Occupational Therapy (OT-GE)

This course introduces the newly accepted professional-level student in the field of occupational therapy, the Steinhart School of Education and to NYU. It is intended to help the student adjust to the demands and responsibilities of graduate professional education, as well as introduce basic concepts in occupational therapy.

Structure and function of the skeletal, muscular, nervous and circulatory systems. The course is given in lecture format and enhanced with models, slides, handouts, and videotapes.

Follows and complements the lecture material presented in the Fall semester. Students dissect human cadavers for the purpose of learning the skeletal, muscular, nervous, and circulatory systems.

Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology underlying occupational therapy theory and practice. A foundation in neuroscience to facilitate understanding of human performance as the culmination of the influences of multiple systems.

Introduction for occupational therapist to the practical and ethical methods of scientific inquiry including variable definition, formulating research questions and hypotheses, and proposing research designs for conducting studies. Refinement of skills for reviewing and critiquing the literature.

Provides foundation knowledge underlying occupational therapy practice for the formulation and use of conceptual practice frameworks. The course focuses on the theories supporting current and emerging areas of occupational therapy practice.

This lecture and laboratory course presents an in-depth examination of the therapeutic value of purposeful activity/occupation, with emphasis on activity analysis, synthesis, and gradation. The role of the teaching and learning process and its relevance to designing effective intervention is examined.

This course explores occupational therapy leadership in complex and diverse health care environments and integrates leadership theory with practice through topical readings,discussion, and guest presentations. Leadership theory, leadership competencies and the identification of emerging leadership opportunities and the development of a personal leadership philosophy and skills will be emphasized throughout the course.

Etiology, pathology, and sequela of selected medical, psychiatric, orthopedic, and neurological conditions that frequently necessitate occupational therapy intervention. Standard diagnostic systems and somatic treatments are reviewed.

Developing the professional behaviors necessary to be competent, ethical occupational therapists. Issues related to working in community healthcare arenas are addressed. Preparatory factors for fieldwork are addressed, including interviews for fieldwork placements.

This course provides students with information to transition from academic learning to clinical reasoning in varied fieldwork settings and practice arenas.

NYU students will learn traditional Israeli customs, traditions & lifestyles relative to health & disability. Students will learn about the arts & culture of Israel. We will study the practices of the region & compare them with the practices & impact of disability in the U.S.

This course explores how education, traditional Chinese health beliefs and practices impact the current health care, access and public transportation, and social welfare for individuals with disabilities in China. Students will explore and identify factors, which may influence a community’s view of disability. The course utilizes the reflective teaching model and experiential learning to enrich students’ understandings of the context.

Introduction to the variety of assistive technologies to students. Technologies covered include seating & wheeled mobility, environmental control, augmentative communication, computer access, & assistive technology for learning. Associated legislation & learning techniques will be discussed.

It should be noted that independent study requires a minimum of 45 hours of work per point. Independent study cannot be applied to the established professional education sequence in teaching curricula. Each departmental program has established its own maximum credit allowance for independent study. This information may be obtained from a student?s department. Prior to registering for independent study, each student should obtain an Independent Study Approval Form from the adviser.

This course examines literature and research findings for evidence that supports treatment of children and youth with autism in a variety of settings. Students’ clinical and educational experiences are used as a basis to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of intervention through a strength based lens.

Examine therapist’s perceptions that have an impact on therapy in the classroom and early intervention centers. Students will learn to identify strategies and methods that will assist in designing intervention plans that can be implemented in these settings. Research effective strategies for ensuring best practice in a wide variety of educational systems.

Examination of family centered care for families with special needs. Review theoretical approaches and explore the views and experiences of parents and other care providers. Evaluate the importance of the environment to clinical decision making and service delivery.

Clinical Management I: Bone and Joint Disorders of the Upper Quadrant

Essential to good clinical practice is the use of treatment strategies to the trajectory of recovery of physical function and ultimately occupational performance. This course will use a seminar, laboratory, and workshop model to explore the intervention processes for hand and upper limb nerve disorders that are traumatic or chronic in nature. This course will address nerve injuries in continuity that frequently present as cumulative trauma disorders between tendon and nerve involvement and the subsequent appropriate intervention strategies.

The seminar provides additional orientation and guidance to the school, the university, and the city, explores professional issues, and provides opportunities for students to enhance their writing, discussion, and presentation skills for the American classroom.

This course orients students to the profession of occupational therapy & its historical & philosophical development. The course examines activities & occupations in the contest in which humans engage & participate in them. Tools of practice, service delivery models, practice settings, & current issues that influence the profession are also examined. Concepts in this foundational course are taught via lecture, discussion, field experiences & lab practica.

Supervised full-time practice in various agencies and institutions in the New York area or elsewhere. Students gain and apply knowledge in a practice setting. Students are assigned caseloads that match individual learning needs. Students show initiative and respond appropriately to supervision. Students demonstrate ethical professional behavior. Students should demonstrate entry-level skill with the population to whom they have been assigned. Mandatory attendance is required at one academic seminar, for students affiliating within the New York area, during each student's initial Fieldwork II experience.

Supervised fieldwork oriented to the development of skills in occupational therapy evaluation and intervention through observation and practice. Clinical work, seminars, and independent projects.

Theory and practice of small group intervention and process in occupational therapy. Topics will include communication, small group formation, observation and recording, analysis, roles, leadership, group development, structure, use of activities, and therapeutic intervention. Lecture and laboratory.

Knowledge mobilization (KMb) is an interactive process involving exchanges between researchers who create new knowledge and those who use it. The focus of this course will be on the theory and application of knowledge mobilization with the goal of promoting evidence-based policy, practice, and research utilization. Using existing research data, students will develop culturally and contextually appropriate KMb products based on the needs of multiple stakeholders to disseminate knowledge and improve research uptake.

The role of the occupational therapist in relating maturational data from conception to old age to the practice of occupational therapy.

Students are introduced to the principles of biomechanics, joint kinematics, and muscle function, to enhance their understanding of normal human motion. Experiential lab sessions provide illustrations of these concepts as well as the opportunity to develop skill in assessing joint range of motion, muscle strength, and movement patterns.

This fieldwork course is designed to integrate academic learning with clinical practice. Students are assigned to two clinical placements during the course of the semester. The first assignment is for 8 consecutive Mondays & the second is for 8 consecutive days. Weekly seminars focus on discussing students’ experiences as well as clinical, ethical, & professional issues; & practicing clinical skills, problem solving, & documentation.

Fieldwork I in the spring semester as a continuation of Fieldwork I in the fall semester. Students integrate academic learning with clinical practice.

This course guides knowledge development as a professional consumer of research and as a contributor to the growth of the profession. Emphasizes practical applications of research foundations, and addresses methodologies for evidenced-based research, guidelines to facilitate students’ ability to critique published work, and ethical considerations and practices required for conducting research. Students identify a clinical research topic of interest, and develop a proposal to answer that question.

Students work closely with their research mentor in a small group format throughout the semester to complete a research study. Emphasizes hands-on experience and knowledge to conduct original research that will contribute to the growth of the profession. Faculty-mentored projects address various research methodologies used in occupational therapy for evidence-based research, ranging from database research (systematic reviews) to quantitative and qualitative study designs.

Employing a biopsychosocial model, various aspects of work and productive activities will be explored. Includes psychosocial issues, epidemiology, job analysis, an introduction to ergonomics, work hardening, and social legal issues relative to the world of work.

Occupational therapists have always and will continue to respond to the emerging needs of society. This course examines how changes in society and health care influence and expand the provision of occupational therapy services in nontraditional settings, explores the history of emerging practice in the profession and teaches students how to develop theoretically based programs or services for emerging practice opportunities.

This course reviews the etiology, pathology, and sequela of selected psychiatric and psychological conditions that frequently necessitate occupational therapy intervention. Standard diagnostic systems are reviewed.

Introduces administration of biomechanical evaluation of the upper quadrant, hand and selected other orthopedic conditions; documentation and interpretation of assessment findings; planning and implementation of biomechanical occupational therapy interventions; and fabrication of upper extremity orthocis for persons with physical dysfunctions. Integrates principles and procedures of therapeutic exercises, purposeful activity, independent living skills, and prevention as they contribute to overall performance areas.

The concepts and principles of rehabilitation, habilitation, compensation, and adaptation as they related to individuals with physical disabilities. Development of clinical reasoning to assess and intervene in the areas of activities of daily living, including environmental control: communication, and mobility using assistive equipment and technology. Rehabilitative concepts will be examined and practices as they apply to persons with selected diagnoses

Theoretical foundations underlying motor control related to the clinical application of various approaches to the assessment and treatment of clients with neuromotor dysfunction. Development of preliminary skill in assessment of motor behavior, selection of appropriate assessment tools and selection of treatment strategies to promote the client's occupation and role performance. Traditional and contemporary views of motor behavior - motor control, motor development, and motor learning will be presented.

Orientation to theoretical approaches addressing cognitive and perceptual dysfunction. Emphasis on problem identification: selection of appropriate assessment tools, establishment of goals, documentation and treatment planning for clients with various cognitive and perceptual deficits.

Application of evaluation and intervention methods in psychosocial occupational therapy practice. Screening, assessment, goal-setting, planning of intervention, implementation of intervention, and program planning in mental health settings. Therapeutic use of self, activity based treatment and clinical application of occupational therapy frames of reference. Major psychiatric disorders as clinical examples.

Principles and methods of evaluation, goal development, and intervention in pediatric practice in occupational therapy. Factors that influence pediatric practice and selected frames of reference will be discussed. Assessment and intervention methods will be demonstrated, applied, and discussed in laboratory sessions.

This course provides an overview of occupational therapists’ evaluation & intervention roles, & responsibilities related to working with older people in a variety of settings. Students will examine the influences of physical, social, cognitive, psychological, cultural, & societal functioning on occupational performance. Strategies to address age-related changes will be discussed. The political ramifications of aging are also addressed.

Overview of the health care delivery system and ethical, organizational, economic, and political issues influencing delivery of care which affect occupational therapy practice; includes ethics, advocacy, quality assurance, personnel relations, program development, and management of all aspects of occupational therapy services.

How theoretical information is formulated, refined, tested, and assessed relative to its suitability for use in sets of guidelines for occupational therapy practice.

The use of applied scientific inquiry to formulate sets of guidelines for occupational therapy.

Analysis of philosophical issues in occupational therapy with an emphasis on considering ethical dilemmas and sound arguments. Characteristics of analytic philosophy and techniques used in inquiry are explained.

This course will enable students to enhance their knowledge of upper extremities, neck, oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal cavities through live video demonstration of gross dissection, live discussion, and student asynchronous class preparation using selected video and other resources. The asynchronous preparation resources will include video enactments of clinical scenarios that are relevant to the synchronous topics dealt with in class.While this is not a treatment course, the participants will discuss the clinical relevance of the anatomical structures to basic clinical problems during live interactions with the professor.

This course focuses on examining a research-driven approach to pedagogy utilizing the principles of adult learning theory and best practices related to teaching and learning in the health professions. The course will allow for the development and improvement of the students’ instructionalskills from both a theoretical and practice-based understanding of excellence in teaching. All educational topics are considered through the lens of teaching as a scholarly practice as students develop a teaching portfolio that encompasses their teaching philosophy and practices.

This multi-disciplinary course allows students from a variety of backgrounds to work together to develop examples of assistive technology. Partnering with outside organization students will work in teams to identify a clinical need relevant to a certain clinical site or client population, and learn the process of developing an idea and following that through the development of a prototype product. The major learning activity is the design and fabrication of a device (piece of equipment, software, etc.) that meets a specific need for a specific person with a disability or a clinic that treats clients with disabilities or a category of people with similar needs as a result of their disability.

Students explore a range of assistive technology (AT) applications for school children with both high and low incidence disabilities impacting learning, physical access, cognition, and communication. This course emphasizes the integration of AT into effective instructional and therapeutic practices that improve learning and participation outcomes and is grounded in theory. Students review research on best practices for assessments and implementation of tech-based solutions. They explore the actual tools that provide access to learners.

Students will evaluate clinical literature and determine the evidence level of a clinical study, appraise the feasibility of applying such concepts in everyday practice, and design a program evaluation of their own practice using evidence-based approach. The course will emphasize the need for evidence based clinical practice and prepare students to obtain the knowledge and skills for future clinical effectiveness studies (e.g., participate in systematic review, data collections, or being a clinical trial coordinator).

This course introduces students to principles of evidence-based practice (EBP). Students learn to evaluate clinical literature, determine the evidence level of a clinical study, appraise study feasibility, and apply EBP concepts in everyday practice. The course emphasizes the need for evidence-based clinical practice and prepares students to obtain the knowledge and skills for future clinical effectiveness studies (e.g., participate in systematic review, data collection, or compile an evidence-based treatment guideline).

This course is designed to introduce occupational therapy students to the concept of leadership in complex and emerging practice environments. The course integrates leadership theory with practice through topical readings, reflection, discussion, and guest presentations. Students will develop a personal leadership philosophy to help guide their future leadership roles.

The course focuses on the selection and use of an evidence-based evaluation system to measure practice outcomes and interpret clinical change. This process requires selecting the tools for assessment of function based on achieved validity and to accurately interpret observations and measurements.

This is the first in a four-course sequence in which students create, assess and refine their portfolios. Portfolios are web-based and include performance observations, case studies, peer ratings, specialty certification, documentation of professional activities, publications, and presentation summaries. At the end of the program, students present their portfolio to a panel of faculty members. The portfolio must document how the student integrated knowledge and skills learned in the curriculum to his or her specialty practice area.

This is the second in a four-course sequence in which students create, assess and refine their portfolios. Portfolios are web-based and include performance observations, case studies, peer ratings, specialty certification, documentation of professional activities, publications, and presentation summaries. At the end of the program, students present their portfolio to a panel of faculty members. The portfolio must document how the student integrated knowledge and skills learned in the curriculum to his or her specialty practice area.

This is the third in a four-course sequence in which students create, assess and refine their portfolios. Portfolios are web-based and include performance observations, case studies, peer ratings, specialty certification, documentation of professional activities, publications, and presentation summaries. At the end of the program, students present their portfolio to a panel of faculty members. The portfolio must document how the student integrated knowledge and skills learned in the curriculum to his or her specialty practice area.

This is the fourth in a four-course sequence in which students create, assess and refine their portfolios. Portfolios are web-based and include performance observations, case studies, peer ratings, specialty certification, documentation of professional activities, publications, and presentation summaries. At the end of the program, students present their portfolio to a panel of faculty members. The portfolio must document how the student integrated knowledge and skills learned in the curriculum to his or her specialty practice area.

Doctoral seminar focusing on selection of an area of study for dissertation and review of the literature therein. Critical examination of scientific and philosophical issues related to student's areas of study.

Final integrating seminar for doctoral candidates. Major studies and current research of candidates, faculty, and invited scholars are evaluated.

The doctoral capstone is an in-depth experience designed to facilitate the development of advanced knowledge and skills in a concentrated area for a minimum of 14 weeks (560 hours). This in-depth experience may be in one or more of the following areas: clinical practice, research, scholarship, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development. Students participate in full-time supervised practice in an agency or institution. The doctoral capstone experience includes initiation and completion of a capstone project.

In this course students will gain knowledge and skills in conducting a needs assessment. The course will build on prior foundational coursework related to critical reflection, research methods, literature review, evidence-based practice, gathering and analyzing data, and report writing. Students will begin to collaborate with their capstone site mentor and will plan and conduct a needs assessment that is relevant to their capstone experience.

This course introduces principles of program development and evaluation to prepare students for designing their capstone project. Emphasis will be on students’ understanding and implementation of concepts and skills necessary for effective program design, implementation.

Course focuses on the development of the OTD capstone project proposal. Emphasis is placed on understanding and defining the relationship between elements in a scholarly proposal including the problem statement supported by the needs assessment, literature review, methodology, and knowledge translation (KT) sections. Students will develop culturally and contextually appropriate KT products, based on the needs of multiple stakeholders to disseminate knowledge gained from their Capstone project and facilitate uptake of their work.

he focus of the course is to guide students’ implementation and completion of their doctoral capstone project while on the Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE). The doctoral capstone coordinator (DCC) will deliver lectures, and serve as a resource and consultant to students, faculty and capstone mentors. The faculty mentor serves as a resource and consultant to the student on the doctoral capstone proposal that was developed in previous courses. Students will complete a final capstone report and disseminate outcomes of their capstone project at the end of the course.