Occupational Therapy: A Case Study

Occupational therapy (OT) is a client-centred profession with the primary objective of promoting health and wellbeing through occupation in people with neurological, musculoskeletal, or mental health issues (Hammond, 2004; Michaels & Orentlicher, 2006; Occupational Therapy Australia [OTA], 2016). OTs frequently work as part of an integrated healthcare team in a range of public and private settings, including hospitals, medical rehabilitation units, psychiatric facilities, and schools (OTA, 2016). OTs can utilise their understanding of the importance of occupation to evaluate the impact of changes in motor function, sensation, coordination, visual perception, and cognition, on a person’s capacity to manage daily tasks, such as grooming, eating, and cleaning (Rowland,
This is typically achieved through interviews, observation, and a wide range of other evidence-based assessment measures. Gauging the level of assistance a particular individual requires enables the OT to target appropriate rehabilitation interventions and develop individualised programs of activity, which can in turn serve to increase an individual’s readiness, enhance their effectiveness of response, and restore their sense of mastery, thereby promoting health and recovery (Scaffa, Gerardi, Herzberg, & McColl, 2006).
Skill building is known to be a major component in achieving occupational competence (Reed & Sanderson, 1999). For instance, when a condition interferes with one’s ability to care for themselves and others, participate in leisure and social activities, or perform competently at work, OTs can assist