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Occupational Therapy

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Synonyms

Activities of daily living (ADL); Daily life skills; Health science; Instrumental activities of daily living: ergotherapy; Occupation; Occupational science; Participation; Rehabilitation

Definition

The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) defines occupational therapy as a client-centered health profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement (WFOT 2012).

Description

Occupational therapy, founded in 1917, has become a well-established profession within the areas of health and rehabilitation with over 95 member countries in the WFOT membership....

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References and Further Reading

  • American Occupational Therapy Association. (2005). Occupational therapy code of ethics. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 59, 639–642.

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  • British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists. (2015). Code of ethics and professional conduct. Retrieved from https://www.rcot.co.uk/practice-resources/rcot-publications/downloads/rcot-standards-and-ethics. Accessed 15 Aug 2018.

  • Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (2007). Canadian association of occupational therapists code of ethics. Retrieved from https://www.caot.ca/site/pt/codeofethics?nav=sidebar. Accessed 15 Aug 2018.

  • Carey, L. M., & Baum, C. (2011). Occupational therapy. In N. P. Azari (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of sciences and religions. Heidelberg: Springer.

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  • Christiansen, C. (1999). Defining lives: Occupation as identity: An essay on competence, coherence, and the creation of meaning. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 53, 547–558.

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  • Christiansen, C., Baum, C. M., & Bass-Haugen, J. (2015). Occupational therapy: Performance, participation, and well-being (4th ed.). Thorofare: SLACK.

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  • Duncan, E. A. (Ed.). (2011). Foundations for practice in occupational therapy. Churchill Livingston/Elsevier Health Sciences.

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  • Eriksson, G., Kottorp, A., Borg, J., & Tham, K. (2009). Relationship between occupational gaps in everyday scientists study the full range of phenomena that is human occupation. From basic mechanisms of body function and structure to sociocultural influences, they address measurement, intervention, and translational and health services research life, depressive mood and life satisfaction after acquired brain injury. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 41, 187–194.

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  • Hasselkus, B. (2002). The meaning of everyday occupation. Thorofare: SLACK.

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  • Herzog, A. R., Franks, M. M., Markus, H. R., & Holmberg, D. (1998). Activities and well-being in older age: Effects of self-concept and educational attainment. Psychology and Aging, 13, 179–185.

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  • Horgas, A. L., Wilms, H., & Baltes, M. M. (1998). Daily life in very old age: Everyday activities as expression of successful living. The Gerontologist, 38, 556–568.

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  • Kielhofner, G. (2004). Conceptual foundations of occupational therapy (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: F. A Davis. Authoritative texts on occupational therapy.

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  • Law, M. C., Baum, C. M., & Dunn, W. (2005). Measuring occupational performance: Supporting best practice in occupational therapy (2nd ed.). Thorofare: SLACK.

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  • Occupational Therapy Board of Australia. (2014). Code of conduct. Retrieved from http://www.occupationaltherapyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines/Code-of-conduct.aspx. Accessed 15 Aug 2018.

  • Polatajko, H. J., Davis, J., Cantin, N., Dubouloz-Wilner, C.-J., & Trentham, B. (2013). Occupation-based practice: The essential elements, Chapter 8. In E. A. Townsend & H. J. Polatajko (Eds.), Enabling occupation II: Advancing an occupational therapy vision for health, well-being and justice through occupation (2nd ed., pp. 203–227). Ottawa: CAOT Publications ACE.

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  • Söderback, I. (Ed.). (2009). International handbook of occupational therapy interventions (Vol. 1, 1st ed.). New York: Springer.

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  • Townsend, E. A., & Polatajko, H. J. (2013). Enabling occupation II: Advancing an occupational therapy vision for health, well-being & justice through occupation (2nd ed.). Ottawa: CAOT Publications ACE.

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  • World Federation of Occupational Therapists. (2012). Definition of occupational therapy. Retrieved from http://www.wfot.org/AboutUs/AboutOccupationalTherapy/DefinitionofOccupationalTherapy.aspx. Accessed 15 Aug 2018.

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Correspondence to Carolyn Baum .

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Baum, C., Carey, L.M., Polatajko, H.J. (2019). Occupational Therapy. In: Gellman, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_905-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_905-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Occupational Therapy
    Published:
    22 February 2019

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_905-3

  2. Original

    Occupational Therapy
    Published:
    23 September 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_905-2