History - International

Ancient Egypt

used holistic methods to soothe distress and promote healing.

Music

rhythmic soundscapes for mental calm.

Art

visual engagement as a meditative practice.

Nature

environmental serenity for health.

Ancient Egypt

Music, Art, and Nature

Greco-Roman Foundations

Daily routine, Physical health, Hydrotherapy, & Occupation

Daily routine

structured living was considered medicinal.

Physical health

diet and exercise were integrated for well-being.

Hydrotherapy

public baths were used for relaxation and restoration.

Occupation

"purposeful activity" was considered part of medical treatment.

Medieval Islamic Bimaristans (MIB)

Bimaristans, Gardens, Arts & Music, & Crafts

Bimaristans

hospitals known for humane treatment.

Gardens

calming natural environments.

Arts & Music

therapeutic tools for rehabilitation.

Crafts

meaningful and productive work for patients.

Ancient Roots of OT

Ancient Egypt, Greco-Roman Foundations, Medieval Islamic Bimaristans

Moral Treatment Era

The philosophy shifted from chains and punishment to kindness and dignity.

Key reformers of Moral Treatment Era

Philippe Pine & William Tuke

Philippe Pinel

promoted routine, work, and respect.

William Tuke

promoted routine, work, kindness, and dignity.

Meaningful work

became a cornerstone of patient rehabilitation in the 1700s.

Dorothea Dix

advocated for safer and calmer hospital environments; reframed mental healthcare around humanity; helped pave the way for modern institutional therapy.

Philippe Pinel

Manual activity; routine, work, respect

William Tuke

York Retreat; kindness, routine, meaningful activity

Benjamin Rush

Labor, exercise, and interests in recovery

Adolf Meyer

Gratifying activity; balance of work, play, rest

George Edward Barton

Coined "Occupational Therapy" in 1914; first NSPOT president

William Rush Dunton Jr.

Father of Occupational Therapy; occupation as a human need

Eleanor Clarke Slagle

Mother of Occupational Therapy; habit training

Thomas Bessell Kidner

Vocational rehabilitation; therapy workshops

Susan Cox Johnson

Arts and crafts in therapy

Susan Tracy

First OT textbook

Herbert Hall

Popularized the "work cure"

Birth of the OT Profession

1900s-1920s

Important figures included in the Birth of the OT Profession

George Edward Barton

William Rush Dunton Jr.

Eleanor Clarke Slagle

NSPOT

National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy

NSPOT established in

1917

NSPOT (National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy)

Its founding marked the organizational birth of OT.

NSPOT (National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy)

Combined ideas from moral treatment, arts-and-crafts therapy, and wartime rehabilitation.

WWI

1914-1945 period in the lecture

WW1

Created an urgent need for women to help soldiers regain skills and confidence.

Reconstruction aides used in WW1:

Crafts

Woodworking

Graded activities

WWI (1914-1945 period in the lecture)

OT became a standard part of rehabilitation.

Hospitals formalized OT programs

WWI (1914-1945 period in the lecture) Focused on:

Restoring physical function

Daily independence

Mental health support

Ethel May Francis

Sylvia Docker

Joyce Keam

These pioneers studied or trained overseas and helped establish OT in Australian hospitals and military rehabilitation.

1942

Wartime OT training course opened in Sydney, led by Sylvia Docker.

1945

Occupational Therapists' Club became the Australian Association of Occupational Therapists (AAOT).

1957

Western Australia enacted the nation's first OT registration International Recognition and Standard.

1952

WFOT formed

WFOT

World Federation of Occupational Therapists

1959

WHO recognition of WFOT

1963

UN acknowledgment of WFOT

2017

Centenary of OT celebrated globally

2025

WFOT listed 111 member organizations and approximately 680,000 therapists

Occupational Therapy

The therapeutic use of self-care, work, and play activities to increase independent function, enhance development, and prevent disability.