Revised 8/2023

OCT 100 - Introduction to Occupational Therapy (3 CR.)

Course Description

Introduces the concepts of occupational therapy as a means of directing a person's participation in tasks selected to develop, maintain or restore skills in daily living. Examines the role of the assistant for each function of occupational therapy, and for various practice settings in relationship to various members of the health care team. Lecture 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the rich history and the theoretical and philosophical foundations of occupational therapy. The course is also intended to introduce students to the major concepts of the profession including occupation and occupational science, the occupational therapy domain and process, and to introduce students to the roles, functions, and supervisory regulations of occupational therapy assistants across various practice settings. 

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisite: Admission to the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

  • Apply knowledge of occupational therapy history, philosophical base, theory, and sociopolitical climate and their importance in meeting society’s current and future occupational needs as well as how these factors influence and are influenced by practice. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.3.1)
  • Understand concepts included in the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) documents Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and AOTA Standards of Practice. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.7.1)
  • Promote occupational therapy by educating other professionals, service providers, consumers, third-party payers, regulatory bodies, and the public. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.7.3)
  • Explain to consumers, potential employers, colleagues, third-party payers, regulatory boards, policymakers, and the general public the distinct nature of occupation and the evidence that occupation supports performance, participation, health, and well-being. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.3.3)
  • Demonstrate knowledge of and apply the interaction of occupation and activity, including areas of occupation, performance skills, performance patterns, context(s) and environments, and client factors. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standards B.3.2)
  • Demonstrate knowledge of scientific evidence as it relates to the importance of balancing areas of occupation; the role of occupation in the promotion of health; and the prevention of disease, illness, and dysfunction for persons, groups, and populations. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.3.4)
  • Understand and articulate care coordination, case management, and transition services in traditional and emerging practice environments. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.4.20)
  • Describe the basic supervision regulations of an OTA in the profession of occupational therapy. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.5.8)
  • Define the process of theory development and its importance to occupational therapy. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standards B.2.2)
  • Apply scientific evidence, theories, models of practice, and frames of reference that underlie the practice of occupational therapy to guide and inform interventions for persons, groups, and populations in a variety of practice contexts and environments. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.2.1)
  • Understand the role of the Occupational Therapy Assistant, the basic roles of the members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team, including specialists, and the concepts of intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.4.24)
  • Explain the role and responsibility of the practitioner to advocate for changes in service delivery policies, effect changes in the system, recognize opportunities in emerging practice areas, and advocate for opportunities to expand the occupational therapy assistant’s role. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.5.2)
  • Define the systems and structures that create federal and state legislation and regulations, and their implications and effects on persons, groups, and populations, as well as practice. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.5.4)
  • Understand the principles of teaching and learning in practice and in preparation for employment in an academic setting. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.6.6)
  • Understand key OT concepts including clinical reasoning, occupation and balance of occupations, occupational therapy process and domain. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standards B.4.2, B.3.4, B.4.28)
  • Experience and reflect on community mobility difficulties that clients might encounter. (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.4.14)

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Introduction to the profession’s history, code of ethics, core values and attitudes, theoretical (frames of references and models), occupational science, and philosophical foundations and impact on current practice.
  • Developmental tasks, common diagnoses, common settings, and common interventions across the lifespan (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.1.1)
  • Supervision regulations of an OTA.
  • Professional organizations and policy implications for OT
  • Roles and functions of an OTA in various areas of practice and relation to other members of the healthcare team.
  • Professional behaviors – communication
  • Interviewing skills
  • Emerging practice areas; prevention and wellness in OT
  • Heath literacy, prevention and wellness
  • Review of sociological concepts (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standards B.1.1 and B.1.2)
  • Collect, organize, and report on data (aligns with 2018 ACOTE standard B.4.6)