Frame of Reference

Frame of reference

is an accepted vehicle for organizing theoretical material in occupational therapy and translating it into practice through a functional perspective.

Theories

are the formalized collection of concepts, definitions, and theoretical postulates, which predict relationships between behaviors and events in specified circumstances.

Concepts

which provide the basis for categorization, are labels of phenomena that have specific, definable characteristics.

Definitions

(the specific, definable characteristics of concepts) are critically important to theory because they identify the shared characteristics of a concept, allowing people to determine which phenomena are included in the concept and which are not.

Assumption

is something that an individual believes in and never questions.

Guide for evaluation

is to suggest methods and tools that may be used to evaluate a client's performance that would be compatible with a particular frame of reference

Application to Practice

articulates for the occupational therapist how the frame of reference is used for treatment. This component meant to clarify how a therapist moves in practice clinically from a theoretical perspective through the process of evaluation and the identification of specific problem areas to intervention.

Theoretical base

provides the foundation of the entire frame of reference.

Constant theories

which are static theories, are concerned only with describing relationships between phenomena. These do not describe a change process or how change occurs.

Dynamic theories

are those that are concerned with and describe the theoretical information the therapist will use to promote change in the individual.

Acquisational theories

are based on learning and interaction with the environment, with change depending on the individual's ability to learn new skills or behaviors rather than on developmental stages or situation.

Operational theories

are based on environmental changes that assist the individual to improve performance or function.

Reciprocal social interaction

is the physical and/or verbal exchange between two or more people that influences the successive behavior of each.

Initiating behaviors

those social behaviors that are directed toward another individual to start an interaction.

Responding behaviors

those directed behaviors toward another individual which is in reaction to the behavior of that individual; may be verbal and nonverbal.

Imitation

occurs when a child produces similar behaviors that have been exhibited by another individual.

Social learning theory

incorporates the concepts of modeling and reinforcement to create an environment in which learning can take place.

Modeling

is the process through which an individual forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed by observing others. This information is then stored in memory to direct an individual's actions in the future.

Reinforcement

is a learning process wherein the person gets feedback from the environment.

Direct external reinforcement

persons adapt behaviors based on the consequences of one's own life experiences.

Vicarious reinforcement

occurs when the positive or negative consequences of a modeled action is observed.

Bandura's theory

individuals acquire new skills and behaviors in social situations through active engagement in the learning process.

Play

involves exploration, experimentation, repetition of experience, and imitation of a child's sorroundings.

Motor play

is crawling, running, jumping, climbing, throwing, kicking, and catching; chasing, wrestling, and engaging in other forms of rough and tumble play.

Assumptions

are underlying theoretical ideas that are held to be true and are not questioned or tested in any way.

Concepts

are labels which describe phenomena that have been observed and have shared characteristics.

are the fundamental building blocks of a theory.

Definitions

explain the meaning of important concepts.

are generally drawn from the theories that are used.

Theoretical postulates

describe the relationship between concepts. Within a theoretical base, the relationship between important concepts are made clear by postulates.

are statements that describe connection between concepts.

Hypothesis

states the theoretical postulate in a way that it can be measured and tested.

includes operational definitions that allow variables to be observed and quantified.

Organizational structure

a design that describes how each of the parts fits together to form a whole.

Function-Dysfunction continua

clearly identifies those areas of function with which the frame of reference is concerned.

Functional Behaviors

Able to put into action a social behavior directed at another person to start an interaction.

Guide for Evaluation

This section identifies how the therapist would approach the evaluation process within a particular frame of reference.

May serve as an evaluation protocol in defining the areas of performance that the therapist should assess.

Postulates regarding change

clarify the relationship between dynamic theory and the guidelines for how the therapist should intervene with the child.

General postulates regarding change

encompass more than the physical environment of the intervention setting.

Specific postulates regarding change

relate to the use of a specific therapeutic technique.

state the type of action the therapist should take to bring an explicit response in the child.

Application to practice

is guided by the postulates regarding change, which describe how an occupational therapist puts theory into action to facilitate change in the child.