Essential Functions for the Occupational Therapy Student

Applicants admitted to the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program must demonstrate that they possess the intelligence, integrity, compassion, humanitarian concern, physical capability, and emotional capacity necessary to succeed in a challenging curriculum as well as perform in the practice of occupational therapy.

To fulfill our responsibility both to the profession and to the public to prepare OTD graduates to be competent occupational therapists, the Faculty of the University of Michigan-Flint Occupational Therapy Department has developed Essential Functions.  Essential Functions are the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical abilities required for satisfactory completion of the OTD curriculum and the development of professional attributes required of all students at graduation.

While an applicant is not required to disclose the specifics of any disability, it is the applicant’s responsibility to request reasonable accommodation if they cannot demonstrate these Essential Functions without accommodation.

The following are the Essential Functions that students must be able to meet either with or without reasonable accommodation:

Essential Functions

  1. Observation (to include the various sensory modalities) – accurately observe close at hand and at a distance to gather data and learn skills
  2. Communication- communicates effectively and efficiently; processes and comprehends written material. 
  3. Psychomotor Skills- executes the various tasks and physical maneuvers that are required within each program. 
  4. Intellectual and Cognitive Abilities- measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, integrate, remember, and apply information; comprehend three-dimensional relationships; and understand the spatial relationships of structures. Creative problem-solving and clinical reasoning require all of these intellectual abilities.
  5. Professional and Social Attributes- exercise good judgment and promptly complete all responsibilities required of each program; develop mature, sensitive, and effective professional relationships with others; tolerate taxing workloads; functions effectively under stress; adapt to changing environments; display flexibility; and function in the face of uncertainties and ambiguities. Concern for others, interpersonal competence, and motivation are requisite for all programs.
  6. Ethical Standards- demonstrates professional attitudes and behaviors; performs in an ethical manner in dealings with others. All programs require personal integrity and adherence to standards that reflect the values and functions of the professions. Many programs also require the honoring of codes of ethics. 

In addition, students in the Occupational Therapy Program will need to perform the following essential cognitive, affective, and psychomotor functions, with or without reasonable accommodations:

  1. Process, retain, and integrate information from the following types of sources: oral delivery by instructor(s) or student(s); blackboard data and diagrams; printed material (handouts, journals, manuals, books, medical records, electronic media, computer); overhead transparencies; slides; film and video segments; audio recordings; live demonstrations; one to one and group interaction in the classroom or clinic; lab specimens, instruments, equipment, and machinery; observation, movement, or manipulation of other bodies; evaluation and treatment tools; and therapeutic activities. 
  2. Complete coursework that may require independent mobility to various locations on and off campus; individual, partnered, or group efforts; following written or oral instructions; recording personal opinions, knowledge, or ratings; verbalizing personal thoughts, feelings, and opinions; instructing others; presenting oral reports; facilitating group discussions; role-playing, manipulating, lifting, and carrying evaluation and treatment materials; managing time effectively; close physical contact with others in stimulated and clinical activities; exposure to hazardous materials and body fluids; and working with individuals with infectious diseases and terminal illnesses
  3. Take and pass scheduled and pop quizzes, exams, and lab practicums in various formats.
  4. Interact with others in a professional manner as defined in the Student Responsibilities and Professional Development Process. 
  5. Perform in an ethical manner as described in the American Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and the UM-Flint OT Student Handbook. 

During the Occupational Therapy Program, the student may be required to attend class or laboratory sessions that meet during the evening hours. Required clinical experiences may also involve relocation to other sites or surrounding states at the student’s expense. During the program, the student will develop the ability to perform the following essential functions required of novice practitioners, with or without reasonable accommodations:

  1. Evaluate an individual’s occupational performance (work, self-care, leisure), performance skills (cognition, sensory, integration, neuromuscular functioning, social interaction, psychological functioning), and performance contexts (chronological, environment, and cultural).
  2. Collaborate with an individual in formulating a plan of treatment based on evaluative data that will prevent, treat, or compensate for occupational performance patterns. 
  3. Implement individual and group intervention(s) with individuals of various ages and from divergent cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds. 
  4. Document the practice process in a variety of formats 
  5. Function completely as part of a collaborative team 
  6. Function safely with competence and compassion in a variety of practice arenas 
  7. Contribute to effective and ethical management practices 
  8. Contribute to the profession’s continued growth through research and professional activities.