Occupation-centred, occupation-based, occupation-focused: same, same or different?

Abstract

Background: Since the beginning of the occupational therapy profession, engagement in occupation has been valued as the primary therapeutic agent as well as the goal of intervention. While there are few today who would not support this idea, occupational therapists continue to struggle with implementing their beliefs through "what we do" and "how we do it". Contributing to this problem is their failure to use terminology in a manner that clearly defines what and how occupational therapists do what they do in occupational therapy research, education, and practice.

Methods: The author will, therefore, first discuss some key occupational therapy terms and propose that they represent an occupation-related taxonomy that can be used to more clearly define and describe for occupational therapists and others what they do and how they do what they do as occupational therapists. Then, with a goal of fostering critical self-reflection among occupational scientists and occupational therapy researchers, educators, and practitioners, the author will go through the stages of the occupational therapy process outlined in the Occupational Therapy Intervention Process Model (OTIPM) and demonstrate how a more precise use of this occupation-related taxonomy can facilitate maximizing the power of occupation in practice.