Unit Outline
CXA747
Occupational Therapy with Children and Youth
Semester 2, 2026
Aisling Ryan
School of Health Sciences
Health (Portfolio)
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B
Unit Coordinator
Aisling Ryan
Email: aisling.ryan@utas.edu.au
 
What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
This unit focuses on the occupational therapy role when working with children and youth through a family centred framework.  You will develop the skills used to research, analyse, and understand health conditions, disability, and occupational needs of children, to build your capacity to respond to families who present with complex needs. Through life span and social determinants of health approaches you will also understand the critical periods of development and the occupational therapy role in supporting outcomes through early intervention and other strategies.  You will have the opportunity to explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways   of knowing in context of developing cultural safety.  You will learn how occupational therapists facilitate and support the occupations of children and youth (schoolwork, play/leisure, socialisation, self-care, rest/sleep) in the home and community, educational settings such as schools and universities, hospital and health settings, and in private practice.
Intended Learning Outcomes
As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1
Analyse implications for occupational performance and engagement using knowledge of conditions and environmental contexts related to children and youth including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing.
2
Perform functional, culturally safe and criterion referenced assessments to identify and validate occupational performance and engagement issues and risks.
3
Design and document occupational therapy plans to facilitate improved occupational performance relevant to children and youth, using clinical reasoning, family centred and team-based approaches.
4
Critique the role of occupational therapy in the interprofessional approaches that support children to thrive in the first 1000 days of life and the early lifespan.
5
Utilise evidence-based practice skills and research literacies to critique contemporary occupational intervention approaches for children, youth, and families.
Requisites
REQUISITE TYPE
REQUISITES
Co-requisite
CXA716 Foundations of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science
Alterations as a result of student feedback
•    Assessment 1 has been altered in response the feedback to improve clarity and align more closely with the occupational therapy process. 
•    Assessment instructions for all assessments have been improved for clarity. 
•    Assessment 3 due date has been moved earlier in the semester. 
 
 
Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
On Campus
Independent Learning
Study undertaken by student including assessments
3
StudyPeriod 14 times
Independent Learning
Guided online learning via MyLO
5
StudyPeriod 11 times
Workshop
Residential School
6
Study Period 2 times
Lecture (Online)
Weekly tutorial or online class
2
11 times per week
Attendance / engagement expectations
If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online or includes online activities, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline or MyLO, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.
 
•    It is expected that students are available for and attend the weekly 2-hour webinars (online) and the 15 hours of workshops within the residential school (in-person) 
 
 
How will I be Assessed?
 
For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.
Assessment schedule
ASSESSMENT TASK #
ASSESSMENT TASK NAME
DATE DUE
WEIGHT
LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:
Structured Case Study
Week 5
30 %
LO1, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:
Skill Demonstration
Week 8
30 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:
Occupational Therapy Intervention Plan for Children and Youth
Week 13
40 %
LO3, LO4, LO5
 
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1: Structured Case Study
Task Description:
This assessment requires you to apply a family centred and culturally responsive approach to understanding the occupational performance and participation needs of a child with a childhood onset condition and their family. You will analyse case study information and relevant literature about the condition and use the Person–Environment–Occupation (PEO) model to critically examine how these factors influence the child’s occupational performance and participation. You will then discuss the occupational therapy role in supporting the child and family.
Task Length:
1500 words
Due Date:
Week 5
Weight:
30 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Synthesise quality information from multiple sources to articulate in depth understanding of a health condition or disability of childhood.
LO1
2
Demonstrate knowledge of the impact of child and youth conditions on occupational performance
LO1, LO4
3
Articulate the role of occupational therapy and other professionals in the management of a childhood or youth condition or disability.
LO3, LO4
 
Assessment Task 2: Skill Demonstration
Task Description:
This practical assessment requires you to demonstrate child-focused occupational therapy skills through person-centredness, professional communication, and concise documentation. You will be randomly assigned a case study and one targeted occupational therapy practice skill to record. Your task is to record and upload a video of you performing the skill and submit a supplementary written summary.
Task Length:
15 minutes video and 1000 words
Due Date:
Week 8
Weight:
30 %
 
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Perform practical skills in accordance with best practice guidelines using client-centredness and cultural humility.
LO1, LO2
2
Use structured communication for safely sharing information with others.
LO1, LO2
3
Demonstrate concise and accurate documentation skills
LO1, LO2, LO3
 
Assessment Task 3: Occupational Therapy Intervention Plan for Children and Youth
Task Description:
For this assessment you are required to develop an occupational therapy intervention plan that draws on your knowledge of best practice principles for working with children and families, and occupational therapy theory and frameworks. You will review a case study and analyse the standardised and observational assessment information for the child and family through the lens of the Person-Environment-Occupation model. Then, you will select and apply an appropriate occupational therapy approach/es to address the occupational performance and participation challenges, and create an intervention plan. You will apply reasoning and evidence-based research to support your recommendations.
Task Length:
2500 words
Due Date:
Week 13
Weight:
40 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Analyse and interpret standardised and non-standardised assessment information relevant to the child / youth needs
LO3, LO4, LO5
2
Select and apply an appropriate occupational therapy frame of reference to inform your intervention.
LO3, LO4, LO5
3
Review and apply current evidence in relation to an intervention plan and occupational therapy recommendations.
LO3, LO4, LO5
 
 
 
How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.
Academic progress review
The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.
Submission of assignments
Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see
Important Guidelines & Support.
Requests for extensions
If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.
 
A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.
 
The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.
Late penalties
Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.
 
Review of results and appeals
You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.
 
 
 
Required Resources
Required reading materials
 
 
Recommended reading materials
AOTA (2020). Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process—Fourth Edition. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Supplement_2), 7412410010p1-741241001087. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74s2001
Atchison, B., & Dirette, D. P. (2023). Conditions in Occupational Therapy: Effect on Occupational Performance (6th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Brown, T., Isbel, S., Gustafsson, L. A., Gutman, S., Powers-Dirette, D., Collins, B., & Barlott, T. (2024). Human occupation: Contemporary Concepts and Lifespan Perspectives (1st ed.) Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Human-Occupation-Contemporary-Concepts-and-Lifespan-Perspectives/Brown-Isbel-Gustafsson-Gutman-PowersDirette-Collins-Barlott/p/book/9781032214566
Clifford O'Brien, J.  & Kuhaneck, H., (Eds.) (2020). Case-Smith's Occupational Therapy for Children and Adolescents (8th ed.). St.Louis, MI: Elsevier Mosby.
Poulsen, A. A., Ziviani, J. M., & Cuskelly, M. (2015). Goal setting and motivation in therapy: Engaging children and parents. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Rodger, Sylvia & Kennedy-Behr, A. (2017). Occupation-centred Practice with Children: A Practical Guide for Occupational Therapists (2nd ed.). UK:Wiley Blackwell 
Sharma, A., Cockerill, H., & Sanctuary, L. (2022). Mary Sheridan’s From Birth to Five Years: Children’s Developmental Progress (5th ed.). Routledge.
 
Other required resources