Unit rationale, description and aim
The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) currently defines occupational therapy as a “client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement” (World Federation of Occupational Therapists, 2013, p. 3).
This unit introduces students to the role, terminology and key concepts of occupational therapy including the type of occupations and the relationship between participating in occupations and health. Students will begin to develop therapeutic skills needed to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with clients to identify and achieve their goals. Students will also develop skills in professional reasoning and processes occupational therapists use with people and communities to overcome barriers and enable them to meaningfully participate in the activities they want and need to perform. The unit is practical and interactive and will enable students to develop foundational occupational therapy skills and commence their professional practice education.
The overall aim of the unit is for students to develop an introductory understanding of the key foundational concepts, terminology and skills for occupational therapy practice.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Understand evidence-informed occupational therapy ...
Learning Outcome 01
Evaluate self-care, productivity and leisure occup...
Learning Outcome 02
Analyse occupational performance and understand th...
Learning Outcome 03
Demonstrate professional behaviours and communicat...
Learning Outcome 04
Reflect and evaluate their own professional practi...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
Introduction to occupational therapy theory and practice
- History of occupational therapy
- Understanding humans as occupational beings
- Family of Participation Related Constructs
- Occupations across the lifespan
- Self-care
- Productivity
- Leisure
- Impact of health conditions and disability on participation in occupations
- Identifying barriers and enablers to participation in occupations
- Reflective practice
- Introduction to evidence-based practice
- Introduction to occupational therapy practice process frameworks
Communication
- Effective communication
- Interprofessional practice
- Planning and conducting a client interview
- Person centred practice
- Establishing a therapeutic relationship
- Stages of therapeutic relationships
Activity and occupational performance analysis
- Principles of analysing activities, occupations and occupational performance
- Observation skills
- Activity performance in an occupational context
- Activity and environmental adaptations
- Activity grading
Facilitating occupational performance
- Professional reasoning
- Goal-setting
Practical skills for professional practice placement
- Introduction to manual handling
- Mobilising in a wheelchair and using mobility aids
- Hand hygiene
Professional behaviour and ethics
- Ethical and professional behaviour for professional practice
- Developing skills for lifelong learning and professional practice
- Team functioning: Multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary practice
- Mandatory requirements for professional practice
Time Use
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks for this unit are linked in a developmental sequence.
Assessment 1 engages students through a multiple choice quizz and provides early formative feedback about key concepts and language.
Assessment 2 focuses on the acquisition of professional communication and self-reflection skills, relating the concepts of occupation to an individual. This assessment evaluates necessary foundational professional occupational therapy skills.
Assessment 3 moves the emphasis from acquisition and focuses instead on the understanding and application of occupational performance analysis by means of a small group collaboration and oral presentation.
Professional practice will be assessed on the student’s professional conduct, effective communication with clients and co-workers, and evidence of reflective practice.
Overview of assessments
Assessment 1 Multiple Choice Quiz To test knowled...
Assessment 1 Multiple Choice Quiz
To test knowledge of key concepts and terminology relevant to the occupational therapy profession
15%
Assessment 2 Written assignment based on intervie...
Assessment 2 Written assignment based on interview
Enables students to demonstrate their introductory ability to plan an interview, apply interview skills, analyse information gained from an interview, evaluate occupations and reflect on their own performance.
50%
GRADED HURDLE
Assessment 3 Group oral presentation Enables stud...
Assessment 3 Group oral presentation
Enables students to work collaboratively to demonstrate their ability to understand and apply the principles of occupational analysis and consider the therapeutic potential of an occupation.
35%
Hurdle 1 – Professional practice requirements/eli...
Hurdle 1 – Professional practice requirements/eligibility
Pass/fail
Hurdle 2 - Evidence of completion of professional...
Hurdle 2 - Evidence of completion of professional practice hours, submission of timesheet and reflection
Pass/fail
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit enables first year students to acquire, understand and then apply the key occupational therapy practice knowledge and skills. The unit fosters student-centred active learning and accommodates diverse student needs. It includes a combination of self-paced, online learning and real-time classes. Early and additional feedback on learning, and tailored support, are provided to facilitate students’ transition to university.
Opportunities for experiential learning and professional placement experience enables students to integrate theory and develop occupational therapy skills relevant to professional practice. Students will be expected to develop their independent academic skills and to participate actively in individual and collaborative group activities. This learning strategy has been chosen to prepare first year students for the development of the academic and profession-specific knowledge, skills and values required to become an occupational therapist.
In this unit students will commence their professional practice experience. Students will complete mandatory pre-placement requirements to prepare them for professional practice placements. Students will link theoretical knowledge to the occupational therapy context by conducting interviews and exploring adaptation to occupation using assistive technology. Students will have the opportunity to observe occupational therapy practice.
Australian Occupational Therapy Competency Standards (AOTCS) 2018
Australian occupational therapy competency standards (AOTCS) 2018 developed within this unit are: