Occupational Therapy (OT) is a profession concerned with promoting health and well- being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by enabling people to do things that will enhance their ability to participate or by modifying the environment to better support participation.
Occupational Therapy Programs In Ontario
Occupational therapy and physiotherapy professionals are in higher demand than ever before, helping an aging population live full and healthy lives, and working to help those with injuries recover their range of motion or those with physical disabilities. Occupational therapy, physiotherapy and rehabilitation programs at Ontario colleges prepare students for careers as assistants in these industries, providing the theory and hands-on lab training necessary for a successful career.
Occupational therapy and physiotherapy are very similar, and many programs will cover the fundamentals of both these areas. Courses in occupational and physiotherapy programs typically fall into three categories:
Recreational therapy (also known as therapeutic recreation or recreational rehabilitation) programs offer a different view on rehabilitation and therapy. These programs prepare students to organize and implement leisure activity programs for people with disabilities or impairments that prevent them from accessing traditional recreation and leisure programs in their communities.
Ontario college occupational therapy, physiotherapy and rehabilitation programs typically require an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, which includes a grade 12 English credit. Additional credits will vary, but may include a senior biology or a senior physics credit.
Opportunities for occupational therapists, physiotherapy assistants and recreation therapy assistants or program coordinators exist in a number of facilities and organizations, including (but not limited to):
Use the left-column navigation to refine your search by College, Program Availability, Program Start Date and more, or see the table below for a complete list of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and rehabilitation programs at Ontario colleges.
Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a multidisciplinary intervention forming the cornerstone of chronic respiratory disease management, improving individuals' exercise capacities and abilities to complete activities of daily living (ADLs). Although the occupational therapy (OT) scope of practice focuses on similar outcomes as PR, the tasks/roles and benefit of including OT in PR has not been reviewed. This scoping review synthesized the i) tasks/roles, ii) recommendations of guidelines, iii) prevalence and iv) effects of OT as part of PR programs. Searching of four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane), OT association websites, and hand searching was performed, and 51 records were included. The OT tasks/roles most reported include teaching energy conservation techniques (n = 23), addressing ADLs (n = 17), and assisting with breathlessness management (n = 10). Using the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement these tasks/roles were grouped into person (n = 16 unique tasks/roles), occupation (n = 6 tasks/roles), environment (n = 5 tasks/roles), and other (n = 3 tasks/roles) domains and were endorsed by two available practice guidelines addressing OT in PR programs. From 13 PR surveys across four continents, 17-92% of PR programs included OT. Inclusion of OT in PR resulted in positive effects on ADLs, pulmonary function, dyspnea, quality of life, and mortality. Although an increasing number of PR programs include occupational therapists in their multidisciplinary teams, there is a paucity of original studies and guidelines reporting on the tasks/roles and benefits of OT in PR. Further research is needed to clearly define the tasks/roles of OT in multidisciplinary PR teams and contributions to enhancing patient outcomes.
The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Bridge Program at Keiser University is designed to educate health care providers with COTA credentials to build upon their existing professional experience. In the course of completing the MSOT graduate degree, students in the program will develop managerial, program assessment, and client evaluation skills while expanding their leadership roles in the field of occupational therapy.
The mission of the Keiser University Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is to establish excellence in occupational therapy education, research, and scholarly activities. The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program will prepare graduates who will be well versed in cultural diversity and will provide evidence-based occupational therapy services locally and globally to diverse communities. The MSOT program prepares occupational therapy professionals as providers and leaders in the delivery of high quality, accessible, culturally competent care within a highly technological environment. The MSOT program promotes, expands, and validates scientific knowledge and evidence-based practice through interdisciplinary research. The MSOT program strives to meet the educational and support needs of a diverse student population and provide opportunities for minority and non-traditional students. Graduates of the program are eligible candidates for the National Board of Certification of Occupational Therapy examination. Under state guidelines passage of the certification exam enables the ability to become a licensed professional.
Dr. Christina M. Sanford, DrOT, OTR/L (Full-time faculty)Dr. Sanford attained a Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (DrOT) degree from Nova Southeastern University in 2014, and a Masters in Occupational Therapy from Nova Southeastern University in 2010. Her doctoral research focused on the use of chair yoga as a therapeutic medium in adults post-stroke. Dr. Sanford has experience treating young adult, adult, and geriatric populations with a wide variety of orthopedic and neurological problems in both inpatient rehabilitation and acute care settings. Dr. Sanford has been a board member of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Broward Health and is currently on the IRB at KU. She also has experience representing occupational therapy in numerous interdisciplinary disease-specific committees, including CVA, SCI, and TBI. Dr. Sanford has been teaching courses in the KU MSOT Program since 2016. Dr. Sanford is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the Florida Occupational Therapy Association (FOTA).
Dr. Nereida Ritz, OTD, OTR/L, LMT, C/NDT, CIMI (Full time faculty)Dr. Ritz has been an occupational therapist for over 33 years. She has worked in hospitals (acute care, subacute care, and outpatient), home health, school systems, hand therapy, geriatrics, and orthopedics. In the past 10 years she has focused on pediatrics including early intervention. Dr. Ritz received her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Spalding University. She is SIPT certified and certified in Neuro-Developmental Treatment. Her clinical and research interests are in pediatrics.
In Canada, like in other parts of the world, occupational therapy had its early beginnings when doctors started to prescribe moral treatment for patients in the late 1800's in TB sanatoriums and mental hospitals. Later, in fear of exploiting patients, activity was moved away from realistic work to classes in occupational rooms led by occupational workers.
Early occupational therapists recognized the need to establish an identity and some cohesion amongst themselves. They organized to promote occupational therapy to the medical profession and to the public. The Ontario Society of Occupational Therapy was inaugurated in October 1920. It was incorporated under Letters Patent in 1921 as the first professional association of occupational therapists in Canada. The head office of the Society was in Toronto, with branches in Hamilton, Kingston, London and Ottawa. His Honour the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario consented to act as the Honourary President. The Objects of the first Society were outlined at the first Drawing Room Meeting on October 4, 1921 at which there were 300 delegates. The objects were;
During the 1930s, Occupational Therapy progressed by including the vocational training, industrial therapy programs, and clinical workshops. These programs were set up to assist newly discharged patients to help them readjust and develop tolerance to work.
During the 1990s, there was an increase in the number of self-employed OTs, a continuing shift away from departmental organization in hospitals to program management/matrix management models, hospital restructuring across the province and increasing privatization of health care services including the divestment of therapy services from Home Care Programs. Ontario's auto insurance sector saw 3 reforms over this decade and private occupational therapy services targeted for this sector saw tremendous growth.
In 2002 the CAOT issued a position statement related to entry level educational preparation. Effective 2008, CAOT will only grant academic accreditation to those occupational therapy educational programs that lead to a professional Master's degree in occupational therapy as the entry credential.
Canadian Occupational Therapy Foundation supports research and scholarship in the field of occupational therapy. It is focused on generating, receiving and maintaining funds and developing mechanisms for granting awards to individuals and organizations for research and scholarships. Learn more
The Occupational Therapy Assistant program curriculum exposes students to traditional areas of practice where occupational therapy professionals deliver their services. These include, but are not limited to:
Yes! ACC's occupational therapy assistant program includes over 700 hours of field work which gives students the opportunity to demonstrate and reinforce the knowledge and skills they acquired learning hands-on throughout the training program. 2ff7e9595c
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