Informational Interview

 

Heather Fantini

Occupational Therapist

Blossom Philadelphia

Interviewed on 11/03/17

 

1.  Q: Where do you work and what population do you work with

     A: Blossom Philadelphia- preschool ages 3-5.

 

2.  Q: Have you worked in any other setting before this?

     A: I have always worked in pediatrics, but the ages ranged anywhere from birthed up to 21 years. I worked with the older kids           in a school setting also.

 

3.  Q: Where did you go for undergrad and did you know you wanted to be an occupational therapist going into college?

     A: I went to Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. I shadowed some OTs in high school and had a pretty good idea of what           it was like, so yes, I went into college with the intentions of pursuing a career in OT.

 

4.  Q: Where did you go for grad school? How were your experiences in grad school different from that of undergrad?

     A: I went to school a long time ago, so I did not go to grad school because it was not very common or required for OTs.

 

5.  Q: Is there anything about your job you were not expecting going into it?

     A: You have to have lot of patience when there are difficult events, such as challenging families to work with or therapies that           are not successful.

 

6.  Q: How do you think this field will change over the next 5 to 10 years?

     A: There is a huge need for OT, and it’s still growing. The educational requirements are continuing to change, for example                 lots of incoming OTs are getting their doctorate now. Many practicing OTs take advantage of online programs to continue           their schooling.

 

7.  Q: How did you go about finding job opportunities in the area and what are the typical hiring procedures?

     A: The internet was just up and coming when I was looking for jobs, so that wasn’t a resource I was able to use. I mainly                      looked at places where a lot of people at my school did field work and looked at pediatric options. I sent out a lot of                      resumes and called around. Nowadays you can do a lot more research online and research places that are hiring.

 

8.  Q: What is the typical starting salary and average salary? Are there other benefits?

     A: Vastly different depending on area. Could range from $40,000-$90,000 depending on the hospital or clinic setting you                   work in.

 

9.  Q: How many hours do you usually work a week? Are they flexible?

     A: I work 40 hours a week. They are set because I’m an employee within the preschool, but how and when I see kids during               the day is pretty flexible.

 

10. Q: Do you have a lot of paper work to do? When do you normally get this done? What does it consist of?

      A: I will do paper work in the afternoon about the child’s progress for that day. The daily notes keep the IEP updated. A p                  progress report is written every year, but there are also reviews in the middle of the year. For these we will meet with                      families and go over progress and keep them updated on goals.

 

11. Q: How many therapists work at your clinic and do you collaborate often?

      A: We all work as a team. We work at the same center, so it makes it very easy and convenient to communicate on a daily                 basis. Other therapists at the center include: physical therapy speech therapy, special instructor, behavioral specialist,                   vision therapist, and hearing specialist.

 

12. Q: What does a typical day look like for you?

      A: Sessions are typically 30-45 minutes long. They can be individual or group settings depending on child and if they work                better one on one or with other kids. We are working on prewriting activities with the preschoolers right now. They are                  learning how to hold crayons and draw lines, most of them only color and scribble on the page, but we want to move                    beyond that so they can write their name or have enough control to hold scissors. Some kids also have sensory issues,                  and have trouble sitting in a chair for lesson during class or move around at lunch. Our clinic is school based so all of our              activities will be functional for school. You want to adapt the activities to motivate each individual and make them fun.

 

13. Q: What therapy techniques do you use most often? Do you work with a wide range of disabilities? 

      A: The preschool I work at has typically developing children who are here for day care but also accommodates for students                who have special needs with IEPs (individualized Education Plan). Different disabilities include a variety of developmental              delays, like down syndrome or autism, also CP, speech delays, or genetic disorders. The disabilities are not severe enough            that they need an isolated classroom, but they are not able to be on a completely regular school schedule. This is why we            integrate them with typical children but have IEP for further support. 

 

14. Q: What personal qualities or abilities have you seen in yourself and your coworkers that make you a good fit for the job?

      A: Creative, you  have to be fun and not afraid to get on the floor and get messy. You want to make therapy enjoyable and                build a good rapport with the kids, but also have structure because you could be managing a lot of kids at one time.  It is              also important to be a good communicator with families.

 

15. Q: What part of the job do you find the most challenging or satisfying?

      A: The most satisfying aspect of my job is seeing a student or client make progress. When they are enjoying what you have t            them do.