Occupational Therapy Assistant

This course is an introductory course designed to provide a theoretical foundation through instruction on occupation-based models and frames of reference used in the profession of occupational therapy. Students will apply basic occupational therapy concepts such as activity analysis, gradation, and adaptation through the lens of foundational professional documents to understand concepts participation in occupation and the occupational therapy process.

This course will prepare students with the foundational skills required for the professional aspects of practice. Students will acquire basic knowledge related to evidence-based practice and occupational science. Students will also examine reimbursement systems, socioeconomic and sociopolitical systems, and professional organizations that impact the provision of occupational therapy services. Students will develop the essential communication skills required to effectively communicate with clients and caregivers, document occupational therapy services, and communicate inter- and intra-professionally.

The Level Ia fieldwork is the first of two level I fieldwork experiences designed to expose students to the practice of occupational therapy in a clinical setting and prepare for level II fieldwork experiences. Students will gain experience with the intervention planning, intervention implementation, and review of performance and outcomes aspects of the occupational therapy process. The intent of this experience is to build professional reasoning skills and develop beginning clinical and client interaction skills. Students will connect learning from didactic coursework with clinical situations and client interactions. Through this experience, students will gain knowledge and skills for success in future level I and level II fieldwork experiences. This fieldwork experience is taken in conjunction with the Psychosocial
Function in Occupational Therapy course and targets the psychosocial/behavioral health fieldwork experience.

(Practicum)

The Level Ia fieldwork is the first of two level I fieldwork experiences designed to expose students to the practice of occupational therapy in a clinical setting and prepare for level II fieldwork experiences. Students will gain experience with the intervention planning, intervention implementation, and review of performance and outcomes aspects of the occupational therapy process. The intent of this experience is to build professional reasoning skills and develop beginning clinical and client interaction skills. Students will connect learning from didactic coursework with clinical situations and client interactions. Through this experience, students will gain knowledge and skills for success in future level I and level II fieldwork experiences. This fieldwork experience is taken in conjunction with the Psychosocial
Function in Occupational Therapy course and targets the psychosocial/behavioral health fieldwork experience.

(Practicum)

This lecture/lab course includes theories, occupation-based models, and frames of reference associated with the provision of occupational therapy for pediatric and adolescent populations.  Students will explore the occupational therapy process and approaches from a pediatric practitioner perspective, including assessment and interventions.  This course if designed to allow students opportunities to apply skills in screening and evaluation processes, develop treatment plans, explore service provision, practice documentation, and analyze treatment effectiveness. The various settings, as well as roles and responsibilities of the COTA working with pediatric and adolescent populations will be examined.

This lecture/lab course includes occupational therapy theories, occupational performance impacts, common assessments, and intervention approaches for psychosocial disorders/dysfunction. Students will learn about processes for working with individuals, groups and populations by designing interventions to address occupational performance. This course is taken in conjunction with, and integrates learning from, the Level Ia fieldwork experience designed to immerse students in clinical approaches that address psychosocial function.

This lecture/lab course includes occupational therapy theories, assessment, and interventions commonly used in occupational therapy settings associated with physical rehabilitation. Skills from this course can be applied to individuals, groups, and/or populations with diseases and disorders impacting the physical body. This course is designed to allow students opportunities to develop professional reasoning skills and engage in the application of screening and evaluation, develop treatment plans, and explore service provision for clients with a variety of conditions impacting the biomechanical systems. This course also explores concepts in and the role of the occupational therapy assistant in health promotion and prevention.

This course is designed to promote deeper understanding of the occupational performance deficits that affect the older adult and geriatric population. This lab course will emphasize assessment, intervention, as well as remediation and compensation strategies for individuals, groups, and populations. Additionally, this course will focus on the need and the skills required for environmental modification as a part of the OT intervention process.

This course provides a seminar for guided student exchange on trends and issues of Occupational Therapy related to the Level II Fieldwork Experiences.  The rationale for this course is to further enhance the student in making the transition from student to professional by discussing topics relevant to our field of practice and to further prepare our students for the national board exam and licensure where applicable. This course is designed to assist students in examining the overarching integration of theory, practice, reflection, and professional reasoning required of an entry level OT practitioner.

This laboratory course is offered in the second year, fall semester, and focuses on hands on application of concepts learned in AHLT220R with a focus on the approach taken in physical therapy. Clinical neuropathology, introduction and application of motor control theory, motor learning, screening of the nervous system, and neurorehabilitation approaches to patient care are included.
This course draws upon concepts learned in AHLT 112R Clinical Conditions, AHLT 123R Clinical Kinesiology, AHLT135R Foundations in Rehabilitation, and OCTA 212R Physical Function in Occupational Therapy, as these courses introduced typical and atypical conditions that affect the nervous system of the human body.
 

This course is designed to build on and apply concepts from OCTA xxxR, Foundations for Professional Practice. Students will revisit skills to apply and disseminate findings from evidence-based practice literature syntheses. Students will utilize resources to apply principles from the AOTA Code of Ethics. Students will synthesize information from the first year of the OTA program and educate various relevant parties about the field of occupational therapy.

Psychosocial service agencies, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, community health care agencies, school systems and other human service facilities provide affiliating experiences for students enrolled in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. This practicum will enable the student to successfully integrate classroom learned material into the clinical area of practice. It is designed to assist the student in successfully developing the role of a therapist among clients as well as colleagues. It incorporates all OCTA first and second year courses as well as AHLC courses into practice. This is a course that is conducted in the field as a practicum.

Other Hours/Practicum: 18 (270 total clock hour fieldwork)

Psychosocial service agencies, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, community health care agencies, school systems and other human service facilities provide affiliating experiences for students enrolled in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. This practicum will enable the student to successfully integrate classroom learned material into the clinical area of practice. It is designed to assist the student in successfully developing the role of a therapist among clients as well as colleagues. As it incorporates all aspects of didactic training from OCTA and AHLT courses, it is an advanced practice course follow Level IIA OCTA 290R. It is expected that by the end of this fieldwork (practicum) experience that all students are executing themselves at entry level practice and prepared to sit for the national examination.

Other Hours/Practicum: 18 (270 total clock hour fieldwork)