OT 570: OT CLINICAL PRACTICE WITH CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS

Course content includes opportunities for evidence-based assessment and intervention of children and youth (0-21 years). Content prepares the student for the application of critical reasoning within a variety of settings that offer services for this population. Experiences serve to synthesize the roles of occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and other health care providers in this arena. Topics include professional standards of practice, ethics, advocacy, outcomes assessment, ethics, liability, documentation, and reimbursement of services. Experiences also serve to critically analyze the influence of culture in the provision of care. Emphasis is placed development of professional competencies in the assessment and intervention. Evidence-based occupational therapy assessment and care for children and youth is synthesized in this course. Students in good standing with all 3rd semester coursework to date will be assigned a Level I Fieldwork experience in a pediatric/school system setting, which serves to enrich the didactic coursework through directed observation and participation in selected aspects of the OT process. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing practice environments (including rural contexts) for application of OT practice within communities, schools, and practice settings for children and youth.