Content area
Full Text
PREFACE
The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process, 3rd edition (hereinafter referred to as "the Framework"), is an official document of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Intended for occupational therapy practitioners and students, other health care professionals, educators, researchers, payers, and consumers, the Framework presents a summary of interrelated constructs that describe occupational therapy practice.
Definitions
Within the Framework, occupational therapy is defined as
the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (occupations) with individuals or groups for the purpose of enhancing or enabling participation in roles, habits, and routines in home, school, workplace, community, and other settings. Occupational therapy practitioners use their knowledge of the transactional relationship among the person, his or her engagement in valuable occupations, and the context to design occupation-based intervention plans that facilitate change or growth in client factors (body functions, body structures, values, beliefs, and spirituality) and skills (motor, process, and social interaction) needed for successful participation. Occupational therapy practitioners are concerned with the end result of participation and thus enable engagement through adaptations and modifications to the environment or objects within the environment when needed. Occupational therapy services are provided for habilitation, rehabilitation, and promotion of health and wellness for clients with disability- and non-disability-related needs. These services include acquisition and preservation of occupational identity for those who have or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability, activity limitation, or participation restriction. (adapted from AOTA, 2011; see Appendix A for additional definitions in a glossary)
When the term occupational therapy practitioner is used in this document, it refers to both occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants (AOTA, 2006). Occupational therapists are responsible for all aspects of occupational therapy service delivery and are accountable for the safety and effectiveness of the occupational therapy service delivery process. Occupational therapy assistants deliver occupational therapy services under the supervision of and in partnership with an occupational therapist (AOTA, 2009). Additional information about the preparation and qualifications of occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants can be found in Appendix B.
Evolution of This Document
The Framework was originally developed to articulate occupational therapy's distinct perspective and contribution to promoting the health and participation of persons, groups, and populations through engagement in occupation. The first edition of...