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OTD Students focus their education, work on helping those with ASD

“Occupational therapy (OT) has endless possibilities to support people along the life continuum to rebuild their functional skills to have meaningful lives,” explains Vicky Vu, a student in the post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program.

As an occupational therapist, Vu works with patients who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and has chosen to focus her capstone on helping such patients. Like Vu, OTD student Senewa Moyo also focuses her research on helping those with ASD feel included.

For Moyo, “The OT profession first appealed to me because of its unique approach at promoting inclusion, engagement, and participation through the use of meaningful occupations. The underpinning values of the profession align with my values.”  

When her son was diagnosed with autism, she became even more determined to break harmful misconceptions and narrow views about ASD.   

“Since my son’s diagnosis, my knowledge, perceptions, and understanding of autism have grown and continue to evolve,” says Moyo. 

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Family also motivated Vu’s interest and passion for helping people with ASD. “I have a brother who has Down’s syndrome, so I grew up taking care of him,” explains Vu. Helping her brother further developed her interest as an OT in helping all youth and children.

“I spent fourteen years working with children in an outpatient setting, primarily children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and muscular dystrophy,” says Vu. “The focus was to develop functional skills in the home, school, and everyday activities that are meaningful to the child.” 

Vu continues, “For the past nine years, I’ve worked in the NICU. I am truly honored to be working with babies, to support them and their families as they navigate this journey in their lives.” 

Through their professional work and the research opportunities provided by their doctoral programs, Vu and Moyo focus on OT support to help those with ASD.

Vu explains, “I find that children with ASD are misread. They have a heart of gold but have difficulty processing all the sensory input they receive at any given time. They love to cuddle and play. They want to have friends and be part of the community just as any child would.” 

To help ASD youths to become more included in school, Vu’s capstone project focuses on the relationship between typically developing children and children with autism. 

“My proposed capstone project is focused on inclusivity, acceptance, and belonging for children with autism. I hope that students will be agents of change by breaking down barriers and learning to be more accepting of children with autism through interactive discussions and education on autism from an early age,” says Vu. 

For the project itself, Vu is piloting a curriculum for students in fifth-grade which focuses on understanding the dynamics of autism as well as on building the connection between typically developing children and children with autism through the joint occupation of play. 

“As the OT, I would be providing coursework and discussions around autism and play to fifth graders,” explains Vu. “Most importantly, they will have the opportunity to practice their skills alongside children with autism in a preschool setting through a mentorship program.” 

Moyo’s capstone takes a slightly different approach to working with ASD individuals. 

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“My hopes are that my capstone project can highlight the meaningful contributions autistic individuals can make to society. My hope is also that my project helps break-down the systemic and attitudinal barriers that prohibit autistic people from living life to the fullest as their authentic selves,” explains Moyo. 

Moyo plans to aid this process of acceptance and inclusion by recognizing the strengths and abilities that come with the neurodiversity of ASD patients. 

“These strengths and differences deserve to be valued and nurtured. Autism acceptance should be ‘action’ driven. Authentically accepting an individual for who they genuinely are, what they can and cannot do, and how they view and experience the world requires intentionally and actively seeking to understand their lived experience,” says Moyo. 

Moyo hopes to encourage understanding and acceptance from non-autistic individuals for those with ASD. 

“A good place to start would be seeking out autistic researchers and self-advocates who are sharing their journey through various platforms,” says Moyo. 

Both Vu and Moyo expressed their passion for the experiences and opportunities they have had as OT’s working with children and ASD patients. 

Vu says, “I’m excited to travel on my next adventure, working with children with ASD, creating an environment that promotes inclusivity and a sense of belonging between general ed students and children with ASD.”

Moyo explains that “the best part about OT (for me) is that we strive to meet people where they are, as they are. Occupational therapy is an exceptional profession and must align with your professional goals and values if you hope to pursue a meaningful and sustainable profession in the field.” 

Moyo finished by advising all healthcare students and workers that “whichever healthcare discipline or practice area you work in, remember that often, our clients are experts about themselves therefore providing services is a partnership where you contribute the best available scientific-based support, and your client provides guidance and insight into their holistic needs.” 

For more information about the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, visit the program website.