OTD Essential Functions

In conjunction with Fairleigh Dickinson University’s (FDU) academic requirements for admission, all students enrolled in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program (OTD or Program) must demonstrate the Essential Functions stated herein.

Students should carefully review the Essential Functions for the OTD Program and determine if they require additional support or accommodations for any portion (didactic, clinical and/or capstone) of the program.

Students may achieve these Essential Functions with or without the need for accommodations. Those who determine that they require disability-related accommodations to fully participate and engage in the program are encouraged to contact FDU’s Offce of Disability Support Services to discuss their needs. It is important that students submit requests for accommodations in a timely manner. Requests may require up to 45 days from the date of submission to the time they are reviewed and the accommodations are implemented.

Students acknowledge that changes in their health status following their admission to the OTD Program, whether temporary or permanent, may create contraindications for the practice or demonstration of certain therapeutic methods and techniques. If any student has or develops any condition that may impact their ability to comply with the OTD Essential Functions, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the OTD program coordinator so that they can be appropriately counseled as to appropriate courses of action for the health and safety of the student and all other parties participating in the program.

By taking part in the OTD program, you agree that you can meet each of these requirements with or without accommodations. If necessary, you can contact the Office of Disability Support Services at 973-443-8079 to discuss your need for accommodations in accordance with the process stated above. You also agree that you understand that some clinical sites may be unable to meet your need for accommodations and therefore your choices for preferred sites may be impacted. You also agree to understand that any temporary inability to meet the OTD Essential Functions requirements may result in a delay in completing the OTD Program.

Essential Functions

Cognitive Skills

  • Solve problems in a timely manner consistent with the demands of the situation.
  • Recall and retain information effectively to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, process, integrate, synthesize, retain and apply facts, concepts and data in both the classroom and fieldwork setting.
  • Engage in self-reflective thinking to acknowledge their own limitations of knowledge and/or performance to obtain the appropriate support to succeed in the classroom and fieldwork setting.
  • Effectively integrate new information with current knowledge and personal experiences such that they demonstrate growth and progress in academic skills.
  • Demonstrate functional critical-thinking skills to engage in effective problem-solving, synthesis and integration of didactic and clinical knowledge, understand and master abstract ideas and display creativity.
  • Adequately apply acquired information from didactic experiences to clinical experiences, including but not limited to, lab work, course competencies, fieldwork and capstone settings.
  • Adequately utilize various technology in the classroom, fieldwork and capstone settings, including but not limited to online management systems, electronic devices and medical equipment.

Observation, Attention and Perception

  • Perceive and integrate information from oral, auditory, visual, media and hands-on learning methods.
  • Demonstrate functional visual, tactile, auditory and other sensory and perceptual modalities to observe and acquire information adequately.
  • Appropriately perceive, interpret and respond to nonverbal communications.
  • Maintain sustained attention, and when appropriate, demonstrate divided attention skills such that responsibilities are achieved with success.
  • Abide by and respond to alarms, emergency signals, timers, cries for help, phones and other environmental notification systems.

Functional Skills

  • Recognize potentially hazardous materials, equipment and situations and proceed carefully to minimize risk of injury to clients, self and individuals.
  • Demonstrate fine and gross-motor skills for safe and effective client-centered intervention.
  • Functional skills of extremities to access a variety of environments through independent mobility.
  • Safely monitor clients during functional-mobility training within a variety of environments.
  • Handle and manipulate materials and equipment of various sizes, weights and textures.
  • Ability to grade and control movements to safely assist in maneuvering clients therapeutically.
  • Perform continuous physical work to fulfill clinical-education course requirements.

Social, Emotional and Behavioral Skills

  • Manage a multifaceted and evolving workload, including coursework, client-care responsibilities, supervision, feedback and personal demands.
  • Possess the emotional capacity to interact effectively and positively with others (faculty, peers, colleagues, mentors, supervisors and clients) who have differing interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Possess the emotional capacity to accept responsibility for one’s own actions, decisions and to accept consequences for those actions and decisions.
  • Accept feedback in a manner that reflects the ability to learn from and integrate feedback.
  • Work collaboratively with others in groups and one-on-one including working with those from other professional disciplines.

Ethical and Professional Responsibilities

  • Reference, utilize and adhere to the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics of Occupational Therapy.
  • Consistently demonstrate a commitment to honesty, integrity, compassion, empathy and respect for diverse communities.
  • Reference, utilize and adhere to outside organizational requirements including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and universal precautions.
  • Resolve ethical dilemmas through self-refection and the application of ethical principles and core values in all aspects of classroom, clinical and professional practice.
  • Seek, identify, reflect and integrate feedback to modify students’ professional behaviors.
  • Collaborate with all stakeholders and provide timely and meaningful feedback.