Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy organized the “Interdisciplinary Approach in Occupational Therapy” International Congress, specifically for its 10th anniversary. The congress is significant as it brings together pioneering Occupational Therapists from 8 different countries internationally for the first time in the Occupational Therapy community. During the online congress, unknown aspects of the interdisciplinary approach in occupational therapy were presented to participants from a broad perspective.
The opening speeches of the two-day congress were delivered by Üsküdar University Founding Rector and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör, Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Hikmet Koçak, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin, and Head of the Occupational Therapy Department Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova. The congress garnered significant interest.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “A serious transformation has begun in the healthcare sector in Turkey”
Speaking about the process of opening the Occupational Therapy department, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated; “We made a new start in Occupational Therapy ten years ago. Its establishment goes back even further. Our hospital was founded in 2006. We opened an Occupational Therapy department. There were trainings there. We were doing various work under occupational activities. A serious transformation has begun in the healthcare sector in Turkey. There is a need for trained professionals in this field. I took the step to open the department, thinking that there is such a department, such a need, and such a scientific reference. I also encountered some serious difficulties. First, physiotherapists objected. They said, ‘We are already doing this, what’s the point?’ Since I adopted the principle of progressing with scientific references, I followed this path. I said, ‘Look, what physiotherapy does is only one leg of Occupational Therapy.’ It’s a work done for the person’s healthy living related to rehabilitation, but the other leg is psychiatric rehabilitation. It’s called tertiary prevention. I said, ‘There is tertiary prevention done to prevent recurrence after a person gets sick.’”
Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör: “Üsküdar is the first university to offer both undergraduate and graduate programs in Occupational Therapy”
Emphasizing that Üsküdar University is the first university in Turkey to open both undergraduate and graduate programs in Occupational Therapy, Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör said, “This number is a very significant number because something has reached a certain point, a certain level of maturity, and at this maturity point, the process has proven itself and demonstrated its academic success. In this context, I thank our Head of Occupational Therapy Department and our Occupational Therapy lecturers. I congratulate them. They work patiently; establishing, developing, and getting interdisciplinary fields accepted is not easy. Because single disciplines are easier. That is not very controversial, but some fields, and Occupational Therapy is one of them, are very ambitious fields. Starting is ambitious, continuing is ambitious. It is difficult, it requires struggle. Therefore, Üsküdar University, as our lecturers stated, broke new ground by opening both undergraduate and graduate programs.”
Prof. Dr. Hikmet Koçak: “Occupational Therapy is also a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary structure”
Üsküdar University Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Hikmet Koçak underlined that Occupational Therapy is one of the departments that serve life. Koçak said; “Üsküdar University is a university that brings firsts to life. It has been ten years since Occupational Therapy was established. If departments that serve life remain alone, their services remain incomplete. Occupational Therapy is also a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary structure. It is a department that conducts multidisciplinary studies needed by everyone from newborns to the oldest people. This is not just a service to the patient. The services received from this department also provide family comfort. It provides a superior service that makes several people happy at once.”
Prof. Dr. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin: “They truly achieved very important things in a short time”
Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin underlined that Occupational Therapy is a multidisciplinary field. Ertekin said; “Indeed, as my professor emphasized, ten years passed very quickly. In ten years, our school pioneered many things and reached very important places. I would like to thank our esteemed professor Sevda Asqarova in particular, the technical group that supported the organization of the congress, my colleagues who took part, and all the speakers. Occupational Therapy is truly progressing towards becoming a much-needed profession in the multidisciplinary field. Although its history is not very long worldwide, they have truly achieved very important things in a short time in our country as well. With the start of our school’s graduate program in this field and its provision of education, I believe that very valuable contributions will be made in this area by highly esteemed faculty members trained within our own country.”
Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova: “We are rightfully proud to be the first university to open an Occupational Therapy department”
Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, Head of Occupational Therapy Department, Prof. Dr. Sevda Asqarova, mentioned that there were participants from many countries at the congress. Asqarova drew attention to the fact that such a congress was being held internationally for the first time; “10 years ago, under the leadership of our Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, we are rightfully proud to be the first university among foundation universities in Turkey to open an Occupational Therapy department, and even the first to open a master’s program. Today, we will experience another first. We will witness a congress where pioneering Occupational Therapists from eight different countries in Europe and America will gather internationally among the Occupational Therapy community in Turkey. While explaining the field of Occupational Therapy, we adapted the mottos from our university’s logo – ‘criticizability, libertarianism, pluralism, participation’ – to our own department, which resulted in our departmental mottos. These concepts; activity and independence, active participation in life, the art of healing, and positive therapy fully represent the field of occupational therapy. We will lay on the table the interdisciplinary concept, its features, and approaches in Occupational Therapy from an Occupational Therapy perspective. A packed congress awaits us over two days, where these concepts will be proven with the participation of our highly esteemed lecturers and valuable guests. I extend my thanks to everyone who has supported us and contributed to our department, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, from its establishment to today.”
Expert names in their fields gathered within the scope of the congress
The first session of the congress, where many approaches to Occupational Therapy were discussed, was chaired by the Chief Physician of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Yılmaz. Barış presented a topic titled ‘Contributions of Occupational Therapy in the Field of Orthopedics’. In the continuation of the session:
-CF Manager Berna Pınar Tunç, ‘How to Focus in a Distracting World?’
- Üsküdar University Spec. OT. Mustafa Sağlıyan, presented a topic titled ‘Ideational Praxis in Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy Practices’.
The second session was chaired by Faculty Member of Hacettepe University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, Prof. Dr. Esra Akı. Akı presented a topic titled ‘History and Development of Occupational Therapy in Turkey’. In the continuation of the session:
-Dr. Bülent Madi, ‘Neuroscience-Based Occupational Therapy’
-Spec. OT. Leyla Ak, presented a topic titled ‘Family Attitude and Participation in Occupational Therapy Interventions in Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy Practices’.
The third session was chaired by Faculty Member of Marmara University, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Prof. Dr. Gönül Acar. Acar presented a topic titled ‘Current Physiotherapy and Orthosis Approaches in Children with Congenital Brachial Plexus Paralysis’. In the continuation of the session:
-Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nalan Çapan, ‘Congenital Muscular Torticollis’
-Spec. OT. Zeynep Ender, presented a topic titled ‘Data-Driven Decision Making in Occupational Therapy Practices’.
The fourth session was chaired by Head of Health Sciences University Gülhane FHS Occupational Therapy Department, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan Pekçetin. In the continuation of the session:
-Deputy Head of Health Sciences University Gülhane FHS Occupational Therapy Department, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barkın Köse, ‘Occupational Balance and Occupational Therapy in Learning Difficulties’
-Head of Kocaeli University, Department of Work and Occupation, Dr. Lecturer Çiğdem Çekmece, ‘Current Occupational Therapy Approaches in Cerebral Palsy’
-Member of Üsküdar Music Society Galip Yetimoğlu - Üsküdar Music Society, Musicologist Hilal Özdemir presented topics titled ‘The Effect of Music in Human Life’ and ‘Music is the Preface of Medicine - Music Therapy’.
The fifth session was chaired by Dr. Lecturer Aymen Balıkçı. Balıkçı presented a topic titled ‘A National Early Intervention Program Based on Enriched Environment: H.E.P’. In the continuation of the session:
-Spec. OT. Ege Temizkan, ‘Vocational Rehabilitation Process for Occupational Therapists’
-Spec. OT. Zeynep Özdemir, ‘EASI and SIPT in Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy Practices’
-Spec. OT. Furkan Cangi, presented topics titled ‘Evidence-Based Sensory-Based Interventions’.
The sessions attracted great interest…
On the second day of the congress, which saw increasing interest, in the morning sessions:
Pediatric Neurology Specialist - Founder of Zatay Health Clinic Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Ekici, ‘Sensory Issues in Autism Spectrum Disorder’, Founder of Sensory Academy Exp. PT. Ebru Albayrak, ‘Sensory Integration in Occupational Therapy’, Spec. OT. Özlem Yalçın, ‘Occupational Therapy Applications in Severe Mental Disorders’, Founder of Special Education in Turkey Prof. Dr. Ümit Davaslıgil, ‘Special Education in Turkey’, Spec. OT. Lecturer Shahram Mohseni, ‘Effect of Occupational Therapy Interventions for Learning and Stabilization of Functional Motor Skills’, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Aydın, ‘Bio-resonance and its Usability in Occupational Therapy’, ‘Collaboration Between Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy’, OT. Menekşe Yüksel, ‘Using the PLISSIT Model in Sexual Daily Life Interventions’, Emotional Muscle Turkey Team and Spec. OT. Melike Mai Arslan, presented topics titled ‘Emotional Muscle’.
In the afternoon sessions:
Head of Bezm-i Alem Vakıf University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, Prof. Dr. Ümit Uğurlu, ‘Occupational Problems and Rehabilitation Process in Rheumatic Diseases’, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selma Ercan, ‘Psychosocial Approach in Eastern Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy Practices’, OT. Psych. İremnur Soylu, ‘Effect of Snoezelen Therapy in Autistic Children Producing Visual Stereotypies’, Kütahya Health Sciences University, Department of Occupational Therapy, Dr. Lecturer İbrahim Yavuz Tatlı, ‘Time Management and Temporal Adaptation’, Member of Ministry of Health YSH Commission - Consultant of Dyslexia Families Diagnosis, Education and Solidarity Association Suna Varol Cörüt, ‘Importance of Occupational Therapy in Preschool Period for Families and Legal Dimension of Occupational Therapy Practices in Turkey and Europe’, President of Dyslexia Families - Diagnosis, Education and Solidarity Association Zeynep Örgeler, ‘Place and Importance of Occupational Therapy in Dyslexia Families’, Spec. OT. Yasin Çelik, ‘Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy Interventions in Tendon Rehabilitation’, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedef Şahin, ‘Occupational Therapy Perspective and the Future of the Profession in Turkey’, Special Education Teacher Semire Emektaş, ‘Sustainable Living Activity of the Rehabilitation Center for Individuals with Special Needs in Hatay Earthquake Zone’, Head of Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Director of Child-Adolescent Development and Autism Application and Research Center Dr. Lecturer Neriman Kilit and NP Feneryolu Clinic - Child-Adolescent Development and Autism Application and Research Center Deputy Director, ÇEGOMER Coordinator Spec. OT. and Clin. Psych. Burak Çebi, presented topics titled ‘The Role and Impact of Occupational Therapy in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and ÇEGOMER’, OT. Alin Zekiye Tüz, ‘Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy Practices in Visually Impaired Children’, Spec. OT. Emre Erdoğan, ‘Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy Interventions in Brugada Syndrome’.
The congress, which attracted intense interest, concluded with the presentation of certificates of appreciation.