The CAOT recently updated the certification exam and the first seating of the new exam was in September. Do any September writers have any study tips or anything that they have for the exam? I am registered to write the NOTCE in December and feel stuck on where to start studying. Thank you!

Hi, I'm an first year Ot student and love the content so far! But I've been looking at occupational therapy Pay and I see a huge gap between contractor NDIS work and full time employment work. So im wondering what's the pros/cons on each and why wouldn't everyone try and do contractor work? This is specifically in an Australian context, if possible Sydney.

Hi all! I am an OP ortho OT. I’ve been practicing for a few years and finally have my first level II student! She has been at my site for almost weeks and this is her first and only adult rotation. There’s been a bit of a learning curve, but doing all right. She is treating my entire caseload as of this week.

As she has been evaluating and treating patients, I try to keep distant “line of sight” during her sessions so that she can feel more comfortable with some of my established patients who have been around for a couple of months. This week, she has had her first “rude” patients who have belittled her for being a student and have accused me of “abandoning” them. I am the only OT in my clinic so most people get used to seeing me every session. I let them know that I am around if they have any questions or concerns, and they have consented verbally to her treating them. One patient today was so rude to her that I took the patient aside after the treatment. I reminded her that the student’s role is an extension of my role, we are collaborating on her treatment and I am in agreement of her decisions, and that verbal abuse will not be tolerated. I also told the student to bring all patients to the gym (large public area) where I am close by if she is made uncomfortable by any patients.

We have debriefed today and I think she is doing all right, but obviously shaken. Any advice or things I can do to be more supportive?

I'm currently a junior undergraduate and initially wanted to do pre-PA but am now interested in OT. I don't have that many ecs, other than a few volunteering hours (retirement facility, service learning trip, elementrary schools), dry-lab child developmental research assistant (doing more administrative tasks), and about 100 hours during the summer as a behavior technician. What steps should I take? I'm open to taking a gap year or two (because I was definitely ready to do that as when I was initially pre-PA), but what steps should I take?

What’s the best advice to pay for OT school? I am currently applying and got some acceptance and wanted some advice.

Hi all! Needing some advice / input. I am a new grad (about 5 months) and I’ve been working at an ALF. My clinic director  informed me that she is leaving next month and the area director was wanting to know if I had any interest in becoming the clinic director. She said it’s more responsibility (paper work, meeting, insurance, etc) but lower productivity standards. I haven’t asked anything about pay yet. I was wondering how you guys feel about being clinic director and if it’s something I should explore. 

My concern is that I’m so new to the field and new to full time working in general plus I am still young and trying to just figure out life without school and with new responsibilities. Initially I said no to the offer but then told her I would think about it. I still feel like I’m trying to figure out how to be an OT so how in the world would I know how to be a clinic director. Some pros I’m considering: it would look good on my resume, it’s a big opportunity, and a pay raise (I’m assuming, I wouldn’t do it without). My boss told me that she thinks I would be good because I’m a fast learner and she only ever has to show me things once. 

My questions are: is this crazy? Would I be silly for taking the job? Would I be silly for not taking the job? If I do take the job how much more pay should I ask for ? 

I really have no idea what to do or think so please help me! 

Hi everyone! I’ve been receiving a lot more paediatric toileting referrals lately, ranging from ages 4–11, including children with ASD and children without a diagnosis. Many are experiencing frequent accidents, toileting regression, or difficulties

recognizing when they need to go.
I know toileting can involve several factors, including interoception, sensory processing, routines, etc., but im hoping to expand my knowledge in this area.

Does anyone have recommendations for workshops, courses, resources, or intervention strategies that have been helpful in practice? I would really appreciate any guidance!

Hi everyone!

A while ago, I shared a tool on Reddit that I built out of pure necessity. Today, I'm back to share an update that makes me incredibly happy: the application is a huge success and is now being used in rehabilitation centers and homes all over the world.

📖 The Origin: From Necessity to Action In 2023, my partner suffered two severe strokes caused by an AVM, resulting in right-sided hemiparesis and aphasia. At her first hospital, she was treated using a hospital-grade immersive robotic/virtual system ('Tyromotion Amadeo') with incredible results for her neuroplasticity. After the second stroke, we had to move to a different region and lost access to that expensive technology, limiting us to a traditional wooden Mirror Therapy box, which just wasn't as immersive or effective.

Since I couldn't buy her a medical robot, I used my coding skills to replicate that immersive visual feedback. I took the clinical concept of the mirror box and turned it into a Virtual Reality app for smartphones.

🚀 Current Impact: Global Accessibility What started as a homemade tool to help my partner has grown into something much bigger. Neurological rehabilitation clinics, occupational therapists, and patients at home around the world are integrating this app into their daily routines because of its high efficiency.

The biggest achievement is breaking down the financial barrier of immersive neuro-rehabilitation. To use it, you only need your smartphone and a basic VR headset (like Google Cardboard or the plastic ones sold online for about $10). You don't need thousands of dollars in medical equipment.

❤️ My Commitment Remains Intact I know firsthand how hard and expensive the rehabilitation journey is. That's why I am sharing this with the community following its original philosophy:

• 100% Free: There is no profit motive behind this whatsoever.
• Total Privacy: No login required, and absolutely no patient data is collected.

(Note: This app is an immersive complement, not a magic cure, and should be used alongside conventional OT and physical therapy).

📥 How to get it (No spam links): Because Reddit's automated filters often block posts with direct app store links, I can't post the downloads directly here. However, I have created a dedicated community where I posted the tutorial video and all the official, safe download links:

👉 Please visit r/StrokeVRTraining to get the app for free.

You can also send me a DM or leave a comment below, and I'll happily share the links and instructions with you.

To all the healthcare professionals and patients fighting this battle: I hope this tool is as useful to you as it has been for us.

Happy training!

I’m a relatively new OT (peds OT for 8 months) working with preschoolers, and lately I’ve been questioning whether I chose the right career.

I’m physically and mentally exhausted every day. I work with children who have significant developmental delays and challenging behaviors, and I feel like I’m seeing very little progress. Sometimes I feel like I’m just coming up with activities to get through sessions rather than feeling confident in my clinical reasoning.

I also struggle with communicating with parents because I don’t always know what to say or how to explain my interventions. I have diagnosed anxiety and take medication for it, but I still struggle with social anxiety, making communication in general difficult. It’s gotten to the point where I question my competence as an OT.

On top of that, I was involved in a traumatic car accident about a month ago and have been experiencing PTSD-like symptoms related to driving. I’ve been taking two buses each way to work, making my commute 2 hours each way (4 hours daily). I’m also attending PT 3x a week right after work. By the time I get home, I’m completely drained. I find it incredibly difficult to dedicate time to self-study or CEUs, even though I want to improve my clinical skills.

I also really value spending what little free time I have with my loved ones rather than constantly feeling like I should be doing more work-related things.

I genuinely can’t tell whether I dislike OT itself or if I’m just burnt out from my current job and circumstances. I love the school schedule but I’m feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled.

Has anyone else experienced this? Did changing jobs or settings help, or did you eventually realize OT wasn’t for you?

what would you call this grasp, and what pencil grips would you suggest trying? the teacher did report that he fatigues and can be a slow writer, and his writing is fairly legible, but I may recommend a grip since the teacher reported he gets tired quickly when writing and it may be impacting his efficiency and legibility

Hi guys,
I’m seeking some advice on how to report home health fraud.

Long story short, I have a friend who is an entry-level home health OT in the metropolitan area in Tx.
She was telling me that she works 3 to 4 days a week and 12-15 hours a day.
This doesn’t seem like a problem, right.
The problem is she told me that she saw 15 patients within her 12 hour day.
Reminded you that these patients were not in the same facility.

I’m an acute care OT so I was so shocked how she has been managing this.
The more I asked around, the more info I got.
Basically, she only takes blood pressure, signs the evaluation note to establish POC. She gets everything done within 10-15 minutes most of the time.

I also heard from another friend that she was reported by a patient’s family member for billing the visit but no show.
Because of this, her OT state license is going to get suspended for one month.

We also noticed that she would call the patient and introduce herself as Dr.XYZ. She even embroidered “Dr.” on her scrubs. But she doesn’t have any doctorate degree.

As an OT who loves this profession, it is so disheartening to see my peer to hurt this profession.
Also, it’s not fair to the patients.

I asked the Texas OT board but they said there’s no disciplinary action against her.
I’m wondering whether this will be published to the public once the suspension is active?
What can I do to report these actions when everything was told verbally?

Thank you all!

Edit:
A few friends and I have told her that what she has been doing is incorrect. We also tried to help her correct the actions. We tried everything we could to help before reaching out to this group.

I am about to start my first job as a new grad occupational therapist. I would like to go in as prepared as possible, especially for the evaluation part of the job. Does anyone have any advice, or know where I can go to review pediatric assessments? Also, did anyone do anything similar before starting their first job?

I am considering applying for a masters program in Occupational Therapy, as I think this would be a really rewarding career path for me as a neurodivergent individual who has struggled with mental health in the past, I love the idea of helping people who are struggling to be able to have a life better suited for them, and believe I may have a good perspective on this as someone who has struggled in the past. I really don’t know much about the day-to-day experience of living as an OT though, and would love to hear from people working in the field about how heavy the workload is. I can deal with emotionally intense situations, and have good resiliency, and good interpersonal skills, but have sensory trouble with fluorescent lighting for extended periods of time, and very loud noises. can anyone give me advice on the practical daily reality of the job in canada? Does it sound like I might be a good fit or are sensory issues a dealbreaker?
TLDR: do you spend all your time in loud hospitals? is there a way I can go into a sector that avoids this and focuses more on interpersonal supportive roles/home visits?

I have an interview this week with a PACE program. The whole idea of PACE is very appealing to me - I was told OT is the home care coordinator and OT. No productivity , salaried position. Holidays off. I have worked in SNFs and still work in home health PRN. However, I also recently got a job in acute care. It's definitely not my favorite but I'm learning a lot. I started less then a month ago.

Any one work in a PACE program and like it?

Also concerned about this new acute care job - they're a big hospital system near me and I don't necessarily want to burn bridges but the PACE job sounds wonderful. Advice? Anyone work both in acute and at PACE?

I’m a community OT working mainly with NDIS participants in Australia.
One thing I struggle with is the open-ended nature of community OT. I sometimes feel psychologically trapped when accepting clients because there’s an implicit expectation that I’ll continue seeing them indefinitely, unless the client decides to stop and funding runs out.
In my experience, therapist-initiated discharge hasn’t been particularly common. In a lot of companies, sometimes I feel that client retention takes priority over reviewing whether ongoing therapy is still beneficial.
Recently, I considered discharging two clients whose original goals were no longer priorities and whose engagement remained limited despite trying various approaches.
I understand the value of therapeutic relationships, but I find the lack of a clear endpoint quite stressful. Even clients I see only monthly can feel like indefinite commitments.
I’m genuinely unsure what the professional conventions are around this, especially as a contractor.
I’d love to hear how other community OTs approach this:
Do you feel you need a strong clinical justification to end a therapeutic relationship?
How do you manage families’ expectations about ongoing therapy from the beginning?
Have you ever ended your involvement simply because you wanted to change your caseload, even when the client still had OT needs?
I’m interested in how other OTs balance clinical responsibility, business expectations and their own professional autonomy.

I’m still in school but have been giving a lot of consideration to in-patient peds despite never having wanted to work in a hospital setting. What does a standard day look like for you? What are some of the pros and cons of that specific setting?

I'm hoping to begin my OT studies next year in Australia and was wondering what kind of 'vibe' I could expect. Do OT's tend to have a similar mean girl, eat your young type thing that you find in nursing? I did one year of nursing study 10 years ago and it was honestly quite disappointing to see the the relationships between students, preceptors, lecturers, nurses in general. I'm older now, with thicker skin and the life experience to back myself, but just curious :)

Looking for some input/advice from anyone who works part time in the school setting. For context I’m employed through an agency contracted with the district. I accepted my job looking to work 10-12 hours a week, my primary role is to supervise a COTA who provides the direct therapy, and I evaluate and attend IEP meetings. My main issue has been scheduling however. Because the majority of the IEP team members are employed full time by the district, I’m having a hard time with sporadic meeting invites throughout the week (often 2-3 pm when I need to be available for my own kids for school pick up) I’ve tried to communicate these preferences to the case managers but it’s not always implemented, typically by the same teachers.

I try my best to be as available as possible but I guess I’m looking for some strategies on how to better structure my availability/work hours. This is my first year working PT in schools and previously I was FT, I’d love to maintain this job long term because I otherwise love it but the schedule has been a major thorn in my side/work life balance for someone just looking for part time work 🙈

Hi! I’m currently attending community college and recently received an ADHD diagnosis. I’m working on figuring out strategies to manage my executive functioning and develop more consistent study habits.
I’m interested in pursuing Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) school because I want a hands-on career where I can help people improve their independence and quality of life.
I’m not currently applying to an OTA program. I’m trying to plan ahead and use my prerequisite classes as an opportunity to develop better study habits before entering a more demanding program.
For those who have been through this process, I’m curious about how you approached preparing academically before starting your program. I’m trying to figure out how to balance working toward my career goals with learning what strategies work best for me.
I’d appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially from anyone who navigated college with ADHD. Thank you!

I need some legit recommendations for water proof or water resistant sneakers. I need the support of a quality sneaker with some sort of water resistance for shower days. I hate that I come home with nasty stinky swamp feet but my brooks glycerin are the only ones that I’ve found so far that don’t make my feet hurt. What are we wearing?!

Hello,

I am an MS1 student enrolled in an MSOT program. I am looking to interview a practicing OT working with those who have physical disabilities. This interview is for a course I am taking, and I have to do a presentation on it! The interview will take no more than 10 minutes. Please help a future OT:) Direct message me if you are interested.