Occupational Therapy License key terms

In occupational therapy, the everyday activities people do to fill their time and give life meaning, such as self-care, work, school, play, and social participation. Performance depends on the fit between the person, the activity, and the setting.

The doing of a chosen task or activity within a given context, shaped by the person's skills, the demands of the activity, and environmental supports or barriers. Therapists assess and document it to show change from intervention.

A systematic breakdown of a task into its steps, required body functions, objects, space, and social demands. Used to grade or adapt an activity so the client can succeed, and to justify the therapeutic use of a chosen task.

Examining how a specific client actually performs a given activity, noting where performance breaks down. It differs from general activity analysis because it focuses on one person's abilities in one real situation.

A Canadian model holding that occupational performance results from the overlap among the person, the environment, and the occupation. Therapists change any of the three to improve fit and performance.

A client-centred Canadian framework depicting the person as spirituality at the core, surrounded by cognitive, affective, and physical performance components, interacting with environment and occupation. Engagement, not just performance, is the desired outcome.

A conceptual practice model explaining occupational behaviour through volition, habituation, and performance capacity, all interacting with the environment. It guides assessment of motivation and habits, and is linked to tools such as the Occupational Performance History Interview.

In MOHO, the motivation for occupation, made up of personal causation, values, and interests. Understanding a client's volition helps explain why someone does or avoids daily activities after injury or illness.

In MOHO, the process by which repeated occupations become routine and are organized into habits and roles. Disruption of habituation, such as losing a work role, is a common target of occupational therapy intervention.

An approach in which the client's own goals, values, and choices direct assessment and intervention. The therapist shares power, collaborates on goal setting, and respects the client as the expert on their own life.

Deliberately making an activity easier or harder by changing its demands, such as amount, complexity, or assistance, so it matches the client's current ability and still promotes progress. Grading is a core intervention skill.

Temporary support or cues given by the therapist so a client can complete a task just beyond independent ability, then withdrawn as skill improves. It is often paired with grading to build competence safely.

The level of task difficulty that is slightly beyond the client's current ability but achievable with effort, promoting learning and engagement. Too easy a task causes boredom; too hard a task causes frustration or failure.

The first part of the occupational therapy evaluation, gathering the client's history, roles, routines, values, interests, and priorities. It establishes what matters to the client before standardized testing or observation begins.

Assessment and intervention that begin with the client's real-life roles and tasks, then examine underlying skills only as needed. It contrasts with bottom-up approaches that start with component deficits such as strength or range of motion.

Basic self-care tasks such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, eating, and functional mobility. Occupational therapy practitioners assess and train these skills, often adapting equipment or the environment to maximize independence.

More complex tasks needed to live independently in the community, such as cooking, shopping, managing money, medication management, transportation, and care of others. They are typically assessed after basic self-care is addressed.

Devices that compensate for limited function so a client can complete daily tasks, such as a sock aid, long-handled sponge, or built-up utensils. Selection should match the client's abilities and be trained in the actual setting of use.

Changing physical or social surroundings to support participation, for example removing throw rugs, adding grab bars, or improving lighting. It can reduce fall risk and demand on the client without requiring new client skills.

A structured walk-through of the client's living space to identify hazards and recommend changes, such as bathroom grab bars or improved lighting. Findings are prioritized by the client's abilities and daily routines.

A method that converts individualized goals into a five-point scale from much less than expected to much more than expected, yielding a numeric score. It supports client-centred goal setting and measurement of change over time.

The planned use of the therapist's personality, insight, and relationship to promote client change and engagement in therapy. It includes empathy, pacing, and boundary setting within a professional relationship.

The collaborative professional bond between practitioner and client built on trust, respect, and clear communication. It is the foundation for assessment, goal setting, and adherence to intervention recommendations.

Integrating the best available research, the practitioner's clinical expertise, and the client's values and circumstances when making decisions. It requires appraising study quality, not just finding a published article.

The amount of movement possible at a joint, measured in degrees. Active ROM is produced by the client; passive ROM is produced by the examiner. Loss of ROM limits self-care and is a common intervention target.

Manual muscle testing scored from 0 (no contraction) to 5 (normal) against gravity and resistance. Accurate grading depends on correct positioning and stabilization of the tested joint.

Techniques that reduce stress on joints during daily tasks, such as using larger joints, avoiding prolonged gripping, and respecting pain. It is commonly taught in arthritis and hand-injury care.

Strategies that reduce fatigue during daily activities, such as pacing, planning rest breaks, simplifying tasks, and organizing the workspace. These techniques support participation for clients with cardiac, pulmonary, or neurologic conditions.

The ability to sustain an activity over time without undue fatigue, pain, or shortness of breath. Therapists monitor vital signs and symptoms to progress activity safely.

Moving a person from one surface to another, such as bed to chair or chair to toilet. Safe technique includes locking equipment, positioning, guarding, and matching the level of assistance to the person's abilities.

Using posture, leverage, and leg strength to move objects or people safely and reduce injury risk. Key points include keeping loads close, bending the knees, and avoiding twisting while lifting.

The ability to move from place to place to complete daily tasks, including bed mobility, transfers, walking, and wheelchair use. It is often documented as a level of assistance rather than a single test score.

A standardized description of how much help a client needs, from independent through supervision, minimal, moderate, and maximal assistance to total dependence. Consistent terms are essential for documenting change and communicating with the team.

Fabricating or fitting an orthosis to support, immobilize, or position a body part, such as a wrist cock-up or resting hand splint. The choice depends on the diagnosis, stage of healing, and functional goals.

A fixed shortening of soft tissue that limits joint motion and can result from immobility or spasticity. Prevention includes positioning, stretching, and splinting as appropriate to the client's condition.

Velocity-dependent increased muscle tone that resists passive movement, common after stroke or brain injury. It can interfere with hygiene, positioning, and function, and is managed with positioning, stretching, and medical intervention.

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory input from touch, movement, and position to produce an adaptive response. Therapy using controlled sensory experiences is most associated with pediatric practice.

How the nervous system registers and responds to sensory input. Difficulties may appear as over- or under-responsiveness, affecting attention, behaviour, and participation in daily routines at home and school.

Using play as the goal and the medium of therapy with children, because play is a primary childhood occupation. It builds engagement, motor and social skills, and participation in family and peer routines.

Coordinated small-muscle movements used for grasping, manipulating objects, and handwriting. Development follows a sequence, and delays may affect school participation and self-care tasks such as dressing.

The written record of evaluation findings, goals, interventions, and progress, often in a problem-oriented or SOAP format. It must be objective, timely, and sufficient to justify services and support continuity of care.