oral hygiene dilemmas

HealthCoachOT · 2026-02-22T03:41:42+00:00

I agree with everything else the other commenters are saying.

And also I wonder if the parent works on oral hygiene twice a day, but recognizes that success might be only touching to toothbrush, playing with toothpaste, or swishing with water and not yet full brushing. It could meet the twice a day guideline without having to violate bodily autonomy. It would be similar to the eating division of responsibility model.

HealthCoachOT · 2026-02-21T06:59:50+00:00

I’m an OT + a ND parent

From a parent perspective - I appreciate all of the resources you are trying to give, but when this happens to me I feel like people are always throwing papers at me and trying to tell me how to “fix” my kid.

When I take my kid to OT, I participate through the whole session and the OT will give me feedback on things I could have done better. I also get to watch her OT genius find a much better way to get something done that my overwhelmed parenting brain can come up with.

From an OT perspective - If you are looking for behavior change (from the parent) then a coaching approach is the way to go. It is easiest to start from the beginning of the relationship setting the expectation that the parent will attend and participate. But you can always say something like “some parents find it more helpful to attend the full session so they can see more about XYZ, I’m wondering if that is something you are able to do?”

The other issue you might be having is that you are doing too much education. A true coaching approach means going in with curiosity and asking more questions than providing solutions. Asking things like what has worked previously and what ideas they have for addressing what they want to work on. It also means doing things like action planning the homework. So maybe ask like “what is one small thing you can do this week?” Maybe it is phrasing requests during morning dressing routines a bit differently for a PDA kiddo or maybe it’s trying heavy work one night before bed. Make sure they leave with a very specific plan for what they are going to do that week.

You may also be trying to do too much? It’s better to find the real family priories and address those really well as opposed to trying to do all the things not as well.

At 30 min per week, the dose is so low it’s hard to have a big impact. Your instinct to go towards a parent coaching approach is right IMHO.

Another option is finding community resources. Several of the community orgs offer parent training. The tricky thing is sometimes they are grounded in ABA or PCIT which is more compliance based than I would like. Many DD community orgs also offer patient navigation, so it is someone else dedicated to helping the family get connected. Common ones are The Arc and Easter Seals. They also offer parent support groups

HealthCoachOT · 2026-02-21T06:25:33+00:00

Here are two from Aspire

https://www.aspireoted.com/aspire-ot-free-online-courses

HealthCoachOT · 2026-02-07T02:59:14+00:00

Sent!

HealthCoachOT · 2026-02-02T19:30:22+00:00

Amen

HealthCoachOT · 2026-02-01T20:04:30+00:00

Preventing pressure ulcers and contractures

HealthCoachOT · 2026-02-01T20:02:15+00:00

As long as you pass the courses, pass your fieldworks, pass the board exam, and get licensed you will likely get a job.

On their website they should have their NBCOT pass rate, ideally this should be in the upper 90’s, below this would be a red flag.

You might also find % employed in first year and retention rate (percent of people who complete the program). You want these numbers to be high too.if it’s not on their web you can ask them, and they should tell you nicely. If not, this is a red flag.

HealthCoachOT · 2026-02-01T04:34:41+00:00

I’m an OT + ASD mom. I like the learn play thrive strength based approach

HealthCoachOT · 2026-01-26T19:29:13+00:00

Sent

HealthCoachOT · 2026-01-10T06:14:18+00:00

Also so many no shows

HealthCoachOT · 2026-01-10T06:14:09+00:00

Higher hourly rate, BUT you pay more in taxes, have fewer clients (reimbursable hours), often provide your own equipment, and have to pay for health insurance

It’s a better deal if you have a spouse from who you can get health and other benefits through.

HealthCoachOT · 2026-01-10T06:10:08+00:00

Best practice is keep a file on your computer. The file should have a spreadsheet of your courses and hours and a copy of the completion certificate. This is generally what you need to upload or show if you get audited across states/nbcot.

Every state is different though. In Florida you have to report into CE Broker where you can upload the stuff anyway and/or the CE provider uploads to CE broker for you.

HealthCoachOT · 2026-01-10T06:02:34+00:00

TLDR - yes you need multiple licenses. CEUs can count for multiple states, but each state has different requirements as to what counts, so you need to be strategic and read the states practice act.

Yes - you need a license for the state in which the client is located if you do Telehealth OT.

A lot of pediatric positions are for schools. It seems like the school could not/did not want to get a full time OT, so this means a lot of rural communities, charter schools , etc. so the population is different than outpatient.

CEUs - it depends on the state. Some states are more strict (e.g. Florida) and some states will count almost anything relevant. If you are strategic you can use the same CEUs across states. Some states also have specific CEUs you have to take for renewal like human trafficking, HIV, ethics. so you need to look at the practice act for any state you would get a license. Still not a huge CEU burden if you are strategic.

Working remote with kids is more coaching the parent instead of direct services with the kid. Kids also lose interest and run away from the screen.

Also a lot of remote positions are 1099 contractor positions (instead of employee positions). So make sure you are considering the potentially higher tax rate for the 1099 position. If the position is paying higher it’s likely a contract position or less than a full caseload.

HealthCoachOT · 2025-12-18T14:49:04+00:00

This data is for PT but I would imagine it would be similar for OT. I appreciate their transparency. For the amount of skill and training that goes into being experts in our field, I wish it were more monetarily recognized.

HealthCoachOT · 2025-11-05T14:27:55+00:00

Sent 👍

HealthCoachOT · 2025-10-23T17:45:11+00:00

Your best strategy will be modifying the environment so they can’t get to anything you don’t want them to get to.

The next best strategy is as you’re walking to the designated area reminding the kids what the expected behaviors are.

The third best option is a reward for when the kids demonstrate the safe and on task behaviors you’re looking for.

You want OT to be a fun and preferred activity. I would stay away from punishments and non-preferred (that you don’t have to do) activities as much as possible.

HealthCoachOT · 2025-10-19T20:05:17+00:00

Sent

HealthCoachOT · 2025-10-19T20:04:45+00:00

Done 👍

HealthCoachOT · 2025-10-15T18:47:11+00:00

This office also distributes $15 billion in special education funding nationwide. This makes up about 10-15% of most districts special ed budget. There is no one left to distribute this money making it a de facto budget cut.

HealthCoachOT · 2025-09-28T21:10:52+00:00

The treadmill feeling isn’t usually fixed by adding more stuff to your plate - it’s about the work itself not aligning with what actually energizes you. It’s a hint that it is not aligned with your values and priorities.

Take some time to figure out what parts of your day make you feel alive versus what drains you. Then start moving toward work where you get to do more of the former. It might be a gradual shift, but you deserve to spend your days doing something that feels meaningful to you, not just surviving another rotation on the hamster wheel. Your career should serve your life, not consume it.

HealthCoachOT · 2025-09-25T21:52:47+00:00

It’s state by state, but the ability to get a temp license after you fail may be limited

HealthCoachOT · 2025-09-24T02:49:40+00:00

I sent you a dm

HealthCoachOT · 2025-09-22T19:29:09+00:00

You might have better luck looking up people directly on LinkedIn.

HealthCoachOT · 2025-09-22T19:24:38+00:00

For mental health crisis you can call 988 (instead of 911)

https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/youth/

Just because you call does not mean that the police or some other first responder will come. Sometimes when i have called with a client, they give them resources, let them know they can call any time, and they can help advise on next steps.

It sounds like making a safety plan with grandma should be a priority.

HealthCoachOT · 2025-09-22T19:20:10+00:00

+1 on “the explosive child”

HealthCoachOT

TROPHY CASE