Teaching Programs

For those seeking healthcare services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), it is often the case that Occupational Therapy services, suited to the unique needs of this patient population, are extremely hard to come by. The goal of this course is to expand students’ treatment horizons, and increase the number of therapists and facilities that can offer Occupational Therapy to IDD patients.

The Occupational Therapy Teaching Program, developed by the Lee Specialty Clinic, provides an opportunity for students to learn and develop skills focused on the care of patients with IDD under supervision of experienced clinicians in a unique interdisciplinary setting. The course has been developed in conjunction with Spalding University’s Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy, Jefferson County Technical Community School, and Brown Mackie College.

The course is designed for students at the associate, undergraduate and Master’s degree level. For undergraduate and associate degree Occupational Therapy Level I students, the course consists of a one-day-per-week residency for five weeks, and 12 weeks full-time for Level II students. In postgraduate education, we offer a one-day-per-week, five-week Level I course, and an eight-week full-time course for Level II students.

Like other Lee Specialty courses, the Occupational Therapy courses offer a mix of didactic and clinical training. The curriculum training takes place at the Lee Specialty Clinic, where the resident works as a member of an interdisciplinary clinical team comprised of neurologists, internists, psychiatrists, psychologists, otolaryngologists, nurses, dental hygienists, and an array of therapists and ancillary personnel.

This course is open to full-time students at accredited education institutions only. No stipend is included as part of the program.