Students entering into and engaged during the full course of the Occupational Therapy Program must possess essential skills (observation, communication, motor function, intellectual-conceptual abilities, integrative and quantitative abilities, and behavioral and social attributes) to perform all educational (classroom, virtual, laboratory, and clinical), fieldwork, and experiential preceptorship tasks in an accurate, safe, and efficient manner, to the satisfaction of the faculty, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Observation
- Normal or corrected visual ability sufficient for client observation and assessment to ensure safety and accurate measurement.
- Ability to obtain information from written documents, videotaped data, graphic images and measuring devices accurately and within a reasonable time frame.
- Ability to sufficiently monitor and assess health needs of clients.
Communication
- Interact with others in a professional, courteous, and collaborative manner while using good judgment for confidentiality.
- Demonstrate respect for the dignity of each person.
- Maintain integrity in word and deed with others.
- Read, speak, and write in English effectively using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Motor Function
- Assume a variety of body postures that can include continuous sitting, standing, walking, bending, reaching, pulling, lifting, stooping, kneeling, and crawling.
- Demonstrate manipulation skills to effectively carry and use therapeutic equipment (i.e. assistive devices, weights).
- Demonstrate movement and mobility skills that are required for safe handling of persons of various sizes in order to perform safe transfers and guarding during functional mobility with and without an assistive device.
- Pushing and pulling in order to provide resistance for the purposes of maneuvering and transitioning persons such during bed mobility, using a wheelchair, and for sitting and standing balance activities.
- Demonstrate eye-hand coordination, postural control, strength, endurance, and integrated function of the senses (vision, hearing, smell, and touch) during the therapeutic process.
Intellectual-conceptual Abilities
- Demonstrate verbal and written insight into one’s own academic and clinical performance.
- Demonstrate the mental capacity to understand, problem-solve, and make judgments in order to promote ethical reasoning.
- Demonstrate the ability to collect, document, and analyze evaluation data and implement client-centered and occupation-based interventions.
Integrative and Quantitative Abilities
- Demonstrate the mental capacity to understand, problem-solve, and make judgments in order to promote safety.
- Intellectual capacities to measure, evaluate, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize information specific to client care.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply information learned from the classroom to a therapeutic practice environment.
- Demonstrate the ability to use online databases and online discussion boards, as well as the ability to use a computer to complete forms, reports, and papers.
Behavioral and Social Attributes
- Demonstrate mature and professional behaviors with other students, faculty, colleagues, and clients.
- Be receptive and open to mentor feedback about academic or fieldwork performance and adherence to academic and fieldwork policies and procedures.
- Establish and maintain a therapeutic relationship with clients.
- Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with others.
Students should review the Technical Standards for the MSOT program carefully and identify if additional supports are needed for any portion (didactic and clinical) of the MSOT program. Students are encouraged to contact the Student Accessibility Services Office (215-646-7300 extension 21427) to arrange an individualized consultation to discuss any support services or accommodations they may need. Student Accessibility Services is located within Counseling Services in The Griffin Complex, 2nd-floor window hallway of Rotelle Lounge.