April is National Occupational Therapy (OT) Month, dedicated to recognizing the role of occupational therapy practitioners in helping people across the lifespan participate in daily activities. Established in 1980 by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), this month promotes public awareness of how OTs enable independence in daily life. We at Davenport are using this opportunity to highlight the diverse career journey of select alumni, including Ellen Altenhoff, below.

 

When Davenport University alum Ellen Altenhoff first started her undergraduate journey, she thought she was destined for nursing. But after a challenging encounter with organic chemistry, Altenhoff pivoted, using the opportunity to shadow professionals across the health care spectrum, from dietitians to physical therapists. She even shadowed a certified hand therapist, a realm of occupational therapy she didn’t know existed.

Throughout her undergraduate years, she remained interested in occupational therapy, an incredibly diverse and evolving field, offering practitioners many ways to make a meaningful impact on people’s daily lives.

Altenhoff graduated in December 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a minor in nutrition. She started Davenport’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program that fall.

For Altenhoff, Davenport stood out because of its emphasis on practical experience, hands-on labs and professors who work in the field. She graduated with her master’s degree in occupational therapy in May of 2024.

“The program’s smaller class sizes were really a draw for me,” Altenhoff said. “The lab space built into the classroom was incredible. They had an apartment set up next to the classroom tables. It is great to be able to get real-world practice right there.”

Beyond the facilities, Davenport’s curriculum gets students into the field early. Altenhoff said that being able to start fieldwork in her first year was a “really big draw,” allowing her to apply classroom theories to real patients almost immediately. This hands-on approach was bolstered by faculty who bring their own clinical experience into the classroom.

“The professors were always open to answering questions, and I’m a question-asker,” Altenhoff said. “I used their office hours all the time. They were all OTs themselves, and some of them were still active treating therapists. They could give real-world examples. I thought that was helpful.”

While she was in Grand Rapids, Altenhoff explored respite work. “I found a woman on a Facebook page seeking after-school support for her child,” Altenhoff said. “I took the opportunity and it changed my outlook on OT.”

The woman’s daughter had cerebral palsy. The family did a lot of intensive therapy and introduced Altenhoff to DMI – dynamic movement intervention. Altenhoff saw how it changed the little girl’s life. “That experience is very much part of why I have the job I have today.”

One of the most exciting aspects of occupational therapy for Altenhoff is the sheer breadth of the field. After graduation, Altenhoff landed at CI Pediatric Therapy Centers in Madison, Wisconsin.

“I work in intensive therapy,” she said. “The kids come for 80 hours a month. We see them 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. They’re seen by PT and OT. It’s such a collaborative space where we can really home in on a certain skill area such as functional mobility. It’s awesome to see how quickly they make progress with the intensive therapy.”

Altenhoff bounces her time between there and traditional outpatient pediatrics, which she loves. “I get to see a wide age range of kids. We support all different kinds of occupations, including self-care, emotional regulation, executive functioning, feeding and so much more.”

She’s recently taken a pelvic floor course, a niche area for occupational therapy. “It’s a little bit more PT-dominant in the world but that has also been really interesting,” she said. “I’ve been able to support a lot of my clients and their families as they work through toileting and pelvic floor routines, which is a very needed thing. There’s only one other clinic in our area that offers those services.”

Altenhoff said occupational therapy is truly an umbrella job. “The work we do is broad,” she said. “We do a lot of baking at our clinic. It’s a fun and functional thing to work on. We’re able to individualize our treatment to bring meaning back into people’s lives.”

For those considering a career in occupational therapy, Altenhoff recommends students job shadow. “Go see as many settings as you can. Even if you think you’re interested in adults, go see what a typical day is like. I had the opportunity to see OT in a NICU. It all looks so different.”

Second, she said, ask questions and use your professors and clinical instructors as resources. Don’t be afraid to ask about “the good, the bad, and the ugly,” she said.

As Altenhoff looks toward the future, she hopes to someday mentor occupational therapy students as a fieldwork educator.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever met an OT who isn’t super passionate about their work,” Altenhoff said. “I love my job. It’s so rewarding when my patients come in and say ‘Miss Ellen, guess what I did’ or ‘Mom, show Miss Ellen the picture of what I did this weekend.’ Once we hit graduation day, I’m sad because I want to keep them, but I’m excited to see them not need us anymore.”

For more information on Davenport University’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program, visit www.davenport.edu/academics/areas/health-professions/master-science-occupational-therapy