As a student in a specific discipline, read about the expertise and focus that you will bring to the interprofessional team working with CLS participants:
Discipline-Specific Focus
Occupational Therapy
The occupational therapy team focuses on planning and leading activity type groups with the goals of increasing endurance, motor performance, cognition, and social interaction. The groups may consist of cooking, woodworking, ceramics, community outings, as well as activities determined by the participants. If you are a graduate student, you will focus on activities of daily living, functional mobility, and general motor control as well as community reintegration (including car transfers, ordering from menus, grocery gathering and shopping). Management of hypertonicity is also addressed through home exercise programs, relaxation techniques and possible splinting. The Headstart and Aquatics programs are also implemented by the occupational therapists.
Physical Therapy
As a physical therapy student, you will work with participants on general flexibility, strengthening and endurance activities. Our focus is on exercises that improve balance and activities to improve function and decrease physical barriers in the community (such as stairs, curbs, uneven surfaces, transfers, etc.). An individual exercise program is prepared to address each client's individual needs.
Speech-Language Pathology
As a speech-language pathology student, you will address communication skills such as speech, hearing, comprehension difficulties, cognitive difficulties, and interpersonal skills. You will also focus on inappropriate communication environments and lack of communication partners.