This investigation compared language use and social interaction in children with autism receiving two forms of occupational therapy: occupational therapy using standard techniques, and occupational therapy incorporating animals. Twenty-two children between the ages of 7 and 13 received both forms of therapy in a school-based occupational therapy program for children with autism. Results suggest that the children demonstrated significantly greater use of language and significantly greater social interaction in sessions incorporating animals when compared to sessions using exclusively standard occupational therapy techniques.
https://ajot.aota.org/Article.aspx?articleid=1870055

A simple and feasible occupational therapy intervention in people after stroke was successful in increasing outdoor mobility in both the short and the longer term. The benefits of occupational therapy were greatest in those with the worse self reported outdoor mobility at the start of treatment, presumably because they had the most to gain, but we also observed a trend towards a reduction in deterioration in perceived mobility. The benefits of treatment were not lost over time.
http://www.bmj.com/content/329/7479/1372?variant=full-text&goto=reply

Students in the intervention group showed significant increases in in-hand manipulation and position in space scores. Students who received occupational therapy services demonstrated improved letter legibility, but speed and numeral legibility did not demonstrate positive intervention effects.
https://ajot.aota.org/Article.aspx?articleid=1869072

There is considerahle evidence that the goal of health care has moved be­ vonel merc survival to positive health. The surgeon general's report empha­ sized [he necessi[v [0 modify social environments by reducing risk-taking beh:.lviors and Iife-stvles. The in­ creased attention the American peo­ ple now par to exercise, nutrition, en­ vironmental health, and occupational safety reveals the interest and concern with health promotion and disease prevention (Public Health SerVice, 19:9).
https://groups.diigo.com/group/ssu-mot-6691

Studies of the human-companion animal bond reveal many physiological and psychological benefits. Petting a dog with which one is bonded to promotes relaxation, characterised by decreased blood pressure and increases in peripheral skin temperature (Baun, Oetting & Bergstrom, 1991). A report by Connor and Miller (2000) on the use of pet visitation in a critical-care medical setting suggested that AAT had a calming influence on patients, and advocated the use of AAT to increase patient cognition, range of motion, strength, and balance.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1440-1630.2004.00442.x/full

Occupational therapy (OT) is a critical component of the rehabilitation process after spinal cord injury (SCI), the constitution of which has not been studied or documented in full detail previously. The objective was too describe the type and distribution of SCI rehabilitation OT activities, including the amount of time spent on evaluation and treatment, and to discuss predictors (patient and injury characteristics) of the amount of time dedicated to OT treatment activities.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3066503/

What is Occupational Adaptation?It is a theoretical approach that was generated by faculty at Texas Women's University. It was in response to the reductionistic practice of occupational therapy. If you read a lot of the literature, in the '90s, the late '80s and even some in the '70s, occupational therapy scholars are saying that occupational therapists are practicing in a reductionistic manner because we have accommodated to a medical model practice. This theory was written in response to that to help therapists re-engage with the occupational therapy constructs and the core values that we started with as a profession. It was the theory base for the PhD program at TWU. This is how I became aware of the theory is in my master's and my doctoral studies. https://www.occupationaltherapy.com/articles/theory-occupational-adaptation-making-connections-3518

In the context of contemporary New Zealand, this paper discusses the need for occupational therapy to substantiate its claims of being a holistic profession with particular reference to the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand (referred to by the Maori as Aotearoa). In this era of accountability and consumer choice, occupational therapists need to more effectively meet the cultural needs of their clients through an understanding of both the material and nonmaterial aspects of their cultures. However, for New Zealand occupational therapists, cultural sensitivity is not enough to contribute to changing the diminished life chances of the Maori. It is proposed in this paper that the Model of Human Occupation (Kielhofner, 1985; Kielhofner & Burke, 1980), when combined with the work of radical community educators such as Freire (1972), could provide the sociopolitical dimension to New Zealand practice. The Model of Human Occupation is examined in light of current occupational therapy practice in New Zealand. It is argued that this model, when accompanied by a broader understanding of the sociopolitical processes informing monoculturalism, could be seen as a suitable framework for understanding cultural differences in New Zealand and could assist in the move toward providing culturally appropriate occupational therapy for indigenous peoples such as the Maori. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1497082

Three stages of function: cognitive, associative and autonomous stage. Function
defined within context of specific tasks.
The goal is to restore functional movement by developing optimal motor and
cognitive strategies. Recovery is reached when the person is restored to their previous level of abilities as before the accident. https://passtheot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/motor-control-and-motor-learning-pp.pdf

Because occupational therapy professionals are broadly trained in human development (cognitive, physical, social, emotional), health promotion, disease
process intervention, activity analysis and behavior modification, lifestyle interventions, https://www.aota.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/Practice/OT-in-Primary-Health-Care-AJOT-Sept-2012.pdf
and use of adaptive equipment, the
profession could be fundamental to reducing
fragmentation in health care

Literature regarding specific OT interventions for MG is currently lacking. However, due to the similarities of muscle weakness and fatigue seen in MG to other neuromuscular disorders (i.e. multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy) OTs are able to design client-centered therapy programs using similar strategies (Southam, Schmidt & George, 2013). https://sites.google.com/site/studentcapstone100/home/mg-occupational-therapy/ot-intervention

For children with cerebral palsy, occupational therapy can help with muscle and joint coordination issues - issues that can make everyday tasks difficult. Some of these tasks include eating, brushing teeth and bathing. Occupational therapy can help to improve physical, cognitive and social abilities, as well as fine motor skills and posture. This therapy can also help address difficulties with processing sensory information. https://www.cerebralpalsyguide.com/treatment/occupational-therapy/

Expert paediatric occupational therapists are skilled at working with children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and finding solutions to the challenges the condition can present.The therapists recognise that each child and family are different and aim to provide a consultative approach to help them manage their everyday life.
https://www.theotpractice.co.uk/how-we-help/conditions/muscular-dystrophy

Occupational therapy is a health profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation. Occupation refers to everything that people do during the course of everyday life (CAOT Position Statement on Everyday Occupations and Health, 2003) and can relate to participation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the occupations which give meaning and purpose to their lives 1 . Occupational therapists have a broad education that provides them with the skills and knowledge to work collaboratively with people of all ages and abilities that experience obstacles to participation. These obstacles may result from a change in function (thinking, doing, feeling) because of illness or disability, and/ or barriers in the social, institutional or and physical environment (Adapted from the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, 2004).
http://www.myotonic.org/sites/default/files/Occupational%20Therapy%20FINAL.pdf

People of all ages can suffer a distal radius fracture for a wide variety of reasons, from sports injuries on the field to falls and accidents at home.
However, the specific rehabilitation needs of a patient with a broken wrist can also vary widely. Factors such as the severity of the injury, whether or not the dominant hand was injured, the availability of any assistance at home, the presence of comorbidities (two or more simultaneous conditions/impairments), and the job or role expectations the patient must meet all need to be taken into consideration when undergoing physical and/or occupational therapy.
http://www.wosm.com/blog/occupational-therapy-broken-wrist/

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a pilot occupational therapy wellness program designed to teach elders the importance of participation in meaningful social and community occupations to their quality of life
https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=1869276

Articles that appeared in The American Journal of Occupational Therapy (vol 27, 1973 and vol 37, 1983) were reviewed and categorized according to the quantitative procedures employed. Data analysis revealed that the proportion of articles reporting no statistical information decreased from 57% in 1973 to 31% in 1983. Conversely, there was a significant increase in articles containing quantitative methods that were categorized as advanced, from 8% (vol 27) to 29% (vol 37). A trend was also revealed toward multiple authorship of articles over the ten-year period. In addition, the senior authors of articles appearing in 1983 were much more likely to possess graduate degrees than were senior authors of articles published in 1973. This paper discusses the implications of the increased use of quantitative procedures in the occupational therapy literature
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3993726

The objective of this survey was to describe assessment and treatment approaches commonly used by occupational therapists for children exhibiting handwriting and related fine motor difficulties. Secondarily, the application of weights as a treatment modality was also explored. Fifty experienced paediatric occupational therapists from Ontario (46%), Quebec (22%) and six other Canadian provinces, were surveyed by telephone. The majority of therapists indicated that they evaluated gross/fine motor and perceptual skills, motor planning, quality of movement and sensory functioning for this population, while psychosocial and environmental factors were often not formally evaluated. Evaluations most commonly utilized included the Beery, Bruininks-Oseretsky and Gardner Tests. Standardized handwriting assessments were rarely employed. All used an eclectic treatment approach with sensorimotor most frequently selected (90%). Work setting and years of experience did not influence the treatment approach favoured.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10914482

Consistently ranked near the top of the listings of best jobs in healthcare, Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) have a career with a very bright future. As people are working well into their 60's and the baby boomer generation ages, therapies that help individuals maintain their independence, recover from ailments and improve the quality of life will remain in high demand. In addition to the above average job prospects for the coming year, let's take a look at some top Occupational Therapy trends that will be in the news in 2016 and beyond.
http://blog.supplementalhealthcare.com/patient-care-forum/occupational-therapy-trends-for-2016

One of the objectives of the AOTF/AOTA Intervention Research Grant is to
enhance occupational therapy contributions to pressing societal needs.
Occupational therapy practice has had a long history of responding to the
needs of the time. Occupational therapy research is also making important
contributions in new areas and new arenas. And many of these contributions
are coming from our international colleagues. As AOTF Director of Research,
I regularly conduct environmental scanning to identify opportunities, track
trends, and monitor emerging priorities. For many societal issues, there are
opportunities for occupational therapy scientists, researchers, scholars, and
practitioners to make a difference in the outcomes. I wholeheartedly believe
our understanding of everyday living, persons, and environments is unique
among the professions and may be applied to current and emerg
http://www.aotf.org/Portals/0/documents/News/Research-Resources/November%202013%20Research%20Resources.pdf