Physical and Institutional Environment
The students • are made familiar with the fundamentals of the physical environment, which include all non-human aspects of the context. • learn to identify and analyse physical environmental factors using specific diagnostic instruments and observation. • learn to minimise barriers in the physical environments through individual adjustments such as the provision of aids or adaptive procedures. • are made familiar with the working principles and use of conventional aids for different areas of life and for overcoming environmental barriers, including assisted communication and provision of aids improving mobility, including but not limited to the wheelchair. • learn to use and apply aids such as the wheelchair from the perspective of both the user and therapist based on theoretical input and self-experience. • acquire fundamental knowledge of key institutions of the Austrian health and social sectors.
The students • learn to produce static and dynamic splints for different problems of hand therapy using different materials.
The students learn to perform selected steps of the occupational therapy process within the relevant frame of reference; observe, analyse and evaluate the performance of diagnostic systems and interventions in occupational therapy; practise and learn occupational therapy assessments, therapy concepts and treatment methods relevant to the specialist field; combine fundamentals of occupational therapy with specialist background knowledge with the aim to perform the steps of problem identification, goal definition and treatment planning under supervision; learn to document the progress of treatment; practise conducting consultations with clients and relatives; document at least 3 of 20 occupational therapy processes according to the specifications of the degree programme and FH-MTD-AV, Annex 14; are made familiar with working in interdisciplinary teams and become aware of their own role and the associated responsibilities; …
Internship Supervision and Reflection
The students • apply models of supervision based on their own experiences during the internship in groups and are supported in this process. • acquire knowledge about themselves and future therapeutic practice. • present and reflect on their experiences from the perspectives of professional methodology, social communication and professional ethics in writing and within the group • learn to deal with different issues from therapeutic practice in order to develop a professional identity. • learn to use the learning portfolio as an instrument for monitoring development and competence acquisition.
The students – perform activities themselves. – learn to design and vary activities (e.g. effort, degree of difficulty) geared to the target group – gather experience in the role of instructor and apply treatment principles of occupational therapy . – are familiar with selected occupational therapy concepts and can apply them in example scenarios. – document selected activities based on specific criteria. – further develop professional key qualifications and core competences, especially problem solving strategies, teamwork, cooperation and communication skills and proximity/distance behaviour. – are able to assess motor, process-related and social interaction skills based on specific criteria.
The students – learn to perform activities themselves. – learn to design and vary activities (e.g. effort, degree of difficulty) geared to the target group considering specific context factors in different settings – gather experience in the role of instructor and apply treatment principles of occupational therapy . – are familiar with selected concepts and can apply them in example scenarios. – document selected activities based on specific criteria. – further develop professional key qualifications and core competences, especially problem solving strategies, teamwork, cooperation and communication skills and proximity/distance behaviour. – are able to assess motor, process-related and social interaction skills based on specific criteria.
Treatment Principles and Competences 2
The students • deepen their knowledge about core competences of occupational therapy and treatment principles. • apply these skills in performing age-specific activities and instructing adults and old people.
Application of the Occupational Therapy Process in Neurology
The students • are able to analyse the occupational therapy process and its phases using patient examples (case examples, videos, therapy observations,…) and derive therapeutic priorities. • can define client objectives and are able to formulate and document them appropriately. • are able to draw up and reflect on patient reports as well as providing constructive feedback on observations/documentation.
Medical Fundamentals of Neurology and Neurosurgery
The students • know about causes, symptoms, course, pathophysiology, pathomechanics, medical intervention (conservative and surgical) and application of occupational therapy in the treatment of diseases and disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system of different genesis. • are made familiar with neurological condition (e.g. stroke, Parkinson’s, MS, craniocerebral injury, paraplegia,…) and neurosurgical injuries and conditions (spinal injuries, brain tumours, vascular diseases,…).
The students • gain an overview of selected key topics of clinical neuropsychology (e.g. neglect, pusher, unawareness, memory disorders, attentiveness disorders, apraxia, spatial and visual disorders, …) • acquire knowledge about neuropsychological diagnosis and treatment of disorders of higher brain functions following acquired brain damage. • gain an overview of practical activities of clinical neuropsychologists in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation and can link them to occupational therapy.
Occupational Therapy Process in Neurology
The students learn to perform the occupational therapy process (diagnosis, goal definition, planning and intervention) based on selected neurological conditions (e.g. stroke, Parkinson’s, MS, craniocerebral injury, paraplegia,…) and neuropsychological conditions (e.g. neglect, awareness, pusher syndromes, disorders of visual perception, apraxia, disorders of executive functions, disorders of spatial perception and cognition, attentiveness disorders, memory disorders,…) considering occupation-relevant components; are made familiar with specific assessments and can perform, evaluate and interpret them in principle; are able to describe the acquired therapeutic concepts (e.g. Bobath, Affolter, Perfetti, forced-use, mirror therapy,…) and apply them in principle; develop practical learning content (e.g. positioning, transfer, trunk mobilisation, shoulder mobilisation, fine motor training, sensitivity training, secondary prophylaxis, communication,…) …
Fundamental Models of Empirical Research
The students • are made familiar with different quantitative and qualitative methods of (occupational therapy) research. • apply these as part of a small research project. • learn to generate simple hypotheses and verify them using a suitable research design. • conduct empirical work to generate the required data. • learn to evaluate the generated data using appropriate methods, present them in writing in scientific form, discuss them and relate them to occupational therapy. • present the results in an adequate form
Professional English for Occupational Therapists 3
The students • learn appropriate and effective linguistic strategies for discussions held in English (polite to decisive agreement/disagreement, conveying messages, obtaining opinions, involving others, chairing a discussion, etc.). • apply these communicative skills in discussions on professional topics and in fictitious case discussions in multiprofessional teams. • learn to react to clients in English in relevant communicative situations (obtaining information, building trust, calming, giving instructions and recommendations in a polite manner, describing motor activities and bodily sensations, etc.) of the occupational therapy process in an appropriate and supportive manner • can name and describe occupational therapy aids in English
