Occupational Therapist (OT) - Outpatient
Posted Sep 19, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a child who was not making progress toward their goals. What did you change?
What they are checking: Whether they review their own plan honestly and adjust rather than continuing the same treatment indefinitely.
Tell me about a time you worked closely with a school team or another therapist on the same child.
What they are checking: Whether they can coordinate outside the clinic walls so the child gets consistent strategies.
How do you explain to a parent why their child qualifies for OT without making them feel their child is broken?
What they are checking: Whether they communicate with warmth and strengths-based language while staying clinically clear.
What would you do
A parent cancels often and the child is losing ground. How do you approach that conversation?
What they are checking: Whether they can address attendance without blaming the family and look for real barriers like transportation or work.
How do you set up a home program for a family that has limited time and several other children at home?
What they are checking: Whether they can make carryover realistic for the family's life, which drives outpatient results.
You're offered 8 or 10 hour shifts in a clinic that runs 7am to 5:30pm. How do you keep documentation current on a busy schedule?
What they are checking: Whether they have a real system for timely notes, since late documentation affects billing and care continuity.
A child becomes very upset and starts hitting during a session. What do you do in the moment and afterward?
What they are checking: Whether they keep everyone safe, de-escalate calmly, and use the episode to inform the plan.
About the work
This is an outpatient pediatrics OT role at St. John's. Walk me through your first visit with a five-year-old referred for handwriting and attention concerns.
What they are checking: Whether they structure an evaluation around function and family concerns and can keep a young child engaged through it.
Which standardized assessments do you rely on for pediatric outpatients, and when do you decide not to use one?
What they are checking: Whether they choose tools with purpose and know the limits of norm-referenced testing for some children.
How do you decide when a child is ready for discharge from outpatient OT?
What they are checking: Whether they discharge based on functional goals and family readiness rather than visit counts or habit.
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As published by HSHS.