Briana Clift

Service Learning Field site Project

For my service learning project, I worked with two of my fellow students to update
different aspects of communication for the Work Activity Center. We made communication
binders with an assortment of topics. This will be used during groups where communication is
being focused on. The binders had between 9-16 pictures describing different words relevant to
each topic. For instance, the topic colors would have 9 shapes filled in with different colors (red,
black, pink, etc.). For this communication project, I spent 6 hours finding a template, making
copies, cutting and laminating the binders. This project cost a total of $25.49, which we split
between the three of us working on the project. I also was put in charge of running an ASL group
for one hour during my second and third time at the facility. After the communication binders
were created I ran a bingo activity to help the clients become familiar with the new binders and
what the pictures represented.
Another aspect of our service learning project was to update two gotalk9+ that the facility
had but were out of date. Since I was working on the communication binders mentioned above, I
participated less on this part of the project. I assisted in printing the color copies, cutting and
laminating. During our last day of fieldwork we programmed the gotalk to our new sheets of
pictures. I spent about 2.5 hours working on this part of our project.
We were asked by our fieldwork educator to come up with new communication devices
that could assist the non-verbal clients express their needs. In this particular setting, it is common
for clients to have no verbal communication or very limited. I hope that these communication

binders will enable clients to share their thoughts and needs to the staff working with them. I
think it will also benefit the staff by giving them another resource to use when working on
communication during the daily activities.

Reflection
I learned so much at this fieldwork site. I enjoyed getting to know and work with so many
unique individuals. It was very interesting how many disabilities were present and how the
comorbidities made such differences from one client to the next. One big difference from my
other fieldwork settings was that we didnt have an OT supervising us. Our supervisor was the
day services manager but her office was in a different room in the building. This lead for us to
work on our ability to work with other professionals. The facility had all the components that an
occupational therapist would use for interventions, however, it missed that therapeutic piece,
which was interesting to see.
I felt that I learned the most at this fieldwork through observation. I made note of which
clients and supporting staff interacted well together and which ones did not. I tried to piece
together what dynamics were at play in these relationships. I also observed that although some of
the activities done in the groups were really great and important, I could see quickly that the
supporting staff werent trained in what they were doing. One time in particular, ROM was being
performed and the supporting staff would go around in a circle and move each clients wrists
then start on their ankles. Where I could see that she hadnt been trained because she wasnt
going slow and reaching the clients full range of motion and she wasnt doing it enough times for
it to make an impact for that person.