Occupational Therapy Lecture 1 - Introduction

Occupational Therapy (OT.511) - Lecture 1

• The lecture is an introduction to occupational therapy
• The instructor is Ass. Prof. Marian Magdy, Assistant Professor at MTI University
• The college's vision is for leadership and excellence among physical therapy colleges locally and regionally
• The college's mission is to prepare graduates for the local job market and capable researchers.
• The mission also aims to develop the profession, support community services, and develop the surrounding environment based on moral values and traditions.

Learning Objectives (ILOs)

• Describe the role of occupational therapy for hand skill dysfunction, regaining feeding abilities, activities of daily living, and playing activities.

Expectations

• Discussion of expectations and differences between OT and PT

What is Occupational Therapy?

• Occupational therapy is a health care type that addresses issues affecting daily tasks.
• These tasks include:
  • Self-care (e.g., dressing, eating, moving around)
  • Productive activities (e.g., work, school, community participation)
  • Leisure activities (e.g., sports, gardening, social activities)
• Occupational therapy can also prevent problems and reduce their impact.

Occupational Therapy (OT)

• OT uses goal-directed activities to promote independence.
• OT employs exercises, activities, strategies, and accommodations to develop needed skills for independence.
• OT interventions are focused on performance and applying adapted methods or assistive technologies to increase participation despite performance problems.

History of OT

• Occupational therapy emerged as a profession during World War I.
• It rapidly developed in English-speaking countries to address the need for rehabilitation of civilians and soldiers
• The World Federation of Occupational Therapy was founded in 1952 which has significantly improved educational programs in the occupation of Occupational Therapy.

Primary Goal of OT

• The primary goal is enabling individuals to participate in daily life activities.
• OT achieves this by improving an individual's ability to engage in desired/needed occupations directly or by modifying the environment or occupation itself.

Who are OT Practitioners?

• OTs are university-educated professionals who utilize their expertise to recommend preventive or corrective actions for a more productive, fulfilling life.

Skills and Training for OTs

• OTs are trained to understand the medical and physical limitations of a disability or injury.
• They also understand and consider the psychosocial factors that influence an individual's well-being.

Occupational Therapy Services

• Typically includes:
  • Individualized assessment to determine goals
  • Customized interventions to improve daily activities and achieve goals
  • Outcomes evaluation to track goal progress and adjust intervention plans

Where OTs work

• OTs work in various settings
• Community: Home care, private practices, health boards, mental health centres, clinics, halfway houses.
• Institutions: Hospitals, rehabilitation centres, nursing homes, mental health centres, correctional facilities, recreation centres.
• Other: Corporations, insurance companies, architectural firms, and various government levels.

OT Activities with Children

• Self-care (e.g., eating, dressing, using utensils)
• Hand-eye coordination (e.g., copying from a whiteboard, writing)
• Fine motor skills (e.g., grasping, using scissors, controlling pencil)
• Gross motor skills (e.g., jumping jacks, strengthening for sitting)
• Sensory responses (e.g., addressing sensory processing issues)

OT Interventions

• Analysis of child behaviour and performance: Evaluating the child's performance.
• Determining the effect of impairment and environment: Analyzing how impairment or environment affects performance.
• Identifying suitable occupations for the child: Identifying the types of occupations that are meaningful for the child.
• Understanding the context of these occupations: Analyzing the context surrounding the child and their occupations.
• Identifying performance discrepancies: Comparing performance and activity demands.
• Analyzing interrelationships: Understanding the relationships between environments, occupations, and people.

Future Steps

• Question and Answer session