UM OT Course Highlights: OT 545 – Development, Health and Meaningful Participation from Birth through Adolescence

UM OT Course Highlights: OT 545 – Development, Health and Meaningful Participation from Birth through Adolescence

In-Class Activity on March 10, 2026:

First year occupational therapy doctorate students from the class of 2028 practiced administration of the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Third Edition pediatric evaluation in their pediatrics course. Students practiced administering the different items in small groups in anticipation of utilizing the evaluation to work with real pediatric clients at the University of Montana preschool in the upcoming weeks. As part of this hands-on learning experience, students rotated through different items of the evaluation and practiced administering and observing the motor tasks required for the assessment. The activity allowed students to become familiar with the structure, materials, and administration procedures of the evaluation before applying these skills in real-world settings.

Administration of the pediatric evaluation is part of Occupational Therapy 545 – Development, Health and Meaningful Participation from Birth through Adolescence, while students are also learning about pediatric assessments in Occupational Therapy 538 Assessment Activity Analysis. In the latter course, students learn about different evaluation tools and how to utilize and interpret these tools in occupational therapy practice. These courses in tandem allow students to take an in-depth understanding of assessment tools and then learn about them in their clinical pediatric course.