Course Description:This course is specifically designed for occupational therapists
who work with patients affected by a stroke or brain injury. Licensed occupational therapy assistants, physical therapists and licensed physical therapy assistants require special permission for
acceptance. This course is provided in two formats: “Format A,” part I (7 days) and part II (7 days) for a total of 14 days; “Format B,” part I (10 days over 2 weeks) and part II (5 days) for a total
of 15 days. Both formats A and B provide 98 hours of instruction. This comprehensive course covers basic to advanced concepts and effective application in a practical, organized manner to enhance
learning. The main emphasis is on assessment and management to develop excellence in maximizing functional outcomes throughout the continuum of care. This course utilizes an integrative whole-person
approach with emphasis on restoring function and making it functional for a return to independent living and resumption/assumption of roles. Challenges encountered by therapists in meeting their
patients’ needs throughout the continuum of care are addressed throughout the course. The course consists of lecture, laboratory practice, demonstrations, and patient treatment. Individual attention
by the instructors will be provided to enhance participants’ observation, handling, and problem-solving skills. This course includes the practical application of current basic to advanced concepts
sequenced in a creative manner to help all participants meet the course objectives as well as their individual objectives. Waleed Al-Oboudi, who has taught the most multiple-week courses in the past
10 years and the majority of the advanced courses ever taught throughout the United States, specifically designed this course.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of the course participants will be able to:
- Identify the impact of the stroke/brain injury on the patient’s life roles and
the functional limitations interfering with his/her ability to resume/assume those roles.
- Identify the primary and secondary impairments, movement or otherwise,
underlying the functional limitations in various postures including function in upright posture.
- Select functional activities that will assess the patient’s functional
limitations and underlying impairments in various postures including function in upright posture.
- Identify concepts related to musculoskeletal biomechanics and function of the
trunk, upper extremities, lower extremities, and head/neck and overall body coordination.
- Differentiate between normal and abnormal movement throughout the body in
various postures and transition in functional activities including activities in upright posture.
- Identify concepts related to the impact of whole body alignment and control as
well as other mobility and control variables on respiration.
- Identify missing components/processes necessary for interaction with the
environment, effective learning, and generalization of skills/carry over.
- Identify concepts related to facilitation of upper extremity and lower extremity
us/function and whole body use for support, manipulation, balance, expression, sensory and functional tools, emotional release, comfort, containment, protection and
propulsion.
- Develop a comprehensive treatment plan that will include preparation of mobility
and control and facilitation of normal movement during functional activities in all postures, and ideas for carry over.
- Develop strategies to: facilitate the patient’s increased awareness of the rehab
process, improve self image and confidence, and improve adaptation, planning, and pacing skills.
- Apply management strategies to help patients obtain missing components of
movement throughout the body that are interfering with functioning at a higher level in all postures including function in upright posture.
- Modify management strategies effectively based on the patient’s response to
maximize use of more normal and efficient movement patterns in functional activities.
- Demonstrate effective application of handling concepts in developing upper
extremity and lower extremity use/function and whole body use for support, manipulation, balance, expression, sensory and functional tools, emotional release, comfort, containment, protection and
propulsion.
- Integrate concepts related to normal movement, musculoskeletal biomechanics and
function, sensory, cognitive, communicative, perceptual-motor, and emotional considerations into activities of daily living and other functional activities.
- Identify concepts related to the restoration of automaticity throughout the
whole body, and carryover in functional use during activities of daily living and other functional activities.
Upon successful completion of the course,
participants will be Neuro-IFRAH Certified®
Required Reading: “Back to the Summit” by Sen. Omer
Rains