Every fall, students in the first year of their Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program look forward to two hands-on sessions that take place in the classroom.
On ‘Baby Day’, the sounds of 11 pairs of parents and babies fill the department corridors and the Vancouver cohort and guest Fraser cohort split into teams of eight to ten.
The babies are aged from 0-3 years and represent a variety of different developmental stages. Teams spend a short amount of time with each pair, asking questions and observing behaviour at each age.
This class “brings to life” the developmental milestones that the students read in textbooks and learn about in class. By observing and interacting with parents and their children (newborn to 3 years), the learning experience is more meaningful and memorable for the students. Parents also enjoy engaging with the students and discussing their child’s development.
Dr. Jill Zwicker, Professor
This module is coordinated by Dr. Jill Zwicker, Canada Research Chair in Pediatric Brain Development and Rehabilitation. We are grateful to the parents and children who volunteer to support our students’ learning of child development. ‘Baby Day’ occurs every October. If you know someone who expecting a baby or who has an infant or toddler, we are always looking for volunteers to participate in this child development lab. Please contact Dr. Zwicker if you (or someone you know) would be interested in helping our students learn about child development. Alumni are especially welcome!
This year ‘baby day’ was combined with another in-person skills session on the same day. After a busy morning with the parent-baby pairs, the student teams then spent the afternoon learning about an equally important aspect of the program: wheelchairs.
They learned about wheelchair transfers, as proper lifting techniques and support (such as direct physical assistance, or supervision and cues) are vital for the safety of both the client and the occupational therapist.
Wheelchair day is an essential part of the first term curriculum because it introduces students to the intricacies of wheelchair prescription, including measurement, seating and frame options, as well as environmental factors to consider. These are tools that many of the students will use throughout their careers.
Alexis Davis, Assistant Professor of Teaching
After a busy day in these two active and dynamic sessions, we can only hope that the class is able to sleep soundly and dream of babies and wheelchairs all night.
Images: OSOT