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Learning Outcome 2: 

Acquire Appropriate Tools and Skills to Engage with Transition-Aged Young Adults with IDD

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Learning Activities

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  1. Lead NextEd programming: Collaborate to lead independent living skills programming with Arc staff

    • ​Collaborated to facilitate NextEd Programming Monday-Thursday afternoons each week for the first few weeks of capstone

    • Collaborators have offered feedback via Entrustability Scales

    • Produced field notes during sessions to identify overlap with programming and OT role/scope.

  2. Lead intake and debrief sessions for programming: Collaborate with arc staff for intake/debrief around participants and programming

    • Co-led debrief sessions during and after overnight programming

    • Co-led debrief sessions during day programming

  3. Consult on NextEd Challenge implementation: Provide OT consultative services during program implementation

    • ​Completed prep work collaboration with my OT mentor to plan mentored OT consultation

    • Provided consultative services/approach for overnight programming

    • Created a document of successes and areas of growth to inform future programming, including day sessions

    • Consulted for day programming

Learning Outcome 2 Deliverables

Weekly NextEd Reflections

Week 1: 

This week I got to understand the ins and out of the St. Louis Arc, from management to programming. I feel that the programming offered fits so perfectly with occupational therapy. I have been able to connect the dots between activities and programming to the OTPF. While OT has the capacity to intervene at the population level, I see this being a consultative role at the Arc based on funding. However, their programming would benefit from offering OT support for individual participants' needs (e.g., strategies for ADLs and IADLs). For me, this feels more aligned with my skills and passions. That being said, I am not sure that there is a role for this within the St. Louis Arc. I hope to gain a better understanding of my priorities as a leader in occupational therapy and transition services in the coming weeks.

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Week 2: 

This week reinforced the need to be able to adjust content to the participants' lives and needs. There was a situation pertaining to conflict within the group. We were able to spend more time with conflict resolution content to be applied to their real-life situations. OT expertise in a client-centered approach with the flexibility of adapting/modifying intervention was especially applicable this week.

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Week 3: 

The near-peer experience is an incredibly helpful piece to NextEd programming. My roommate and I were able to facilitate a conversation about roommate living based on our experience together. Near-peer perspective has been incorporated into the development of the program, but the implementation piece would also be helpful. By incorporating OT student involvement, this would be possible.

Week 4: 

In-person allows for a lot more "doing". The "review" for week 10 becomes lecture-heavy. It might be helpful to incorporate more actionable activities into the review to apply what is learned rather than just refresh/discuss.

NextEd Field Notes Summary

Class Facilitation Topics​

  • IADL training for laundry

  • IADL training for communication (expected and unexpected behaviors)

  • IADL training for money management (saving strategies, financial goals, financial wellness)

  • IADL training for managing living spaces (e.g., cleaning spaces)

Facilitator Take Aways to Inform Future Sessions

  • Consider intro discussion topic applicability to engage the majority of the group

  • Incorporate more applicable activities of "doing" (e.g., during lessons on cleaning supplies)

  • Making time to address general anxieties and topics of current events outside of the course content

  • Need for more breaks for sustained attention/engagement

  • Money management can be dull content that is hard to digest with these clients

  • "Doing" can be more intentional during breaks - geared toward the topic

  • Find roles for every participants, rather than relying on one activity to motivate all

OT Scope Overlap with Program Content

  • "Doing" - action-based activities

  • IADLs

    • Financial Management

    • Home Management/Maintenance/

    • Communication​

  • Self-Regulation Interventions (Mindfulness)

  • Modifying activities

  • Personalizing activities to individual client needs

  • Prompting

  • Adapting Activities

  • Grading

  • Motivation

  • Executive Functioning

Potential OT Contributions to Programming â€‹

  • YA-ACS for Personalization

  • Sensory Strategies

    • Movement breaks​

    • Brain Breaks

  • ​Grading

  • Modifying/Adapting

  • "Doing"

  • Promoting participation and performance

  • Assistive Technology

  • Create tools and strategies for task analysis supporting participants (e.g., steps to laundry) 

  • CO-OP Approach

Entrustability Scale for Participant/Program Facilitation 

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