1. Most commonly thought of as work, the term occupation can refer to an everyday activity (O’Brien & Hussey, 2012). Occupation can mean being a student, a mother, or a homeowner (O’Brien & Hussey, 2012). This also relates to the idea that an occupation can vary from person to person. For example, just because mowing the lawn is a meaningful activity for Jim, doesn’t mean that it is for Gary. The definition also brings forth the idea that occupational therapy isn’t only used for those who have a disability, illness, injury, or disorder, but also for those who may be at risk for developing one (O’Brien & Hussey, 2012). This provided me with the idea that occupational therapy is used for everyone, not just those with a specific disability or a specific age group. Moreover, occupational therapy is often thought of as a physical rehabilitation of performance, but the AOTA definition shows that it can be used for cognitive and psychosocial aspects as well (O’Brien & Hussey, 2012). These aspects are often overlooked as they aren’t seen as easily as a physical performance. The AOTA definition also brings forth the new idea that occupational therapy doesn’t just occur in one setting. It occurs where it is needed based on the individual or group. Occupational therapy can …show more content…
The profession of occupational therapy was and will remain responsive to political, societal, and cultural needs (O’Brien & Hussey, 2012). Occupational therapy is a profession that is influenced by a history of events, founders, and acts that have lead occupational therapy from the arts and crafts movement toward a reductionist approach and back to history’s holistic approach that focuses on occupations (O’Brien & Hussey, 2012). Although many historical events have shaped occupational therapy, the primary goal of occupational therapy has been to improve occupation in a therapeutic
The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework defines an occupational profile as “the initial step in the evaluation process that provides an understanding of the client’s occupational history and experience, patterns of daily living, interests, values, and needs (2014).” During this process the client’s problems and concerns about daily occupations are identified then the client’s main concerns are determined (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2014). Occupational Therapists strive to be holistic and client-centered, and the occupational profile is one method to ensure treatment takes on these characteristics. During the occupational profile the clients share their priorities based on what is important to them, and the therapist
Though occupation usually refers to a job, a person’s occupation is initially determined by what their everyday life consists of. When a person becomes incapable of performing the tasks that they are expected to do in their everyday life due to developmental delays, physical injury, or psychological problems they are often referred to an occupational therapist. Occupational therapists, or OTs, usually have occupational therapy assistants, often called OTAs. The OT gives the OTA a set of objectives to help the patient achieve. Since people go through numerous occupations during the course of their lives, OT’s and OTA’s prov...
Rehabilitation: Provide adaptations and modifications for physical and cognitive dysfunction. Developmental: Theoretical Assumptions Human development occurs in an orderly fashion throughout the cycle. Steps within the developmental process are sequential and none can be skipped. Client-Centered Frame of Reference: This Frame of Reference is developed from the work of Carl Rogers. It views the client as the center of all therapeutic activity, and the client's needs and goals direct the delivery of the Occupational Therapy
This article discusses the basic understanding of what occupational therapy is and what it the Occupation is defined as “activites of everyday life, names, organized and given meaning by individuals and a culture” (Association, 2006). This article also discusses the historical aspects of occupational therapy. Occupational therapy was founded by many different professionals with different backgrounds, that came together to share the same idea about how occupational therapy should be and the importance of activites for a person. This article also talks about different types of services that occupational therapy offers. Occupational therapists and assistances can work in many different settings.
Townsend & Polatajko (2007) state that “Occupational therapy is the art and science of enabling engagement in everyday living, through occupation; of enabling people to perform the occupations that foster health and well-being; and of enabling a just and inclusive society so that all people may participate to their potential in the daily occupations of life”.
Quiroga, Virginia and Anne Metaxas. Occupational Therapy: The First 30 Years 1900 to 1930. Bethesda, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association, 1995. Print.
Occupational therapy has a multifaceted nature providing endless opportunities to serve a wide range of people within many environments, which is just one of the reasons I love this occupation. My long term goals enlist the desire to maximize my knowledge and abilities to care and supplement the lives of anyone that may cross my path in this career. I have seen occupational therapy positively impact the lives of people around me, and I strive to be a bigger role on the team helping make that happen.
Occupational therapy is a career focused on helping people who have or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability, activity limitation, or participation restriction. An OT’s scope of practice may involve addressing “the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, sensory, and other aspects of performance to support engagement in everyday life activities that affect health, well-being, and quality of life” (Definition of Occupational Therapy Practice for the AOTA Model Practice Act, 2017). I don’t feel like occupational therapy is the right career for me because I feel like I lack certain characteristics that someone in this profession should have.
Occupational therapy made its first appearance in a modern-day setting during the 18th century; however, occupational therapy dates back to 100 BC. The United States medical system adopted occupational therapy in the 19th century. In 1910, occupational therapy became a realized profession. Then, the main focus was working with individuals to get them to a fully functional state. Around 1930, standards of practice were developed for occupational therapists (OT’s). The career continues to evolve and change as new illnesses and disabilities arise. Even with all the changes, the main focus remains intact: helping people.
When I was 15, my grandmother suffered from a severe stroke and was advised to go to a rehabilitation center. At that time I had not ever heard of the profession called occupational therapy. Upon visiting my grandmother, I had the opportunity to witness several health care professionals working together to help rehabilitate her. I have always wanted to engage in a career in which I could attribute to helping people, and at first I thought physical therapy would best compliment my natural abilities but then I encountered the occupational therapist. So as I watched her work with my grandmother diligently I realized that I had found exactly what I was looking for.
Occupational therapy was based off of psychology; we evolved from treating mentally ill patients with isolation as an efficient treatment plan. We must never forget we are known to be “the art and science of helping people do the day-to-day activities that are important and meaningful to their health and well being through engagement in valued occupations” (Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2008). To other professional disciplines this article explains the difference between each of us, yet can also express our relation to one another. The basic goal of all therapeutic disciplines is to better our clients life, through physical, speech or occupational therapy. Every discipline targets different goals, may it be body mechanics, reducing a stutter or buttoning a shirt, at the end of the day our clients well being may it be through science, art or both is all that matters. To the occupational therapy field this article means progress for what we do. Reading this article today in the year 2015 did not seem like old information to me, it is still relevant, I am proud that our field is not only evolving with contemporary time but it is also maintaining its
An understanding of occupation and its science dimension enables the therapist to gain knowledge about how patients orchestrate their lives through the doing of occupations in any given context. The occupational therapy proce...
Kielhofner (2009) states “In the late 1940’s and the 1950s, occupational therapy came under pressure from medicine to establish a new theoretical rationale for its practice. Critiques arose from both Medicine and physicians regarding the concepts used in occupational therapy. Based on those comments, occupational realized the immediate need for a new paradigm. As Kielhofner mentioned “Occupational therapist came to believe it would bring occupational therapist recognition as an efficacious medical service and increase its scientific respectabilities
witnessed first-hand the impact occupational therapy can make in people’s lives, watching the delight of a
(2014). Occupational therapy in mental health act (H.R. 1037/S. 1815). Occupation therapy: living life to its fullest. Retrieved from http://www.aota.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/Advocacy/Federal/Tips-and-Tools/AOTA%20NHSC%201%20Pager-%202014.pdf