Big ole Intro to OT set

Occupation

Meaningful activities that people need, want, or are expected to do in daily life.

Occupational Therapy

A healthcare profession that helps people increase or improve their ability to participate in meaningful daily activities when illness, injury, disability, or life challenges interfere.

Common Prerequisite Coursework for OT Grad Program

Anatomy & Physiology I & II (with labs), psychology (intro, abnormal, developmental/lifespan), biology, statistics, sociology or anthropology, medical terminology, physics (some programs), and sometimes chemistry, kinesiology, or nutrition.

Moral Treatment

A humane approach to mental health emphasizing dignity, compassion, and engagement in meaningful occupations rather than punishment.

Arts and Crafts Movement

A movement emphasizing hands-on creative activities to improve self-esteem, function, employability, and overall well-being.

World War I

Influenced OT through the use of occupations by reconstruction aides (often nurses) to support soldiers' physical and mental recovery.

World War II

Expanded OT dramatically due to high demand for rehabilitation services, leading to rapid growth in OT education, aides, and apprenticeships.

How OT Got Its Roots in the US

OT developed through moral treatment, arts and crafts, World War I reconstruction aides, and leadership from founders such as Eleanor Clarke Slagle and the formation of NSPOT (later AOTA).

Philippe Pinel

Introduced moral treatment in France and believed humane care and engagement in occupation improved mental health.

William Tuke

Founded the York Retreat in England and promoted compassionate, occupation-based routines.

Benjamin Rush

First American physician to advocate humane treatment of people with mental illness and the use of daily activities.

Herbert Hall

Physician who adapted the Arts and Crafts Movement into graded 'work cure' programs for nervous disorders.

Jane Addams

Co-founded Hull House and demonstrated how meaningful community activities promote well-being and social participation.

Eleanor Clarke Slagle

Known as the 'Mother of Occupational Therapy'; developed habit training, founded the first OT school, formalized OT education, and served as AOTA's first Executive Director.

Adolf Meyer

Developed the psychobiological approach; emphasized balance, daily rhythms, and meaningful occupation as central to health.

William Rush Dunton

Considered the 'Father of Occupational Therapy'; coined 'occupation therapy,' authored early OT texts, and co-founded NSPOT.

George Barton

Used occupation for personal rehabilitation, founded Consolation House, hosted NSPOT's founding meeting, and served as its first president.

Susan Tracy

Nurse who taught early occupational nursing classes and authored one of the first OT textbooks.

Thomas Kidner

Architect who advanced OT in vocational rehabilitation and tuberculosis treatment using graded occupations.

Domain of OT Practice

Includes occupations, contexts, performance skills, performance patterns, and client factors that influence participation.

Occupations

ADLs, IADLs, education, work, play, leisure, rest/sleep, and social participation.

Performance Skills

Motor, process, and social interaction skills used to perform occupations.

Performance Patterns

Habits, routines, roles, and rituals.

Client Factors

Body functions, body structures, values, beliefs, and spirituality.

Environmental Factors

Cultural, personal, physical, social, temporal, and virtual influences that shape occupational participation.

ADL

Activities of Daily Living; basic self-care tasks necessary for body care and health.

IADL

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living; more complex activities that support independent living but are not required for basic survival.

Theory

Ideas, concepts, and principles that explain phenomena and guide understanding.

OT Model of Practice

A broad framework guiding understanding of occupational performance and the interaction between person, environment, and occupation.

OT Frame of Reference

A specific set of principles that guide evaluation and intervention planning.

Person-Environment-Occupation Model (PEO)

A model explaining that occupational performance is maximized when person, environment, and occupation are in balance.

Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance Model (PEOP)

Expands PEO by adding performance as a fourth interacting component.

Model of Human Occupation (MOHO)

Focuses on volition, habituation, performance capacity, and environment.

Canadian Model of Occupational Performance

Emphasizes client-centered practice and spirituality.

Occupational Adaptation Model

Focuses on adaptation through interaction between person and environment, leading to mastery through modified activity.

Biomechanical Frame of Reference

Focuses on strength, range of motion, and endurance to improve occupational performance.

Steps in the OT Assessment/Intervention Process

Referral, screening, evaluation, intervention planning, intervention implementation, reviewing the intervention plan, measuring outcomes, discharge.

Referral

A provider request explaining why OT services are needed.

Screening

A brief assessment to determine the need for a full evaluation.

Evaluation

An in-depth assessment of occupational performance and skills.

Intervention Planning

Development of goals and a treatment plan based on evaluation results.

Intervention Implementation

Carrying out the intervention plan through therapeutic services.

Reviewing Intervention Plan

Monitoring progress and modifying goals or methods as needed.

Measuring Outcomes

Determining the effectiveness of therapy and need for continued services or equipment.

Discharge

The formal completion of OT services.

Preparatory Methods

Interventions used to prepare a client for occupation, including sensory techniques, therapeutic exercise, orthotics, and physical agent modalities.

Purposeful Activity

Goal-directed tasks that simulate real occupations but are not the actual task.

Occupation-Based Activity

Actual meaningful tasks the client wants or needs to perform in daily life.

Activity Analysis

The process of examining an activity's steps, skills, materials, and demands to guide intervention.

Grading

Changing the difficulty of a task to match a client's abilities.

Adapting

Modifying tools, materials, or the environment to support participation.

Occupational Therapist

Independently evaluates clients, plans care, designs interventions, supervises OTAs, and makes discharge decisions; requires a master's or doctoral degree.

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Works under OT supervision to implement interventions and collect data; requires an associate degree.

Acute Care Setting

Short-term care immediately after injury or illness focusing on safety and early functional recovery.

Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting

Intensive therapy setting where patients receive multiple hours of therapy daily to return to prior living situations.

Outpatient Rehabilitation Setting

Therapy provided while clients live at home and attend sessions 1-3 times per week.

Long-Term Acute Care Setting

Treats medically complex patients focusing on endurance and functional improvement.

Subacute Care Setting

Skilled nursing facility-based rehab with less intensity than inpatient rehab.

Long-Term Care Setting

Ongoing residential care focused on maintaining function and quality of life.

Home Health Care Setting

OT services delivered in the client's home environment.

Hospice Setting

Care for individuals with a life expectancy of six months or less focused on comfort and dignity.

School Setting

OT services provided to students with IEPs to support school participation.

Pediatric Clinic Setting

Outpatient therapy for children with developmental, sensory, or functional challenges.

Community-Based Practice Setting

OT services delivered in community environments to support public health and participation.

Mental Health Facilities Setting

OT services that support functional participation for individuals with mental health conditions.

Adult Inpatient Physical Disability OT

Helps hospitalized adults improve ADLs, mobility, and independence for safe discharge.

Psychosocial OT Practice

Focuses on emotional, social, and behavioral functioning to improve daily participation and quality of life.

Pediatric OT

Supports children's development and participation in self-care, school, play, and social activities.

Similarities Between All Areas of OT

All aim to improve participation, collaborate with others, use therapeutic activities, and involve assessment and goal setting.

Beneficence

Ethical principle requiring OT practitioners to act in the best interest of the client.

Nonmaleficence

Ethical obligation to avoid causing harm or exploitation.

Autonomy and Confidentiality

Ethical principles protecting client choice and private information.

Procedural Justice

Ethical principle requiring fair, equitable, and just service delivery.

Veracity

Ethical duty to tell the truth and provide accurate information.

Fidelity

Ethical principle emphasizing faithfulness, integrity, and honoring commitments.

Professional Roles of OT Practitioners

Practitioner, educator, fieldwork educator, administrator, supervisor, consultant, researcher, entrepreneur, faculty, and program director.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Federal law protecting individuals with disabilities from discrimination.

Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975

Law guaranteeing free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Civil rights law requiring access and least restrictive environments for individuals with disabilities.

Five General Intervention Approaches

Create, establish, maintain, modify, and prevent.