Occupational Therapy

This course of variable content will provide students with the opportunity to explore selected topics in occupational therapy under the guidance of occupational therapy faculty.

The course will explore the impact of conditions within and surrounding the client, i.e. contexts, and the environment, both physical and social, on meaningful engagement in life occupations. Students will explore the relationship between social and environmental barriers to inclusion and participation for individuals with disabilities. Students will research and use interventions including a wide range of assistive technologies (AT) and environmental adaptations that enhance independent function and participation. Finally, students will identify strategies to transform these barriers through the application of critical thinking, evidence-based research and leadership principles.

The goal of Level II Fieldwork is to further develop competent, entry-level, generalist occupational therapists under the supervision of a qualified occupational therapist. In this second Level II Fieldwork course, students will have the opportunity to integrate advanced didactic content with knowledge and skills from several previous fieldwork experiences. This final clinical experience will require students to demonstrate evidence-based critical thinking and clinical reasoning emphasizing occupational engagement in the context of an in-depth occupational therapy service provision experience.

This is the third in a three course series that will use research to foster evidence-based critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Building on the project from the previous semester students will prepare a professional written report and a formal scientific oral presentation of findings or outcome. The importance of research to building a professional body of knowledge will be revisited as students are required to highlight the application of their findings to occupational therapy. Furthermore the clinical application of their findings will reinforce the use of evidence to guide clinical thinking and reasoning.

This course will explore common upper extremity/hand injuries and evidence-based treatment interventions in support of client engagement in meaningful occupations. Study will include a review of anatomy, clinical evaluation of the UE/hand and interventions appropriate to each injury. Content will be presented through a combination of lecture and active, experiential learning with a strong emphasis on student participation, discussion and problem solving to develop critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Students will be expected to identify, palpate and perform learned techniques on each other and demonstrate competency and mastery of content.

This course provides a general overview of basic ergonomic principles and environmental adaptations in the home and work environment. It will describe symptomatology and interventions to promote meaningful engagement in and performance of work related occupations. It emphasizes a client-centered approach and client worldview to develop treatment plans, reflecting current evidence-based literature and best practice concepts.