Occupational Therapy History Notes

Shellshock was a signature injury of World War I, causing nervous and mental shock.
In 1917, the US War Department appointed reconstruction aides (civilian women) to help disabled soldiers.
Lena Hitchcock was among the first OT reconstruction aides in France in 1918; they were called "Blue Birds" due to their unattractive uniforms.
Aides used handicrafts and vocational skills to distract, increase physical activity, and improve morale.

Moral treatment and the Arts and Crafts movements influenced the use of occupation-based activities.
Dr. Herbert Hall used arts and crafts in his "Work Cure" theory to promote self-esteem and health.
Susan Tracy and William Rush-Dutton also recognized the benefits of occupation for healing.

George Edward Barton opened Consolation House in 1914 to rehabilitate himself and others through occupation.
The National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy was founded on March 15, 1917.
Key founders included Barton (first president), Isabel Newton (first secretary), and Dr. William Ruch-Dutton.
Other notable figures: Susan Cox Johnson and Thomas B. Kidner.

Eleanor Clarke Slagle was a key figure in OT's professional development.
She directed the Occupational Therapy Department at Phipps psychiatric clinic and the Henry B. Favill School of Occupations.
Slagle was the society's first Vice President and later Executive Director.

A 1918 government bulletin defined OT as the science of healing by occupation.
OT schools opened in Milwaukee, Boston, Philadelphia, and St. Louis in 1918.
Dr. Adolph Meyer incorporated community-based activities to develop daily living skills.

Reconstruction aides secured a permanent place for rehabilitation in American medicine.
Ora Ruggles emphasized finding occupations to take minds off misfortunes and bring awareness to life.
In 1920, the organization had 190 members and held its annual conference in Philadelphia.

In 1922, AOTA established its first official headquarters and published its journal, The Archives of Occupational Therapy.
In 1923, the organization finalized its name and appointed Eleanor Clarke Slagle as Executive Director.
The Great Depression presented challenges, but AOTA continued to advance the profession.
In 1933, AOTA collaborated with the American Medical Association to accredit OT schools.
Eleanor Roosevelt attended AOTA Conference in 1937, honoring Eleanor Clarke Slagle.

World War II led to an expansion of OT programs in military hospitals.
War emergency courses were introduced to quickly train OTs.
Winifred Kahmann led the Surgeon General's Occupational Therapy branch and raised OT to a professional classification.
OTAs were trained and assigned to Army hospitals.

In 1947, Winnie Kahmann became the first OT elected AOTA President.
AOTA launched the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, with Charlotte Bone as the first editor.
Helen Willard and Clare Spackman released their foundational textbook, Principles of Occupational Therapy.

OT practice became more technical and specialized, focusing on rehabilitation.
Occupational therapists worked in VA hospitals and entered pediatric practice due to the polio crisis.
Eva Otto Munzesheimer and Florence Stattel received AOTA's first awards.
AOTA formed a medical advisory committee and published its first outline of administrative practices.
AOTA became a founding member of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT).

AOTA adopted educational standards for Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) in 1958.
In the 1960s, OT practice shifted from the medical model to psychological and social aspects of treatment.
Fred Sammons founded a company to design and build assistive devices.
Mary Reilly emphasized the importance of occupation in health.
The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 transformed the public care system.
Wilma West highlighted the importance of addressing an individual's physical, mental, emotional, social, and economic needs.
Medicare and Medicaid established programs covering occupational therapy in 1965.
AOTA started a policy and advocacy mission in Washington, DC.
The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) was chartered.

A. Jean Ayres pioneered the theory of sensory integration.
Occupational science emerged as a systematic study of occupation.
In 1969, Lela Llorens became the first person of color to be awarded the Slagle Lecture.

OT embraced holistic roots, focusing on quality of life and function.
New practice areas emerged: prevention and wellness, ergonomics, assistive technology, and meeting the needs of an aging population.
AOTA headquarters moved to Rockville, Maryland, and later to Bethesda, Maryland.

Legislative acts increased demand for OT services.
The 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act expanded practice in school systems.
OT's role expanded further with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990.
OT gained separate coverage as a distinct Medicare Part B benefit in 1986.

The Model of Human Occupation (Kielhofner, Burke) proposed that daily activity choices are driven by motivations, habits, capabilities, and environments.
The Person-Environment-Occupation Model (Mary Law) recognized that environments and occupations determine performance.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) protected the civil rights of people with disabilities.

The relationship with the American Medical Association ended in 1994, with ACOTE taking responsibility for OT education programs.
AOTA's Representative Assembly voted to move entry-level education to the post-baccalaureate level by 2007.
The 1997 Balanced Budget Act caused a setback, but recovery was swift.
In 2006, AOTA unveiled its Centennial Vision.

AOTA's Occupational Therapy Practice Framework reaffirms that clients are at the center of all services.
Today, licensure is required in all 50 states and 3 jurisdictions.
The profession is science-driven and evidence-based.
AOTA has grown from 6 people to 60,000 members in a century.