Occupational Therapy

Exploring the history behind the evolving theories in occupational therapy is a significant component to understanding how each model and frame of reference was developed and continues to be utilized by healthcare professionals. Researching the most commonly used occupation-based model in practice today, the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), allowed for the creation of a more in-depth knowledge base about the biological background of the individual who developed it. It also exposed the application of MOHO to occupational therapy, health care, society, and how intervention can be used in therapy. Investigating the biological narrative of the creator provides knowledge about the motivation behind the development of this model and the aspects

In 1987, the model was revised and refined by other occupational therapists. MOHO is focused on a person’s occupations and helps to explain how a disability and the related problems come about. The model is thought to be client-centered, evidence-based, and holistic by concentrating on the whole person. MOHO emphasizes both the client’s mind and body in addition to putting further emphasis on occupational performance, rather than emphasizing the performance components. Likewise, the environment plays a role in the model and can assist in creating opportunities of better occupational performance (Kielhofner, 2008). MOHO interprets people as being a system. The collaboration of the human as a system, alongside the task, and the environment produces the outcome of occupational behavior. This is expressed within the dynamic systems theory. Occupational performance is dynamic because it affects the health, well-being, improvement, and modification of the system. According to MOHO, the human system is continually fluctuating and restructuring itself through the person’s engagement of their surroundings (Cole & Tufano,

A person’s habits are related to their occupational performance, routines, or styles of their daily occupations. Habits function within the subconscious and are influenced by many different behavior patterns. Habitual behavior frequently goes undetected by the person displaying it. This is because a person does not need to take part in reflection when completing everyday tasks. MOHO states that people conduct themselves in ways that are related to a social identity or position. Roles can be attained or ascribed by the person who exhibits them. An attained role is an identity that a person assumes of their own accord. This type of role displays personal skills, efforts, and abilities. An ascribed role is a position allocated to an individual without having to earn it. Roles can influence the relationships with others as well as the role-related tasks that create daily routines. Disabilities and illness can interrupt established habits and require the development of new habits for the individual to return to everyday activities. Another component within MOHO, performance capacity, is the ability to accomplish an activity as intended. This achievement is founded on the status of a person’s cognitive and physical abilities. According to MOHO, performance capacity is focused on a person’s lived experiences and how they are