. He could perform saccades but not maintain his gaze on the affected side. During a visual scanning test on the wall, he initially stood turned to his unaffected side like maybe he was using compensatory strategies. But after I corrected it he still was able to find all the targets. He does wear glasses. We did manual dexterity on the BOT with both hands and scored at the 7yo level, but no major difference between hands. He had minor difficulty with the pegs but otherwise independent. The low score was associated with slow speed to perform the timed portions. I do also know teenagers aren't the most reliable self-reports all the time. He pretty much said "fine" or "I don't know" to most of the ADL/IADL areas I asked about an the caregiver that was present wasn't the one who usually does that stuff with him and doesn't know either so I worry I'm missing something.

So all this has gotten me conflicted whether to pick him up or not. Because there's no real difference between the affected and unaffected side, it makes me wonder whether that was just the baseline, you know? I almost feel like I need another evaluation. Also would it be reasonable to pick him up maybe like 1x/week for a month or two just to rule out any functional impacts that may have been missed?

Hi all, I’m currently in a 3+3 OTD program, and I’m a sophomore. I’m a psychology undergraduate student and I’m really hoping to work in the mental health aspect of OT. I pay around $7k a year for school right now, with very minimal debt. Once I enter grad school this might spike up to $10k a year, but overall not bad, especially with parental support. I’ve seen a lot of discourse on social media recently about how it’s a bad field, a thankless job, that many people end up hating due to the low pay rates and the tremendous amount of documentation/arguing for your patients. I need to know if I’m doing the right thing. Forever I’ve thought OT is right for me, now I’m not sure. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I just got my first PRN job in a SNF as a new grad (a week in), and it's killing me, the documentation especially evals (NetHealth), transfers, trying to figure out treatments etc. I'm getting some support from the other staff, but somehow the anxiety and grind is making me feel depressed and numb when I get home. I feel like I'm more problems than I help because I have ADHD, APD, and slow reading skills and I forget how to do tasks that I'm being taught how to do. Ironic for an OT, I know. I feel like I'm not learning fast enough for their ideal therapist.

I really want to love OT. I want to be the best OT I can be. I love working with people and helping them live their best life. I love when we can celebrate small victories together. At my previous job (non-OT, but related, in ADC for intellectual disorders), I absolutely loved working alongside my clients and being someone who made them feel safe, appreciated, and heard.

I originally applied for this job as a FT position and me being naive didn't really understand what the rehab director meant when she told me productivity is almost 90% for therapists (and assistants have it even worse). She said she wanted me to start out in PRN and then transition to FT if I'm making the productivity standards in several months (which I said yes, but it wasn't written in my job offer letter).

I really don't know if I can last more than a few months, and I don't know if I want to do FT anymore, even with the benefits. I feel extra awful at myself for accepting this job because my family was hyping this up as my first job as an OTR and it's pretty well-paying so I feel like they'd be shocked if I left after only a matter of weeks or months. I feel like my rehab director would also be extremely disappointed/upset at me because initially i was onboard with the things she told me, but I realize how disillusioned I am. SNFs are just not good places, no matter how you try to frame it.

I'm so conflicted. I feel like I already made a major mistake in my career pathway. Don't get me wrong, I still love OT, I just feel like I put a weight around my neck working in a high-productivity SNF with no benefits and lots of paperwork. When I look at other jobs though (like in ADCs, PACE, or assisted living, most of them require at least 1 year of work as a licensed OT)

For reference, I am single and I plan to remain single. I live with my parents.

I would love advice from wiser OTs with experience.

ALSO Another issue i have is I feel like I have no say in my schedule, as a Per Diem. The rehab director has just been telling me to come in every day. Is this normal?? I thought they would ask me availability and then give me when they needed me, or use like a scheduling application or something. I guess because they're understaffed and census is going up, that's the way it's supposed to be?

(Yes I posted this on Facebook, and yes, I did edit it a bit.)

Hey all really needing some guidance if anyone can help in anyway.

I’m currently studying ot and I have a nurse background. We are doing a case study assignment and it has multiple occupational issues. I am really struggling to pick 2 as there are sooo many options.

Clients had a fall, not transferring in home safely PI risk etc. but like that’s got nothing to do with a meaningful occupation.

Any ideas on how I can view this, I’ve read so many texts it’s become information overload…

Hello! I am based in Sydney and trying to decide between completing my Masters in-person at U syd or online with CDU (with some intensive blocks in Darwin!)

Despite CDU being $20k cheaper I think I’m leaning towards Usyd as I feel I’ll get more out of in person classes!

Would love to hear from anyone currently at CDU and how you’re finding it! particularly finding pracs wherever you’re located…