OCCTH 3007 - Enabling Change: Children and Families

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2024

In this course students will be introduced to cases relative to children, adolescents and families. Students will describe, evaluate and apply the principles of assessment, therapy and case management for children relating to common childhood conditions, challenges or barriers to occupational engagement and participation in community life. Principles of family centred practice are applied in occupational therapy practice contexts.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code OCCTH 3007
    Course Enabling Change: Children and Families
    Coordinating Unit Sch of Allied Hlth Sci & Prac
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 6
    Contact Up to 9 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites HLTH SC 2401
    Restrictions Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Hons)
    Assessment Examination, assignment and continuous assessment tasks
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Daniel Costalonga

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 Apply specialist knowledge to support children with occupational performance issues in their occupational participation.
    2 Analyse and apply assessment principles for designing a management plan for children with occupational performance issues.
    3 Apply appropriate intervention strategies to effectively address the problems restricting occupational participation of children with occupational performance issues.
    4 Communicate occupational therapy intervention plans clearly and coherently for clients in the community and in a variety of professional and social contexts.
    5 Reflect on cultural responsiveness and working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
    6 Design, facilitate and evaluate occupationally focused group experiences using principles and processes of occupational analysis and group dynamics.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1, 2, 3, 4

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    1, 2, 3, 4, 6

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    3, 6

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    5, 6

    Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency

    Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.

    5

    Attribute 7: Digital capabilities

    Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.

    4

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    4, 5, 6
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    O'Brien, J. C., & Kuhaneck, H. (2019). Case-Smith's Occupational Therapy for Children and Adolescents (8th Edition). Elsevier Health Sciences (US)
    Recommended Resources
    Rodger, & Kennedy-Behr, A. (2017). Occupation-centred practice with children : a practical guide for occupational therapists (Rodger & A. Kennedy-Behr, Eds.; Second edition.). John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
    Online Learning
    All notes, resource manuals and papers for lectures, practicals, tutorial sessions and assessment tasks are available on MyUni as well as lists of suitable readings, online quizzes and links to external websites.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Learning in this course is supported by a blended learning model that uses a mixture of delivery modes to ensure the course materials are aligned to and facilitate student achievement of learning outcomes. Learning activities will include lectures, (both face to face and on-line), groupwork tutorials and workshop sessions, supported by self-paced on-line activities.
    Workload

    No information currently available.

    Learning Activities Summary
    In this course students will apply specialist knowledge relevant for engaging, providing assessment and intervention with children and families who experience conditions affecting their occupational participation. Family-centred clinical reasoning skills will be established to guide effective therapeutic decision making, and there will be an emphasis on developing students’ capacity to be culturally safe practitioners through reflective practices and other learning experiences.

    Therapeutic communication in written and interpersonal mediums will be developed, with an emphasis on students ability to utilise and reflect on therapeutic use of self when with paediatric clients.

    Additionally, students will develop their ability to design, implement and evaluate group experiences through experiential learning.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Learning Outcome
    Examination (practical) Summative 40% 1,2,3,4,5
    Practical Assignment – Group Program Summative 30% 4,5,6
    Continuous Assessment – Paediatric Initial Assessment Report Formative and Summative 30% 1,2,3,4
    Assessment Detail
    Continuous Assessment: Paediatric Initial Assessment Report 30%
    Throughout the course, students will work together in small groups to analyse and interpret a range of assessment tools relevant to a case study. Formative feedback will be provided in class. Individually, students will use this information to write a report integrating this information and summarising the main findings and their impact on occupational performance. The report will also include recommendations to support increased occupational engagement. This report will be submitted in three parts as you work through the assessment information. 

    Practical Assignment – Group Program 30%
    Drawing on groupwork theory, students will work in small groups to design and facilitate an occupation-focussed group session for their peers. These group sessions will be conducted in the tutorial sessions of the course. Students will submit their plan for the group prior to conducting the session and will be given the opportunity to reflect on key aspects of the session (facilitation, group dynamics, activity grading). Students will design a method of eliciting feedback from their peers and provide rationale for why they have chosen a particular evaluation method.

    Examination (practical) 40%
    Students will apply the knowledge that they have learnt throughout this course in a practical exam. In preparation, students will be provided with a case scenario. The task is to develop an intervention plan based on that scenario (submitted for assessment), followed by a meeting with a family member (compelted under pracitcal exam conditions).
    Following practical exam, students will have one day in which to critically reflect on the meeting, modify your intervention plan and submit electronically for marking.
    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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