Mar 28, 2024  
Spring 2018 Catalog 
    
Spring 2018 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

OT 120 - Human Occupation Across the Life Span


Credit Hours: 3

Study of normal human growth and development to include physical, sensory, perceptual, cognitive, psychological and social components, as well as aspects of multi-culturalism. The course will correlate occupational performance areas, components and context to occupational therapy treatment process and activity analysis. Life role acquisition and competency will be stressed. Play and principles of play theory will be introduced.

Course Outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Describe and apply features of the Model of Human Occupation including:
    • concepts, principles, language;
    • application to studying human occupation across the lifespan; and
    • how it underlies the practice of occupational therapy.
  • Describe reflexes and automatic reactions in infants, children and adults including:
    • terminology;
    • ages of normal initiation and integration;
    • resultant movements, postures, and tones; and
    • relevance to occupation.
  • Explain how physical maturation is guided by the following principles:
    • cephalo to caudal;
    • proximal to distal;
    • medial to lateral;
    • mass to specific; and
    • gross-motor to fine-motor.
  • Apply Piaget’s theory of cognitive development to explain:
    • Development and integration of cognitive occupational performance components throughout the lifespan;
    • development and integration of occupation;
    • impairments, disorders, and disabilities; and
    • relevance to occupational therapy evaluation and intervention.
  • Apply Erickson’s theory of psychosocial development to explain:
    • development and integration of psychosocial and psychological;
    • performance-components throughout the lifespan;
    • development and integration of occupation;
    • impairments, disorders, and disabilities; and
    • relevance to occupational therapy evaluation and intervention.
  • Describe occupational performance areas (i.e. work and play) using occupational therapy-based and other relevant theories, including:
    • stages throughout the lifespan;
    • characteristics;
    • application to disability; and
    • relevance to occupational therapy evaluation and intervention.
  • Utilizing the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework describe the meaning and dynamics of occupation and activity, including integration of areas of occupation, performance skills, performance patterns, activity demands, contexts, and client factors across the lifespan;
  • Articulate the importance of balancing areas of occupation with achievement of health and wellness;
  • Articulate the influence of social conditions and the ethical context in which humans choose and engage in occupations;
  • Identify the impact of contextual factors (cultural, physical, social, personal, temporal, virtual) on the management and delivery of occupational therapy services;
  • Demonstrate knowledge of national and global social issues and prevailing health and welfare needs;
  • Demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of the role of sociocultural, socioeconomic, and diversity factors and lifestyle choices in contemporary society;
  • Identify the role and responsibility of occupational therapy practitioners to address changes in service delivery policy, to effect change in the systems, and recognize the opportunities for emerging practice areas;
  • Document occupational performance in an objective, behavioral, and measurable manner, based on observation, interview, survey, and assessment, utilizing terminology of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework; and
  • Administer non-standardized and non-formal evaluation methods (including skilled observation, interview, checklists, self-assessment) to describe theoretical concepts and principles of development that are relevant to occupational therapy.


Prerequisites: OT 101, OT 102
S (N)