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Health Sciences
191
Occupational therapy
COURSE CODES:
PLACES 2012:
POINTS 2011:
DEGREE AWARDED:
TR054
40
500*
B.Sc. (Cur. Occ.)
Special Entry Requirements:
Leaving Certificate
HC3
In one of: physics,
chemistry, biology,
physics/chemistry
or agricultural
science
Advanced GCE (A-Level)
Grade C In one of: physics,
chemistry or
biology
See Precautions against infectious diseases page 198.
Garda Vetting:
Students will be required to undergo Garda vetting. See
page 26 for further details.
What is Occupational therapy?
The World Federation of Occupational Therapy maintains that
Occupational therapy is a profession concerned with promoting
health and well-being through occupation. The main goal
of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in
meaningful activities of everyday living, for example self care,
work and leisure activities. Occupational therapists believe that
participation in everyday activities can be supported or restricted
by physical, social, attitudinal and legislative environments. By
enabling people to engage in activities that hold meaning for
them, occupational therapists aim to enable people to improve
their day-to-day quality of life.
Occupational therapy interventions consider:
n
The individual person
– improving or maintaining their level
of physical, cognitive (thinking), affective (emotional) and
social ability.
n
The occupation
– examining the self-care, leisure and
work-related activities people value in their daily lives and
making changes to these activities so that they better meet
the individual’s abilities.
n
The environment
– manipulating or adapting the physical
environment so that it does not impede but, if possible,
enhances performance; and influencing the social, cultural
and institutional environment in ways that enable people
to live as independent a life as possible and reach their full
potential.
Occupational therapists work in a variety of settings, including
community, hospitals, rehabilitation units, schools, and, reform
centres. Examples of what occupational therapists do include:
n
Adapting the home of an elderly person to make it easier
and safer for him/her to use.
n
Working with people with depression and schizophrenia
using activities such as cooking a meal to foster a sense
of achievement, develop personal skills and facilitate
successful experiences.
n
Using play activities to improve the play and movement
skills of children with cerebral palsy.
n
Running life-skills programmes that enable people with
intellectual disabilities develop skills such as budgeting so
that they can live more independently in the community.
n
Advising community groups about ways to promote health
and maintain activity in their lives.
n
Enabling people to select and effectively use equipment
and appliances, including wheelchairs, dressing aids,
computers and other assistive technology, to increase their
independence.
n
Assessing the ability of someone with acquired brain injury
to return to work and then modify that person’s work (the
job itself and the workplace) to enable this, where possible,
to happen.
Is this the right course for you?
Yes, if you are a creative thinker who is open to finding solutions
to a multitude of problems and if working with people with
diverse abilities is something you enjoy and find stimulating.
Visiting an occupational therapy department will give you a
good understanding of what is involved in this profession.
Occupational therapy
at Trinity College
Occupational therapy is based in the Trinity Centre for Health
Sciences in a new purpose-built complex in the grounds
of St. James’s Hospital. State-of-the-art teaching facilities
at the O.T. school include a capacity for tele-conferencing.
The Trinity Centre houses other health sciences disciplines
including students studying medicine, physiotherapy, therapeutic
radiography and nursing. This gives a multidisciplinary
dimension to studying and working with other health
professionals. The centre is about 2 miles from the main
campus and is beside a Luas station on the line running between
Tallaght and Connolly Station in the city centre. Courses which
take place on the main campus in College Green, for example
psychology, anatomy and social policy, expose students to the
wider facilities of Trinity College.
Course content
This four-year degree course incorporates a practical approach
to solving problems and fosters a research-oriented and
reflective attitude.