Physiotherapy and in-demand pediatric Fine Motor Skills Development program available

The reopening of Niagara College’s Performance Therapy Clinic at the Welland Campus is a leap forward for students seeking experience in physiotherapy and occupational therapy, as well as community clients seeking treatment.

The Performance Clinic, which reopened at the College’s Welland Campus on January 16 for the first time since 2020, offers physiotherapy assessments and treatment sessions at a reduced cost for staff, students and the public, as well as an in-demand occupational therapy pediatric fine motor skills occupational therapy program for local residents, expected to help alleviate wait times in the community.

This learning enterprise from NC’s School of Allied Health, provides hands-on, on-site experience for students in NC’sOccupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant (OTA and PTA) program and opportunities to complete their required work placement hours (500 placement hours are required to graduate from the academic program).

“The Performance Clinic enables us to use our College expertise and state of the art equipment to serve the community while enhancing learning opportunities for our students,” said Eva Lemak. “We are thrilled to be able to provide physiotherapy and OT services at reduced costs, and to offer an option for Niagara children and their families who have been facing long wait lists, often for more than two years, for occupational therapy to develop fine motor skills.”

OTA-PTA program faculty Kelly Martindale (Physiotherapist) and Sarah Cole (Occupational Therapist) lead the initiative. They conduct client assessments at the clinic and work with students and staff to provide treatment. Graduates of the OTA and PTA program have recently been hired to work at the clinic and to provide treatments.

Physiotherapy

Lead Physiotherapist and Professor Kelly Martindale performs initial client assessments and creates treatment plans for clients which are carried out by Physiotherapist Assistants and students.

Starting this year, all first-year OTA-PTA students will have an opportunity to rotate through the clinic and observe how it operates, while second-year OTA and PTA students may apply for a placement position at the clinic. Students who are selected for placements at the clinic will have an opportunity to demonstrate hands-on clinical skills with patients under a Physiotherapist’s supervision.

“This is an amazing opportunity for students to experience what it is like to work in a multidisciplinary clinic,” said Martindale. “Not only will it build their hands-on clinical skills, but also their time management, documentation and communication skills.”

Martindale noted that the College community is poised to benefit.

“The clinic is convenient for staff and students to come on their breaks or before/after work and is covered by their extended health benefits,” she said. “It is beneficial for patients that do not have coverage or have limited coverage as the fee is reduced.”

Occupational Therapy

The Occupational Therapy side of the Performance Clinic offers a six-week Fine Motor Skills Developmentprogram.

This program targets the pediatric age group and focuses on developing fine motor skills in areas such as strength, dexterity, grasp, manipulation and coordination to improve independence in two main occupations: school participation in writing tasks and self-care tasks such as dressing, eating, grooming, and more.

Lead Occupational Therapist and Professor Sarah Cole completes all initial assessments, develops treatment plans for each child, and supervises the treatment plans being carried out by staff along with OTA and PTA students.

Cole said the program will help children improve independence in school participation in writing tasks, and in self-care tasks.

The College’s current OTA and PTA students will have the opportunity to provide one-on-one support to children in each session that focuses on developing fine motor skills in areas such as strength, dexterity, grasp, manipulation and coordination.

“I’m so excited to be able to provide services for a population in need in our community and also to provide our OTA and PTA students with a placement opportunity that will allow them to further develop their OTA-specific skills,” said Cole. “We had great success with the children when we first opened this clinic in 2018 and I loved hearing from parents and the children about their improvements and gratitude.

“I also enjoyed having the OTA and PTA students tell me about their excitement with being involved.”

Niagara Falls resident Felicia Keith-Williams, who graduated from NC’s OTA and PTA program in 2021, has now returned as a staff Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant.

“I was interested in working at the NC clinic because I learned the skills and practical experience while I was student. Also, I just love working alongside children by helping them to grow and thrive with their fine motor skills,” she said. “Being a part of the NC clinic will help contribute to the community by providing an opportunity for families to have their child(ren) receive the therapeutic attention they need.

“I have the opportunity to bring my skills, knowledge and expertise to life as I engage with these children to assist their fine motor skills.”

The six-week OT Fine Motor Development program is available for $300, including assessment and treatment. The program runs twice a week for 12 sessions.

The next block of the program will begin on March 7.

For more information or to register for the for the OT Fine Motor Development program emailncOTPTclinic@niagaracollege.ca.

Performance Clinic information

NC’s Performance Clinic first launched in 2018 but has been closed since 2020.

Physiotherapy appointments are run from the Student Massage Therapy Clinic which opened in Fall 2022, and is open to community clients while providing experiential opportunities for students from NC’s Massage Therapy program.

Occupational Therapy appointments are located within the College’s new OTA-PTA lab at the Applied Health Institute.

Appointments for the Performance Clinic may be booked online (niagaracollege.janeapp.com/), by email (ncOTPTclinic@niagaracollege.ca) or by phone (905-735-2211 ext. 7460). For information visit the Performance Therapy Clinic website at niagaracollege.ca/alliedhealth/performancetherapyclinic/.

The Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist Assistant program is a two-year diploma program within NC’s School of Allied Health. Applied learning opportunities are offered through field placements and lab work. Students are immersed in a unique interprofessional education experience as part of an allied health team.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 9,500 students from over 80 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.