Occupational Therapy
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is the use of purposeful activity or interventions to promote health and achieve functional outcomes. Achieving functional outcomes means to develop, improve, or restore the highest level of independence of an individual who is limited by a physical injury or illness, dysfunctional condition, cognitive impairment, psychosocial dysfunction, mental illness, developmental or learning disability or an adverse environmental condition.
OT services may include: assessment/evaluations, treatment, education, consultation.
Interventions may be directed towards work readiness, work performance, leisure skills or capacities, enhancing educational performance skills.
OT uses purposeful activities, or occupations, to engage the client/patient in the therapeutic process. There are 9 areas of occupation as defined in the AOTA Occupational therapy practice framework (2020).
- Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) – “taking care of one’s own body” (AOTA, 2020). These activities ensure basic survival and wellbeing.
- Bathing, showering
- Toileting and toilet hygiene
- Dressing
- Swallowing/eating
- Feeding
- Functional mobility
- Personal device care
- Personal hygiene and grooming
- Sexual activity
- Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) – “activities to support daily life within the home and community” (AOTA, 2020). These often require more complex interactions and skills.
- Care of others
- Care of pets
- Child rearing
- Communication management
- Driving and community mobility
- Financial management
- Health management and maintenance
- Home establishment and management
- Meal prep and cleanup
- Religious and spiritual activities and expression
- Safety and emergency maintenance
- Shopping
- Rest and Sleep
- Rest
- Sleep preparation
- Sleep participation
- Education
- Formal educational participation
- Informal personal educational needs or interests exploration
- Informal personal education participation
- Work
- Employment interests and pursuits
- Employment seeking and acquisition
- Job performance
- Retirement preparation and adjustment
- Volunteer exploration
- Volunteer participation
- Play
- Play exploration
- Play participation
- Leisure
- Leisure exploration
- Leisure participation
- Social participation
- Community
- Family
- Peers, friends
9. Health Promotion
- Social and emotional health promotion and maintenance
- Symptoms and condition management
- Communication with the health care system
- Medication management
- Physical activity
- Nutrition management
- Personal care device management (AOTA, 2020)
Helpful Links:
American Occupational Therapy Association: https://www.aota.org/
World Federation of Occupational Therapy: https://www.wfot.org/
References:
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2), 7412410010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001