Student Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this program, students will:

• Apply knowledge of occupational therapy history and development to enhance patient/client care and outcomes. Foster leadership, cultural awareness, and advocacy skills to support individuals, groups, and populations.
• Integrate current occupational therapy theories into professional practice and written work. Make clinical and ethical decisions informed by contemporary theories, models, and frameworks.
• Effectively use professional language and terminology to explain the occupational therapy process including, evaluation, treatment, and outcomes to the interprofessional team. Additionally, clearly articulate the value of occupational therapy to patients/clients, team members, and community members, promoting positive and collaborative relationships throughout these interactions.
• Understand the differences between diagnoses, medical conditions, signs and symptoms, and developmental milestones across individuals, groups, and populations. Analyze how these factors impact a person’s ability to participate in daily activities.
• Adhere to safety guidelines for conditions such as orthopedic injuries, heart conditions, and mental health challenges. Demonstrate the ability to use and teach clients of all ages, proper movement and body positioning techniques to prevent injury.
• Effectively analyze data from occupational therapy assessments to develop appropriate interventions. Students will follow standard procedures, evaluate evidence, and communicate the needs of patients/clients, groups, and populations to optimize outcomes.
• Demonstrate how to help clients regain independence and improve daily living skills through personalized occupational therapy. This involves understanding their unique needs, using various intervention strategies, leading group activities, providing training for safe movement and daily tasks, adapting environments with helpful tools, and applying assessment results to guide treatment. Throughout the process, build positive, collaborative relationships with clients to support their progress and well-being.
• Develop the skills to be a consumer and contributor to evidence-based occupational therapy practice and research. This includes creating clear research questions that identify specific populations, interventions, comparisons, and outcomes. Critically evaluate both quantitative and qualitative research for validity, reliability, and trustworthiness. Use this knowledge to design effective, customized intervention plans for specific populations, based on strong research evidence.