HLSC344: Small Group Process for the Health Professional
The course focuses on the application group process theory to work within professional groups, as well as to therapeutic client groups. Theory, research and behavioral process basic to all groups are identified and their application in the professional use in health care small groups is observed, analyzed and synthesized. Emphasis is on role development, leadership skills, and promotion of decision-making and accountability as a member of professional groups and leader of therapeutic groups. Group process issues that affect health care delivery are explored. Health promotion with clients in small groups is a central goal.
This course reviews the biopsychosocial components of human growth and development and the occupational functioning of typically developing children from birth to age 9. The effect that impairment can have on children’s health, occupational development, and occupational participation is then explored. Methods of assessing children’s capacities to fully participate in their present and developing occupations including assessing the underlying performance skills and performance patterns that underlie competent occupational performance are studied and practiced. Intervention approaches designed to facilitate occupational participation and performance within the contexts of children’s social, physical, and cultural environments are introduced, studied and practiced. Models of health care, educational, and community practice are explored as they impact on occupational therapy service provision for children.
Students develop basic skills in movement and activity analysis/synthesis, clinical observation, interviewing, and assessment techniques. They also learn an evidence-based approach to selection of appropriate practice frameworks and intervention strategies. Students learn to design appropriate intervention plans and also study how to methodically select, modify and adapt intervention activities to promote the occupational participation and performance of children with disabilities. They learn to document assessment results, interpret assessment findings, set goals for intervention and plan appropriate intervention activities and strategies based upon assessment results. Student readings, assignments, class discussions and activities foster the integration of this knowledge with the students’ concurrent educational experiences in OCTR 506 (Fieldwork I Practicum Experiences: Facility/School or Hospital Based Programs) and OCTR 507 (Problem-based learning in Child Healthcare).
OCTR 506: Fieldwork I Practicum Experiences: Facility/School or Hospital Based Programs
Fieldwork I is an opportunity to begin to integrate academic learning with practice through directed observation and participation in selected aspects of the occupational therapy process in facility/school or hospital based settings. Students are assigned to individual occupational therapy supervisors who they observe in the supervisor’s clinical site. Students assist fieldwork supervisors in the therapeutic interactions with individual clients as appropriate. The focus is on the development of clinical observation skills and designing individualized occupation based sessions for clients. Fieldwork experiences are structured observations around the assignments provided by the instructors, with emphasis on developing basic professional behavior; meeting patient/clients with a variety of diagnoses and degree of dysfunction; identifying general rehabilitation goals and methods utilized to achieve these outcomes in their fieldwork placement; and actively engaging in the supervisory process. Students are expected to participate as fully as feasible in the fieldwork setting with the implicit understand that the sites needs must override their own.
OCTR507: Problem Based Learning in Childhood Healthcare
ThisProblem Based Learning (PBL) course facilitates learning through small group discussion and analysis of real-life clinical scenarios related to the developmental stage of childhood. Students engage in communication, collaboration, and clinical reasoning during the process of understanding the relationship between the person, environment, and occupations. Cases typically encompass not only a given diagnosis, but the impact of biological processes, environment and lifestyle on the individual, the community and society.
OCTR 510: Adolescence and OT Practice
This course reviews the biopsychosocial components of human growth and development, typical occupational roles, and environments of persons in the developmental stages from late childhood through late adolescence. Through the use of a client centered approach, students examine how children with and without disabilities weather the transition into adolescence and how adolescents with and without disabilities manage the transition into adulthood. Occupation-based methods of promoting healthy transitions and adaptation through adolescence into adulthood are studied, analyzed, and applied to typical adolescents and to adolescents with psychiatric and physical disabilities. Students continue to refine their skills in client-centered interviewing and goals setting, activity analysis, clinical observation, and evaluation administration and developing occupation-based group leadership skills.
Level I Fieldwork is required by the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education and includes those experiences designed to enrich didactic coursework connected with the adolescent developmental module with the Graduate Occupational Therapy Program. Level I Fieldwork is an opportunity for students to integrate academic learning about occupation-based group intervention with actual practice in developing and leading therapeutic groups for an assigned group of older children or adolescent clients. Students refine their skills in client-centered interviewing and goals setting, activity analysis, clinical observation, administering assessments, developing and leading occupation-based group leadership skills.
OCTR 512: Problem Based Learning in Adolescent Healthcare
This Problem Based Learning (PBL) course facilitates learning through small group discussion and analysis of real-life clinical scenarios related to the developmental stage of adolescence. Students engage in communication, collaboration, and clinical reasoning during the process of understanding the relationship between the person, environment, and occupations. Cases typically encompass not only a given diagnosis, but the impact of biological processes, environment and lifestyle on the individual, the community and society.
OCTR 636/637/638 Advanced Topics in Pediatric Occupational Therapy
In this series of courses, students have the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge and experience in a specialized area of child and adolescent occupational therapy practice. Students work in small groups to investigate and study the issues, related theory, and professional evidence based literature within their topic area. They are then provided with opportunities to support program development or the research process related to the specific practice issue(s) studied, analyzed and critiqued. Students observe related clinical/educational practice as appropriate and then work closely with faculty members and community clinicians/stakeholders to develop and create clinical/educational materials, assist professionals in program analysis or development, or participate in a clinical research study. Students also explore how their work may be extended for expanded OT practice or further research to support the everyday functioning of consumers. Students observe related occupational therapy practice as appropriate and work closely with faculty members and community clinicians/ stakeholders to develop and create clinical / educational materials, assist professionals in program analysis or development, or participate in a research study.
Students register for this series of courses over the course of one academic year to complete requirements for this advanced topics section of curriculum.
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