During placement, I had the opportunity to attend a training day on rebound therapy, facilitated by my practice educator. This was a valuable experience that allowed me to explore how to create and adapt client-centred, occupation-focused goals in a real-world context.
Claire & Maya - OT students from Glasgow Caledonian University on placement at BounceOT Stirling CIC
In line with the Universal, Targeted & Specialist (UTS) model of service provision, goal setting in rebound therapy can occur at different levels and for different purposes. At Bounce OT, service users often move fluidly between Universal and Targeted levels of support. For instance, a child might initially engage in inclusive, unstructured play during ‘family fun time’—a Universal-level intervention promoting general wellbeing and social inclusion. As specific needs are identified, they may transition to Targeted support, where one-to-one sessions focus on personalised, occupation-based goals such as improving body awareness or emotional regulation. This tiered approach ensures that interventions are both responsive and proportionate, allowing goals to be adapted based on the individual’s evolving needs, preferences, and level of engagement.
As part of the training, we were tasked with identifying what might be meaningful goals for a service user attending Bounce OT. We considered both the physical and psychosocial needs of children and adults attending sessions. For example, for a young person with autism and sensory processing differences, a goal might be to engage in a 10-minute sensory-based activity on the trampoline to promote body awareness/proprioception and emotional regulation skills.
This goal was occupation-focused, and activity-based (instead of occupation-based) as it aimed to support the person’s participation in play while addressing broader developmental needs. It is also client-centred, as we considered what the service user valued and found motivating, so we remained child led throughout the activity.
We also explored how interventions could be tailored to support progress towards goals. For example, we discussed starting with shorter sessions or using visual timetables for structure and predictability.
This highlighted how grading activities can help scaffold participation and gradually build confidence and engagement.
An important takeaway from the session was the need to regularly adapt goals in collaboration with service users. We reflected on how changes in mood, confidence, or physical ability might require a shift in focus or approach. This reinforced the importance of ongoing communication and flexibility when supporting clients in goal planning, setting, and achievement.
Overall, the rebound therapy training was a hands-on way to explore & apply occupational therapy theory to practice. It helped me build confidence in developing meaningful goals and adapting them to meet individual needs, key skills I will carry forward in future practice.
