Course description
Course Summary
The MSc Visual Impairment Rehabilitiation aims to provide health and social care professionals with a Master's level qualification together with enhanced competency to work with visually impaired people in a therapeutic and rehabilitative capacity.
Course Details
The MSc Vision Impairment Rehabilitation was developed in partnership with Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (GDBA) and is one of the first programmes of this nature in the UK.
Core Modules Optional Modules - select two
* Visual Impairment 1
* Visual Impairment 2
* Research Methods
* Evidence Based Practice
* Specialist Practice
* Functional Neuroscience for Rehabilitation
* Occupational Therapy for Children, Young People and Families
* Occupational Therapy in Mental Health
* Occupational Therapy for Active Ageing
* Occupational Therapy in Forensic Mental Health
Core Modules
Visual Impairment 1
Main topics include: anatomy and physiology of the eye; ocular pathologies; development and role of the sense organs.
Visual Impairment 2
Main topics include: overview of visual impairment rehabilitation; review of the research based literature on visual impairment rehabilitation theory and practice; detailed exploration of current visual impairment policy and legislation; exploring contemporary issues such as the effectiveness of visual impairment rehabilitation interventions; working in partnership with service users and carers; socio-cultural perspectives of visual impairment; anti-discrimination practice and social inclusion; examine current evidence and research related to the visual impairment issues; explore a detailed selection of quantitative and qualitative measures appropriate for assessing and evaluating clinical practice or service delivery in visual impairment; develop and demonstrate specialist skills including environmental orientation and mobility for blind and partially sighted people.
Research Methods
Main topics include: philosophical underpinnings of research methodology; proposal design; searching and reviewing the literature; ethical issues in research and research governance; surveys and longitudinal studies; questionnaire design; experimental and quasi-experimental designs; n of 1 studies; statistical analysis and using spss; depth interviews; focus groups; observation; use of documentary sources; qualitative analysis.
Evidence Based Practice
Main topics include: conducting literature searches; examining the structure of research papers; comparing results and interpreting outcome measures; understanding the purpose and process of meta analyse; examining published outcomes measures; sharing examples of audit.
Dissertation
The dissertation will take the form of an extensive literature review or a journal article.
Optional Modules - select 2 from the following:
Specialist Practice
Main topics include: learning contracts: needs analysis, goal setting, strategies and resources for learning, reflective practice; delineation between networking activities and research activities.
Functional Neuroscience for Rehabilitation
Main topics include: nervous system development and plasticity; synaptic physiology – chemical transmitters; modifable synapses: from development, to learning and recovery of function; autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic function; functional neuroanatomy – from pathways to neurological lesions and deficits; cellular mechanisms of neural injury and repair in stroke, injury and brain trauma; genetics of neurodegenerative disorders; brain chemistry, emotions and behaviour; pain and chronic pain management; cortical functioning in sensation and perception; vision and control of gaze; hearing and speech; brain imaging; consciousness: EEG, coma, sleep and epilepsy and cognition; modern neuroscientific tools for the exploration of brain function.
Occupational Therapy for Children, Young People and Families
Main topics include: analysis of aspects in child development and study of common problems and disorders in childhood; review of the research based current evidence on occupational therapy theory and practice for children and adolescents; review the clinical reasoning process in paediatric occupational therapy practice; examine a selection of experimental methods appropriate for assessing and evaluating clinical practice or service delivery in children’s health; exploration of effective ways of incorporating the family into their child’s assessment and treatment; exploration of relevant current children’s health policy and legislation.
Occupational Therapy in Mental Health
Main topics include: overview of occupational therapy in mental health; review of the research based literature on occupational therapy theory and practice in mental health; detailed exploration of current mental health policy and legislation in relation to occupational therapy practice; exploring contemporary issues; examining current evidence and research related to the contemporary mental health issues; exploring a detailed selection of quantitative and qualitative measures appropriatefor assessing and evaluating clinical practice or service delivery in mental health.
Occupational Therapy for Active Ageing
Main topics include: occupations, occupational deprivation and occupational justice for older people; current older persons’ health policy and legislation pertaining to occupational therapy; review of the research based literature on occupational therapy theory and practice for older people; person centred care; quantitative and qualitative measures to assess clinical practice or service delivery for older people; joint working across Health and Social Care voluntary contexts; risk assessment, social inclusion and health promotion; present orally, their informed opinion pertaining to current policy and legislation (relating to active ageing) and occupational therapy practice.
Occupational Therapy in Forensic Mental Health
Main topics include: historical perspective of forensic mental health; review of the research based literature on occupational therapy theory and practice in forensic mental health; detailed exploration of current Mental Health Policy and Legislation in relation to occupational therapy practice; exploring contemporary issues such as the, effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions in forensic mental health; working in partnership with service users and carers; socio-cultural perspectives of forensic mental health; anti-discrimination practice and social inclusion; examining current evidence and research related to the contemporary forensic mental health issues; exploring a detailed selection of quantitative and qualitative measures appropriate for assessing and evaluating clinical practice or service delivery in forensic mental health.
Special Features
Research within the School includes:
* Professional Practice (eg user involvement, occupational science, health promotion, falls prevention, discharge planning, acute care, cultural awareness)
* Research in Rehabilitation
* Ageing Studies
