Hi! My name is Caitlin and I am currently a 3rd-year student studying a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours), this is my experience as a placement student at De Silva Kids Clinic.

As an OT student, my day at DSKC can consist of many different activities such as planning sessions, running through some activities/interventions, making resources for the clinic and asking endless questions to my wonderful supervisor, Shannon.

In my time here I have been able to work on my clinical reasoning skills and my note-taking ability. It has also allowed me to improve my communication between clients and their families, all with the guidance of Shannon.

Working at DSKC has been rewarding. It is amazing to see clients come in with massive smiles on their faces, and be able to celebrate little wins with them and their families.

Throughout my time here I have been lucky enough to be able to sit on sessions with other Allied Health Clinicians, such as Speech Pathologists and Allied Health Assistants. From these experiences, I have been able to broaden my knowledge and see the positive impact of multidisciplinary collaborations. Being able to attend multidisciplinary meetings has also been extremely educational, it has provided me an insight into collaborative work, and how different disciplines work together to help clients reach their long-term goals.

It has been interesting to learn about the various interventions used in paediatric OT, and how each of them helps target specific goals for the child. This opportunity has also allowed me to increase my confidence when working with children.

It has been amazing to learn and shadow therapists at De Silva Kids Clinic. It has been an extremely rewarding and educational experience. I can confidently say that the lessons I have learnt here at DSKC will stay with me for the rest of my studies, and future career as an OT.

Written by Caitlin, Occupational Therapy Student.

As a new Speech Pathologist working at De Silva Kids Clinic, I have come to realise that this is the true definition of a supportive and welcoming work environment and team.

Working at DSKC has shown me that this is the place where you thrive and build your learning skills on a daily basis, with the best support you can possibly get. The therapists and staff are very approachable and are always there to guide you through any difficulties you are facing. I am regularly being asked “How are you settling in? How are you finding everything around here? Do you need any help?” Being asked these questions as a new therapist in a new workplace environment, means the world to me because it makes me feel like I am not alone, and I have people to guide me through this journey every day.

I will say with all confidence that the settling in period has been very smooth and stress free. The management team are very understanding and have ensured that they ease me through building my caseload very slowly, so I am not overwhelmed with a new environment and a large caseload at the same time. I have a supervisor that regularly checks in with me and makes sure that I have no issues with any admin related tasks, or concerns with any clients. I feel safe and comfortable enough to approach my supervisor with any areas of difficulties or concerns I may be facing. This in return makes me feel that I am truly supported, and that my learning skills will continue to develop along with my love and passion for Speech Pathology.

Everyone at DSKC is very approachable and they certainly know how to have fun! We all have lunch together every day and talk about everything fun with lots of laughter. There are regular group activities organised to help us stay motivated and ensure that we have a great work life balance.

I have realised that the awesome work environment I see at DSKC is far more than just the physical. The positive work environment that I have come to see and experience at DSKC, is a place that promotes employee wellbeing, productivity, and growth. It is a great working practice with great values, a supportive atmosphere, and a trusting culture that encourages us to perform our best. This also applied to whether we are working collectively in the same physical space at the clinic or remotely.

Overall, I have had a very positive and encouraging experience as a new Speech Pathologist working at De Silva Kids Clinic, and I am certain that I will continue to have the best experiences at DSKC.

Written by Nour Sleiman, Speech Pathologist at DSKC

My name is Janice, and I am currently in the first year of my Master of Speech Pathology degree, and this is a day in my life as a student Speech Pathologist at De Silva Kids Clinic!

 As a student speechie, my role includes generating session plans, running sessions, and providing feedback to my assigned clients’ families, with support from my amazing clinical educator, Anita. I benefit from our discussions and debriefings before and after sessions, which help me gradually improve my reasoning and clinical skills. I also value self-reflection on my strengths and areas of improvement after each session, as it plays an indispensable role in personal and professional growth. 

Resourcing and rehearsing before each session have been significant parts of my daily routine. I create various types of materials/activities and develop appropriate contingency plans to tailor to each client’s specific needs. At DSKC, I have access to a wide range of resources to facilitate the implementation of speech pathology services!

Another fascinating part of DSKC is the opportunities to observe the sessions run by other speech pathologists and occupational therapists. Learning from these experienced professionals has been inspiring because it not only enables me to reflect on how they adapt their own interactional style to the needs of their clients but also helps me come up with effective strategies and engaging intervention activities to enhance my practice.

While working in a paediatric setting has been a new challenge for me, I genuinely appreciate the chance to complete my intermediate placement at DSKC with the supportive multidisciplinary team. I have been able to perceive

a gradual change in myself when interacting with the little ones- from incredibly nervous to more confident and independent. It has been pleasant and rewarding to be a student speechie at the De Silva Kids Clinic, and I am ready to continue my exciting learning journey with such an invaluable experience!

Written by Janice, Speech Pathology Student from Melbourne University.

My name is Katy, and I am currently in my first year of my Masters of Speech Pathology degree, and this is a day in my life as a student Speech Pathologist at De Silva Kids Clinic!

 My role as a student speechie includes creating session plans for my assigned clients and debriefing them with my clinical educator. For each session, I develop and create resources for the activities tailored to each client. Resourcing has been very fascinating as I am able to see various types of materials that I have only seen in textbooks. Under the supervision of my clinical educator, I am able to run sessions on a daily basis according to the session plans that I create.  This has been an invaluable experience where I am able to reflect and develop my clinical skills. After each session, I self-reflect on my strengths and weaknesses and draft up a progress note for my clinical educator to review. As a speech pathologist, I believe that it is essential to reflect on self-performance consistently as it is significant for our personal and professional growth. 

I have also had the opportunity to observe other Speech pathologists in the clinic during their sessions. It is always very intriguing to see how each SLP’s have their own strategies when working with children. Through observing, I managed to pick up on a few different strategies and intervention activities that I will try to utilise in my future clinical interactions. 

I am very grateful to be given the opportunity to be placed in De Silva Kids Clinic for my intermediate placement. It has been an amazing four weeks where I have been able to see myself grow and develop over the time. Through observing and running sessions I was able to gain an insight into my future career path in the paediatric setting. Making this placement more memorable than anything else was being able to work with an amazing team and a supportive clinical educator, Anita. It has been a real pleasure to start my journey as a speechie here! 

Written by Katy, Speech Pathology Student from Melbourne University.