Methodist University Occupational Therapy

🚗💨 Buckle Up — OT Meets Driver Rehabilitation!

Our OTD second-year students got an incredible hands-on learning experience through their Assistive Technology course, teaming up with OT/OTA specialists from __Driver Rehabilitation Services!

Students dove deep into the world of driver rehabilitation and vehicle adaptations — exploring how assistive technology empowers clients to maintain independence behind the wheel. And yes, they even got to drive adaptive vehicles themselves! 🙌

There is no better way to understand the impact of a skill than to experience it firsthand. Our students are learning that occupational therapy truly meets people where they are — even on the open road. 🛣️✨

Experiential learning at its finest. 💡🧠👏

OTD and OTA students came together this week for a lunch-and-learn hosted by the MU HOSA Club, featuring Dr. Gibson on residual limb wrapping and amputee care. When our students ask for deeper learning, we respond. Watching two programs come together around a shared commitment to excellent, compassionate practice is exactly what our OT community is about!

🎓✨ Inspiring the Next Generation!

The Methodist University BS-OTA Program loves bringing occupational therapy to the community — and what better place to start than with middle schoolers exploring their futures?

Our OTA Program Director, Dr. Melissa Gibson, recently visited a local Career Day to share about the OT profession and the exciting career pathways available through the BS-OTA degree. Students got hands-on experience exploring a variety of OT practice settings and jumped in on activities highlighting ADLs and IADLs — making OT come to life in a whole new way.

Occupational therapy isn't just a career — it's a calling. And we're always excited to plant that seed early. 🌱

Interested in learning more about the BS-OTA program at Methodist University? Drop a comment, send us a message, or visit our website to explore what OT could look like for you! 👇

🎉✨ Big congratulations to Hannah Wheeless — one of our amazing third-year OTD students — for being crowned Miss Smithfield 2026! 👑🎓

Hannah will represent her community, our program, and the OT profession as she competes in the Miss North Carolina pageant this summer in High Point.

We’re so proud of her hard work, dedication, and the meaningful impact she’ll make throughout her year of service and representation. 💖👏

Join us in cheering Hannah on as she embarks on this exciting journey! 🌟💐

Learn more about the Miss North Carolina Class of 2026: https://missnc.org/class-of-2026/

🎉 Introducing Methodist University's 2026-2027 SOTA Executive Board!

We are thrilled to announce the incoming Student Occupational Therapy Association leadership for the 2026-2027 academic year!
🏛️ President: Allison P.
📋 Secretary: Emily W.
💰 Treasurer: AnnaKate S.
🎗️ Fundraisers: Sophia B. & Molly R.
📱 Marketing & Social Media: Gracie R.
🗳️ NCOTA & AOTA Class Delegate: Georgia K.
🗳️ NCOTA & AOTA Alternative Delegate: Carlotta H.

Congratulations to each of you — we are so excited to see the energy, passion, and leadership you will bring to SOTA for the 2026-2027 academic year. The future of the profession is in great hands! 🙌✨

We are so proud of our very own Dr. Katie Jones, EdD, OTR/L, CLT-LANA, Department Chair and OTD Program Director, who is making waves in occupational therapy scholarship!

Dr. Jones recently co-authored "Hands-On: Integrating Active Learning into an Upper Extremity Occupational Therapy Elective," published in the Journal of Occupational Therapy Education (JOTE) — a reflection of her commitment to innovative, evidence-informed OT education.

She has also been selected to present a collaborative research poster, "Regulation to Resilience: Impact of Sensory First Aid on Healthcare Students Following a Disaster Simulation," at the AOTA Inspire 2026 Conference in Anaheim, CA — alongside colleagues from a partner institution.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Jones on these incredible achievements! 🎉



Article link: https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fencompass.eku.edu%2Fjote%2Fvol10%2Fiss1%2F19&data=05%7C02%7Ckjones%40methodist.edu%7C248f78afc83b451afe8308de600a8d31%7C8b060f29a8874768ab6798eb9937fb04%7C0%7C0%7C639053795606843977%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=gYs0epYHyPzrxgA1urtd9sfn4zIy%2BDXj7LWzuBYSy3Y%3D&reserved=0

⚖️🗣️ Ready, Set, Debate!

Our OTA students went head-to-head tackling one of the real tensions in practice: Does reimbursement influence client discharge decisions?

Both sides came prepared — grounding their arguments in the AOTA Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. No easy answers, but that's exactly the point. Learning to navigate the ethical complexities of clinical practice starts in the classroom.

Critical thinking + ethical reasoning = practitioners who are ready for the hard conversations. 💡📋👏

OT practitioners — how have you navigated this in your own practice? Drop your thoughts below. 👇

🛟🍂 Fall Recovery & Prevention Lab 🤝
OTD + BSOTA Student Collaboration

"We have fallen and can't get up." (No, really — and not as an April Fools' joke.)

Our OTD and BSOTA students teamed up for a hands-on lab focused on real-world fall recovery and prevention strategies. Students practiced safe, proper techniques for assisting clients off the floor and learned how to use a Hoyer lift for effective transfers, building confidence, clinical reasoning, and interprofessional teamwork along the way.

No pranks here — just real skills, real teamwork, and real preparation for practice. 💪🧠👏
Experiential learning + collaboration = better preparation for practice!

✨ OTA Students in Action!

Group 2 completed their Activity Analysis presentations today by making bracelets—an occupation with personal meaning for Georgia, who thoughtfully led the activity for her classmates.

Using the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF), students worked to:
🔹 Identify the area of occupation
🔹 Break down the motor, process, and social performance skills involved
🔹 Evaluate the body functions required for successful participation
🔹 Determine the time, tools, materials, and space needed to support engagement
🔹 Analyze how this occupation could be graded, adapted, or supported in practice

This experience continues building the clinical reasoning skills needed to understand how meaningful activities can be supported across diverse clients and settings. Proud of the thoughtful work and engagement from Georgia!

🎓 Learning in Action!

Our second-year OTD students recently had an incredible hands-on experience in Assistive Technology Course Lab with guest speaker Chandler Hamor from TobiiDynavox!

Students explored the world of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and got firsthand experience with AAC devices focusing on:
👆 Touch
👁️ Eye Gaze
🔘 Switch Scanning

Experiences like these prepare our students to be innovative, compassionate, and skilled OT practitioners. 💙

🍁 OTA Students in Action!

Group 1 launched their Activity Analysis presentations by creating fall wreaths—a meaningful seasonal occupation led by Mariah and Victorianna. Thank you to Mariah’s parents for donating the materials that made this hands-on learning possible!

Students applied the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF) to:
🔸 Identify the area of occupation
🔸 Analyze the motor, process, and social performance skills used in the task
🔸 Assess the body functions required for participation
🔸 Determine the time, tools, materials, and space needed to complete the activity
🔸 Break the occupation into components to understand where adaptation or grading may be needed

These foundational skills help prepare students to think like occupational therapy practitioners as they learn to analyze, adapt, and support meaningful engagement in everyday activities. So proud of their insight and creativity today!