Amy Marshall

A Century of Therapeutic Use of the Physical Environment

In this article, we describe the use of the objects and spaces of the physical environment by occupational therapy practitioners in the United States over the professions first 100 years. Using professional literature selected by decade from the years 1917 through 2016 to obtain data, we applied grounded theory methods to complete a detailed description. Team-based analysis over four coding schemes yielded a theoretical description of the professions therapeutic use of the physical environment. Study findings included descriptions across occupational therapys history of (1) treatment spaces, (2) the concepts of adapting and grading, and (3) a typology of constructive and nonconstructive applications of objects and activities by occupational therapy clients and practitioners. This extended historical perspective on trajectories of change in intervention space, the role of physical products in intervention, therapist repertoire, and the enduring role of adaptation suggests how the physical environment may be used in future practice.

Review of “Transitions to Adulthood for Youth With Disabilities Through an Occupational Therapy Lens,” edited by Debra Stewart

Recent research has demonstrated that occupational therapists have had limited and inconsistent involvement in secondary transition planning, particularly in high schools. Transitions to Adulthood for Youth With Disabilities Through an Occupational Therapy Lens, edited by Debra Stewart, provides evidence, in the form of not only research but also occupational therapy theoretical perspectives and client-centered practice experience, to inform and support occupational therapy services for successful transition into adulthood. The first chapter gives a summary of the research evidence published since 2000, using a person–environment–occupation (PEO) framework to organize the discussion, providing excellent references, as well. The author gives a holistic understanding of each component of the framework, emphasizing, for example, that it is the interaction between the components that shape one’s experience of transition. She points out that aspects comprising different components of the environment (e.g., physical, social, and cultural, institutional) cannot be divided into supports and barriers; rather, it is their fit that determines how they are embodied within each individual. This point relates to the evolving research evidence about transition described in this book. The evidence has shifted away from the traditional view of successful adulthood through the measurement of specific markers, like employment or marriage, to looking at outcomes that are important as described by youth and their families. This is where the unique lens of occupational therapy particularly contributes. Occupational therapists possess a strong understanding of PEO fit and how to modify its components to enable occupational performance. The McMaster Lens for Occupational Therapists, described in the second chapter, is a metaphor for bringing theory and practice into focus. It was developed by occupational therapy faculty from McMaster University as a tool for students and practitioners to make decisions about everyday practice. Throughout the book, the Lens is used to understand transitions to adulthood. The Lens framework also organizes the information presented Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 29:197–198, 2013 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0164-212X print=1541-3101 online DOI: 10.1080/0164212X.2013.792166

Psychopathology and Function (4th Ed.) Bette R. Bonder, PhD, OTR/L

The latest edition of Bonders Psychopathology and Function (2010) provides readers with updated information about a variety of topics relating to the occupational therapy process in mental health ...