Who is Occupational Therapy Student (OTS)?

"During the doctoral capstone experience (DCE) and project, the students self-direct their learning, improve the synthesis of in-depth knowledge, and apply their learning throughout the experience and project. The doctoral capstone includes disseminating the project, which relates to the experience and demonstrates the synthesis of in-depth knowledge gained through the doctoral capstone experience and project. In addition, the DCE supports student learning through advanced preparation courses that further develop their professional identity, self-directed learning, writing skills, and development of a project to meet the needs of a site, community, or population. (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020)."

I will be graduating in May 2023 with my doctorate in Occupational Therapy. I want to thank you for helping me progress my education in your school.

Who is an Occupational Therapist?

"Occupational therapy is defined as the therapeutic use of everyday life occupations with persons, groups, or populations (i.e., the client) for the purpose of enhancing or enabling participation. Occupational therapy practitioners use their knowledge of the transactional relationship among the client, the client’s engagement in valuable occupations, and the context to design occupation-based intervention plans. Occupational therapy services are provided for habilitation, rehabilitation, and promotion of health and wellness for clients with disability- and non–disability-related needs. These services include acquisition and preservation of occupational identity for clients who have or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability, activity limitation, or participation restriction (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2023).”

What is Occupational Therapy in a school setting?

"School-based occupational therapy practitioners are occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) who use meaningful activities (occupations) to help children and youth participate in what they need and/or want to do in order to promote physical and mental health and well-being. Occupational therapy addresses the physical, cognitive, psychosocial and sensory components of performance. In schools, occupational therapy practitioners focus on academics, play and leisure, social participation, self-care skills (ADLs or Activities of Daily Living), and transition/ work skills. Occupational therapy’s expertise includes activity and environmental analysis and modification with a goal of reducing the barriers to participation. (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020).

Topics:

Physical

Cognitive

Psychosocial

Sensory components of performance

Transition/ work skills

Activities of Daily Living (ADL):

Academics

Play and leisure

Social participation

Self-care skills