Post-SIM Reflection

Overall, I think this SIM encounter went well. I practiced scenarios many times before and felt adequately prepared to provide a good explanation of sensory processing disorder, bystander, sensory schedule, and occupational therapy in relation to Libby. However, prior to this simulation, I was very nervous for the encounter. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the parent I was going to be interacting with and I didn’t know the proper way to prepare for questions he/she may ask me. Once I was in there and began talking to Ms. Nelson, I felt as if I began to gain my confidence. I felt as if I knew what I was talking about and did an accurate job of describing sensory processing disorder and Libby’s evaluation. A few minutes after beginning, I noticed Ms. Nelson was nodding along with me. I made a note of this and made sure that after something was explained, I verified that she understood the topic and gave her chance to ask any questions if needed. When I first walked in the room, I also made sure to make initial contact through a handshake, asked how she was doing to establish rapport, and established good body language to show that I was involved. Overall, the simulation went much better than I was expecting.

If I was given the opportunity to participate in a do-over SIM lab, I would make sure to include more aspects of Libby. I felt as if I really needed to hit all of the definitions and explanations of sensory processing disorder and occupational therapy so I didn’t give myself the opportunity to ask about Libby and what Ms. Nelson was seeing in Libby, what she likes, and what her opinions would be. By including more of Libby’s interests, empathy will also be addressed, which will show that I care and I am involved with Libby’s intervention. Additionally, I would also include activities in the sensory schedule that are of interest to Libby. For this SIM encounter, I chose sensory activities that we had talked about in class that I thought would be beneficial to Libby. However, it would be really helpful for a parent or teacher to incorporate things that Libby actually wants to do and would have fun doing. Including Libby more and not just discussing her as a “bystander” is definitely something that I would change if I were to have a do-over.

A specific example of how to communicate an attitude of caring through an encounter would be to engage in perspective taking. This involves being mindful of the parent or client and trying to understand how they are feeling. The client/parent should not feel abandoned when the session is over, but comforted and supported by the occupational therapist. This can be communicated by making the treatment plan or intervention seem like a team process. Using terms to describe this would include saying “together” or “collaboration,” when describing the occupational therapy process. Another example of how to communicate an attitude of caring would be to have empathic responses. If a parent or client seems upset, uninterested, or overwhelmed, it is important to address how they may be feeling. An example of this may be by stating and acknowledging that this is a lot of information to take in and can be overwhelming, but you are going to work together to figure out the best way to be successful. This will validate their feelings, show that you care about their situation, provide reassurance, and offer support.

After completing this SIM encounter, I am able to recognize certain aspects that I can take into future SIM encounters and into my future clinical practice. For future SIM encounters, I need to have more confidence. I felt very nervous prior to this simulation, as I normally do for SIM encounters, but it was not necessary. I was adequately prepared with the information I needed and should have had more confidence in my knowledge. I definitely tend to overlook what I know and doubt myself. In regards to future practice, empathic responses are big component that I will take away from this encounter. We are constantly taught the importance of empathy in class and you don’t really know what this means until you are put to the test. This SIM was unique because we have not encountered parents in these situations. Often times, this is a very sensitive and overwhelming situation for many parents and is important to treat them like individuals and not just another case. This will be important to remember for future practice.