1. 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.)

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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.

8. 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*

9. Want more info? www.caot.ca www.otworks.ca www.osot.ca

10. 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