Course Description

Trends in Occupational Therapy Practice

This course will explore how occupational therapy practice is changing to demonstrate innovative and emerging practice models as well as examining occupational therapy practice internationally. Students will reflect on which aspects of practice across different settings (e.g., clinical, military, community-based, etc.) are still salient despite changes in sociocultural and health care contexts. Special emphasis will be placed on “Occupation in Context”; understanding occupation in contexts and environments at the personal, physical, social, cultural, temporal, spatial, and virtual levels. Assignments will engender analysis of current and past occupational therapy practice to build a thorough understanding of the foundational tenets and trajectory of the profession.

Topics:

Innovative practice models (e.g., primary-care teams, interprofessional models), emerging practices (e.g., work participation, medication management, domestic violence), varied role of the occupational therapist, changes in terminology and practice patterns, shift to occupation-based interventions, differences between practice in the U.S. and international occupational therapy practice and preparing therapists to envision occupational therapy practice in the future.