OT Master of Occupational Therapy 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An OT is treating a client with lateral epicondylitis. Which activity modification would BEST reduce symptom aggravation?
- Increasing grip force during tasks
- Using a wrist splint in full extension during all activities
- Using ergonomic tools with larger diameter handles (Correct answer)
- Performing repetitive wrist flexion exercises
Correct answer: Using ergonomic tools with larger diameter handles
Larger diameter tool handles reduce the grip force required, decreasing stress on the common extensor tendon origin.
Question 2: A premature neonate in the NICU is demonstrating stress cues during feeding. The OT should FIRST:
- Increase the flow rate of the bottle nipple
- Pause the feeding and allow the infant to stabilize (Correct answer)
- Continue feeding to encourage endurance
- Switch to a cup feed immediately
Correct answer: Pause the feeding and allow the infant to stabilize
Pausing feeding when stress cues appear allows the infant to recover physiologically and prevents aspiration.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes the role of occupational justice in OT practice?
- Ensuring all clients receive the same treatment protocol
- Advocating for equitable access to meaningful occupations for all people (Correct answer)
- Prioritizing productivity occupations over leisure
- Focusing only on individual client impairments
Correct answer: Advocating for equitable access to meaningful occupations for all people
Occupational justice recognizes that all people have the right to engage in meaningful occupations and challenges societal barriers that prevent this.
Question 4: A client with Parkinson's disease shows freezing of gait. Which OT strategy is MOST evidence-based to address this?
- Reducing walking speed to zero when freezing occurs
- Using visual or auditory cues (e.g., lines on floor, metronome) (Correct answer)
- Prescribing a power wheelchair immediately
- Teaching backward walking exclusively
Correct answer: Using visual or auditory cues (e.g., lines on floor, metronome)
External rhythmic cues (visual floor markings, auditory beats) bypass deficient internal timing mechanisms in Parkinson's to reduce freezing episodes.
Question 5: According to the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF-4), 'habits' are BEST defined as:
- Internalized roles that guide occupational behavior
- Automatic behaviors integrated into daily routines (Correct answer)
- The skills needed to perform an occupation
- Values and beliefs that motivate action
Correct answer: Automatic behaviors integrated into daily routines
The OTPF-4 defines habits as acquired, automatic tendencies to respond in certain ways in familiar contexts and situations.
Question 6: A therapist working with an adult client with intellectual disability focuses on supported decision-making. This approach PRIMARILY promotes:
- Substituted judgment by the guardian
- Client autonomy and self-determination within their capacity (Correct answer)
- Full independence without any assistance
- Legal guardianship for all decisions
Correct answer: Client autonomy and self-determination within their capacity
Supported decision-making enables individuals with intellectual disabilities to make their own choices with appropriate support, preserving autonomy.
Question 7: When conducting a task analysis, the OT breaks down an occupation into its component steps to identify where performance breaks down. This process is MOST useful for:
- Determining insurance reimbursement rates
- Identifying specific points of intervention to restore or compensate for function (Correct answer)
- Writing a client's discharge summary
- Selecting standardized assessment tools
Correct answer: Identifying specific points of intervention to restore or compensate for function
Task analysis pinpoints the specific subtasks or skill components where breakdown occurs, allowing targeted intervention planning.
OT Master of Occupational Therapy 5
An OT is treating a client with lateral epicondylitis.
Which activity modification would BEST reduce symptom aggravation?