OTAS 101 - Foundations and Theory in Occupational Therapy

 

MAJOR COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES: MAJOR COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will:

1. Define/describe occupational therapy (OT) and the value of occupational therapy in dealing with health, social, and fundamental occupational problems/deficits (including OT’s viewpoint on the human body, development, disease process, and human behavior) to a variety of audiences [B.1.1; B.2.1; B.2.6].
2. Define and describe key occupational therapy terms (i.e., occupation, occupation-centered, activity, purposeful activity, meaningful activity, therapeutic, etc.) and identify significant people, philosophies, and values in the early development of Occupational Therapy (OT) that helped shape and influence past and present evidence-based practice (i.e., how therapists uniquely use and meet occupational needs/goals) [B.2.2; B.2.3; B.2.4].
3. Identify, define, and describe the historical and philosophical roots of occupational therapy with reference to ethics and values foundational in past and present practice [B.2.2; B.2.10].
4. Identify and define various key OT theories and frames of reference that have been foundational to the development of OT and how they apply to practice [B.2.1].
5. Demonstrate knowledge of how OT uniquely addresses function using occupation and demonstrate knowledge of and apply the interaction of occupation and activity, including areas of occupation, performance skills, performance patterns, context, and client factors [B.2.3].
6. Demonstrate ability to explain to the community of interest the distinct nature of occupation (i.e., evidence that occupation supports performance, participation, health, wellness, and well-being, etc.) as well as OT’s role in health and wellness promotion and prevention [B.2.4; B.2.5].
7. Demonstrate knowledge of the current published American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and the AOTA Standards of Practice and use them as a guide for ethical decision making in professional interactions, client interventions, employment settings, and when confronted with personal and organizational ethical conflicts [B.2.10]. 
8. Explain how a client’s needs, value, and culture affect the treatment process and participation in various treatment settings; Describe, apply, and analyze the role of sociocultural, socioeconomic, and diversity, equity, and inclusion factors, as well as lifestyles in contemporary society to meet the needs of persons, groups, and populations [B.1.2].
9. Demonstrate knowledge of social determinants of health, as well as factors and lifestyle choices that impact public health and welfare. [B.1.3].
10. As part of the commitment to personal and professional responsibility, locate, retrieve, and demonstrate understanding of key documents in OT literature (i.e., American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics, Standards of Practice, Guidelines for Supervision, OTPF-4, etc.) used in OT practice [B.2.9; B.2.10, B.2.11; B.5.1].
11. Explain the distinct roles, academic training, licensure requirements, and supervisory process of an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) and a registered occupational therapist (OTR) as defined in the Guidelines for Supervision, Roles, and Responsibilities During the Delivery of Occupational Therapy Services (AOTA, 2020); define effective, competency-based legal and ethical supervision of occupational therapy assistants and non-occupational therapy personnel [B.4.9].
12. Demonstrate knowledge of applicable national requirements for credentialing and requirements for licensure, certification, or registration consistent with federal and state laws [B.4.5].
13. Describe/identify areas of occupational therapy practice, work settings (including emerging treatment areas), practice populations, and personal and professional responsibilities and roles of OTAs [B.2.9].
14. Identify direct and indirect service functions of occupational therapy personnel, as well as other team professionals an OTA may encounter including Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Nursing, Speech Therapists, Audiology, Therapeutic Recreation, and aides; be able to explain OT’s unique role using occupation in the promotion of health and wellness and disease prevention that differs from other practitioners [B.2.4; B.2.5; B.2.6].
15. Identify the importance of collaboration and professionalism (i.e., intra-/interprofessionalism) with clients, caregivers, and other health care professionals [B.3.21; B.3.22].
16. Understand the role of professional prescribing occupational therapy and various referral/screening processes utilized in different settings; demonstrate understanding on which practitioner/service is appropriate for referral [B.3.17].
17. Explain the role and responsibility of the practitioner to advocate for occupational therapy in various settings and contexts {B.4.2].
18. Describe the occupational therapy process and the role of the OTA in evaluation (referral, screening, interview, observation, and formal assessment).
19. Demonstrate understanding of activity analysis; demonstrate ability to apply principles in areas of occupation, performance skills, performance patterns, context, and client factors to implement the intervention plan [B.2.3; B.2.7].
20. Describe occupation-based practice and how OTAs use activity in a therapeutic context to support performance [B.2.3].
21. Describe how balance among performance areas contributes to health and wellness [B.2.5] and how occupational performance is affected by the disease process [B.26].
22. Identify, discuss, and begin practice of professional behavior (i.e., personal and practice skills, therapeutic use self, professional reasoning skills, etc.) and incorporate into appropriate interactions and behavior with others [B.2.10; B.3.1; B.3.2; B.3.21; B.3.22].
23. Outline the concepts of the intervention process using the Person-Environment-Occupation Performance (PEOP) Model (Baum, et al., 2015) [B.2.1].
24. Demonstrate competency of basic medical terminology adopted and utilized by the OT profession; begin demonstration of skills for analyzing and correlating activities with patient needs, occupation-centered interventions, and goals in mind using this common terminology [B.3.6].
25. Explain the importance of using psychometrically sound assessment tools when considering client needs, and cultural and contextual factors [B.3.3].
26. Discuss the importance of the use of evidence in treatment and how scholarly activities and literature contribute to the development of the profession [B.5.1].
27. Understand how quantitative and qualitative research studies inform occupational therapy practice [B.5.3]. 
28. Demonstrate beginning knowledge of the use of technology in practice, including a basic understanding of the use of electronic documentation systems (i.e., EMRs) and therapy provision in a virtual environment, such as telehealth [B.3.18].
29. Identify the importance of collaboration (intra-/interprofessionalism) with clients, caregivers, and other health care professionals [B.3.21; B.3.22].
30. Demonstrate skills and abilities in oral and written communication with any/all stakeholders [B.3.21].
31. As part of the commitment to personal and professional responsibility, students will create and implement a plan to address individualized personal and professional responsibilities (i.e., a Professional Development Tool, or PDT, etc.) with all required elements [B.2.9].

 

COURSE CONTENT: Topical areas of study include -

COURSE CONTENT: Establishes a philosophical base for subsequent coursework by introducing and examining basic concepts to the study/history of occupational therapy.

Topical areas of study include the following:

• History/Foundations of Occupational Therapy (OT) as a science and profession, including an overview of key terms used in occupational therapy.
• Medical Terminology overview and practice with OT-specific language utilized in various settings.
• Practice Areas/Settings/Roles within OT; roles and functions of various practitioners in OT field & associated disciplines.
• Professional Responsibilities of an OTA (skills, values, ethics, and education/advocacy responsibilities, etc.) with review of essential OT-practice documents.
• Skills required for exceptional evidence-based practice, including an overview of technical, personal, performance, practice, intra-/interprofessional, advocacy/leadership, clinical, documentation, communication, collaboration, and therapeutic skills.
• Social determinants of health; cultural diversity influence.
• Sociocultural, socioeconomic, and diversity, equity, and inclusion factors, as well as lifestyles.
• OTA’s role in the OT Process (evaluation/screening, assessment, screening, treatment/intervention, discharge planning, etc.) using PEOP model.
• Essentials of evidence-based practice (client and occupation-centered, use of skills and evidence, etc.).