OT Students and Faculty Celebrate a New Simulation Lab

On December 12, 2020, Occupational Therapy students and faculty celebrated the opening of the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Lab on Barry’s Miami campus. Taking proper Covid-19 precautions, attendees wore masks as they explored this new clinical training ground, which features state-of-the art equipment and simulated living environments where OT students can practice assisting patients with the routine functions of daily life. 

To initiate the new lab, students performed demonstrations of various OT-related assessments and interventions. Some tested function and flexibility on their peers, while others practiced the transfer skills, bed positioning, and self-care training so necessary to the day-to-day lifestyles of OT patients. Faculty and staff who were instrumental in the ADL Lab’s opening — notably Program Director Belkis Landa-Gonzalez, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator Orlando Valdes, and Office Manager Lisa Buonadonna — also joined the demonstrations and took part in a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

“The use of this space is critical for students in OT programs to train and acquire the necessary practical skills for select functions performed by OT clinicians,” says Dr. Landa-Gonzalez. While ADL lab work has been part of Barry’s OT curriculum since the program’s inception, this is the first permanent space dedicated to this crucial training. As they enjoy the many benefits of the new lab, students can now opt to record their clinical training simulations for enhanced feedback and learning. In addition to it’s necessary function within the department, Dr. Landa-Gonzalez envisions the ADL Lab as a potential destination for inter-professional collaborations. “We hope to coordinate some of those activities in the future,” she says.