Course Description:

Students will study normal human development and common disabilities related to childhood from birth through adolescence. Occupational Therapy (OT) domain and process will include theories for intervention and practice evidence.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify major components of normal for fine motor, gross motor, visual perceptual, auditory perceptual, visual motor, sensory, psychosocial, cognitive, emotional, and play development.

• Name and explain the sequential stages of normal motor planning or praxis development.

• Recognize newborn and baby reflexes with their presence in persons with neuromotor disabilities.

• Describe variations and types of muscle tone.

• Recognize models of service delivery especially educational vs. medical models in pediatric OT with priorities for types of intervention with the necessity to prioritize interventions based on workloads and schedules.

• Identify popular models of practice used to implement treatment in the pediatric population including but not limited to sensory integration and neurodevelopmental treatment.

• Identify public laws that mandate the practice of OT in pediatrics and understand the responsibility of the OT practitioner to practice and advise accordingly.

• Identify the etiology, symptoms and conditions of common congenital diseases/disabilities which should include but not limited to mental retardation, visual and auditory sensory impairments, learning disabilities, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, etc. that may alter occupational performance.

• Identify etiology, symptoms and conditions of common acquired disabilities which may include but not limited to spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury/drug induced conditions that may alter occupational performance.

• Transfer knowledge of occupational therapy domain & process with competency in written quizzes, exams, assignments, and informal class time verbal responses.

• Correctly identify self as an occupational therapy student and future occupational therapy assistant vs. occupational therapist.

• Select tests and measurements used to assess various ages and diagnoses of pediatric clientele.

• Reference development skill sets with chronological age averages to understand the sequence of development.

• Demonstrate professional behaviors in class as outlined in the Code of Ethics section of the Student Handbook and maintain attendance and participation standards.

• Demonstrate the knowledge and judgment of when and how to refer to specialists, other educational/medical personnel and/or community programs.

• Demonstrate the knowledge and judgment of when to request additional supervision of pediatric supervison from an occupational therapist.

• Identify treatment interventions, positioning, and compensatory strategies and techniques to improve oral motor functioning and feeding.

• Describe safe and unsafe situations in OT pediatric contexts.

• Describe how occupational performance is affected by psychosocial family dynamics and OT treatment intervention.

• Recognize criteria for whether tests and measures are standardized or non-standardized.

• Identify specialists and other educational/medical personnel that work with the pediatric population alongside occupational therapy and understand the referral process, collaborative interventions, and consultative opportunities.

• Demonstrate an understanding of how environmental influences such as sociocultural, socioeconomic, diversity, involvement in volunteerism, lifestyle choices of family’s impact occupational performance in the pediatric population.

• Recognize the role and education of various medical personnel who may be involved with pediatric patients.

• Utilize data bases or websites to obtain statistics, data, and other information about associations, companies, special interest groups, and/or theories/frames of references that would benefit an occupational therapy practitioner working with a pediatric population.