Patricia Creighton H.B.K., MSc O.T. O.T. Reg. (Ont.) Occupational Therapy Anyone know in the classroom? Ideas? Patricia Creighton H.B.K., MSc O.T. O.T. Reg. (Ont.)

What is O.T.? Occupational therapy is the art and science of enabling engagement in everyday living, through occupation; of enabling people to perform the occupations that foster health and well-being; and of enabling a just and inclusive society so that all people may participate to their potential in the daily occupations of life (Townsend& Polatajko, 2007, p. 372). Allied Health Professional By definition... Break it down to key terms Build skills for the job of living and solves problems that intererfere with activities or occupations that are important to them. Develop or maintain abilities Goal is independence Allied Health Professional – Regulatory body to maintain practice standards, protect the public

Definitions Occupation refers to everything that people do during the course of everyday life. Self Care, Productivity & Leisure Occupations describe who we are. Can be: roles, tasks, activities Goal of an O.T. is to assist in enabling a person to perform such tasks, despite illness, injury or disease process, facilitate independence. This can be achieved through teaching, coaching, prescribing equipment, educating Self Care, Productivity and Leisure – theory breaks down occupations into 3 main categories

Canadian Model of Occupational Performance & Engagement Theory 3 components: Yellow is Person, Blue is Occupation, Green in Environment Keeping all components in mind during general practice

For example: Prescribe equipment or assistive technology to enable a young man live independently after sustaining a SCI Teach people who have had an elective THA or hip fracture to dress independently within hip movement precautions Consult in schools to assist children overcome fine motor, gross motor difficulties or prescribe sensory management strategies. Recommend home modifications to allow an older couple live in their home. Teach relaxation strategies or coping skills Broad spectrum. Physical & Mental health areas All of these jobs of an O.T. Involve detailed assessment and treatment sessions, using specific tools to assess or evaluate very specific skills

Where do O.T.s work? Settings can include hospitals, schools, community health centres workplaces, a client’s home (community practice) In each setting, O.T. has a different role, practice can look different with same guiding principles. Multi-Disciplinary Team ** Physical or Mental Health focus Can be an employee, independent practitioner, consultant Examples of role in each setting – hospital versus community practice Independent practitioner with own practice Community work – Physical versus mental health (ACT Team, in Patient psychiatry)

Educational Requirements 2010 Master’s level entry Undergraduate degree with post graduate master’s program – length can vary according to specific school program Part of education is 1000 hours of supervised fieldwork experience – Placements After graduation - CAOT Certification Exam Registration with Provincial Regulatory body (COTO) Professional Organizations Some schools have discipline specific pre-requisites for undergraduate degree to be accepted to Master’s level program Professional Organizations – OSOT, CAOT. Can be beneficial due to small size of allied health professionals.

O.T. Programs in Canada University of BC, Vancouver University of Alberta, Edmonton University of Manitoba, Winnipeg University of Western Ontario, London McMaster University University of Toronto University of Ottawa Queens University, Kingston McGill University, Montreal Laval University, Quebec City Dalhousie University, Halifax Bilingualism*

Want more info? www.caot.ca www.otworks.ca www.osot.ca pcreighton@kdh.on.ca

Resources Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (2007). Profile of occupational  therapy practice in Canada. Ottawa, ON: CAOT. Townsend, E.A. & Polatajko, H. J. (2007). Enabling occupation II: Advancing an    occupational therapy vision for health, well-being & justice through occupation. Ottawa, ON: CAOT