Occupational Therapy and Assistive Technology

Occupational Therapy and Assistive Technology

Introduction

• Lesson two builds upon lesson one, focusing on assistive technology (AT) and the distinct value of occupational therapy (OT).
• OT aims to improve health and quality of life by facilitating performance, engagement, and participation in meaningful, necessary, and familiar activities of everyday life (occupations).
• OTs use client-centered approaches, focusing on function and aiming for cost-effective, positive outcomes.
• Assistive technology can be integrated into interventions and assessments to help individuals live life to the fullest.
• The OT profession turned 100 in February 2017.

Scope of Occupational Therapy

• OT services span various settings, including:
  • Children and youth
  • Aging
  • Healthy living
  • Mental health
  • Disability and illness
  • Work-related injuries
• The primary goal is to improve health and quality of life by focusing on participation and engagement in meaningful occupations.

The OT's Role in Assistive Technology

• Occupational therapists are crucial in assistive technology assessment and intervention.
• They collaborate within an interdisciplinary team including:
  • The client (most important)
  • Caregivers
  • Rehabilitation professionals (physical therapists, speech and language pathologists)
  • Educators
  • Vocational rehabilitation counselors
  • Nurses
  • Personal care assistants
  • AT vendors
• OTs address access and accessibility, particularly for motor impairments, but their role extends beyond just access.
• OTs holistically consider the client, focusing on occupation-based, client-centered, and function-oriented approaches.

Occupations: The Core of OT

• Occupations are central to occupational therapy; assistive technology supports independence in occupational engagement and performance.
• The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (3rd ed.) defines occupations explicitly.
• Occupations: Activities with meaning, purpose, and value to the individual.
• Broad range of occupations:
  • Activities of daily living (ADLs) / Basic activities of daily living (BADLs)
  • Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)
  • Rest and sleep
  • Education
  • Work
  • Play
  • Leisure
  • Social participation
• OT practitioners identify the main occupations clients engage in, alone or with others.
• Occupations occur within a context and are influenced by client factors, performance skills, and performance patterns.

Client Factors

• Client factors include:
  • Values, beliefs, and spirituality
  • Body functions
  • Body structures
• These reside within the client and influence performance in occupations.
• Values, Beliefs, and Spirituality: Perceptions, motivations, and meanings that influence engagement in occupations; directly impact motivation.
• Body Functions: Physiological functions of body systems (mental, sensory, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, voice, etc.).
• Body Structures: Anatomical parts of the body (organs, limbs) that support body functions.
• The presence, absence, or limitations of these do not guarantee success or difficulty in daily occupations.

Performance Patterns

• Performance patterns include habits, routines, roles, and rituals used when engaging in occupations.
• They can support or hinder occupational performance and develop over time, influenced by multiple factors.
• Understanding these patterns helps OTs understand how performance skills and occupations are integrated into a client's life.
• Even with skilled performance, not embedding skills in productive engagement patterns can negatively impact health, participation, and well-being.
• Habits: Specific, automatic behaviors (useful, dominating, or impoverished).
• Routines: Established sequences that provide structure for daily life (can promote or damage health).
• Roles: Behaviors expected by society, shaped by context and culture, defined individually, in groups, or at a population level; guide occupation selection.
• Rituals: Symbolic actions with spiritual, cultural, or social meaning; contribute to identity and reinforce values and beliefs.

Performance Skills

• Performance skills are goal-directed actions observed as small units of engagement in daily life occupations.
• They are learned, developed over time, and situated in specific environments and contexts.
• Include motor skills, process skills, and social interaction skills.
• Performance skills are the client's demonstrated abilities.
• Many body functions underlie each performance skill.

Conclusion

• The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (3rd ed.) in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy is a crucial reference.
• OTs are instrumental in accessible design and the creation of AT, involving individuals with disabilities in the process.
• Knowledge of client factors, performance patterns, and performance skills positions OTs to identify and create AT that helps individuals with disabilities engage in meaningful occupations.
• Reflection on designing and adapting for accessibility encouraged.
• This video provides a foundation for the role of OT in assistive technology and introduces expectations for the signature assignment.