Occupation Science By: Timothy Dwyer. The History of Occupational Science Founded in 1989 by...
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Transcript of Occupation Science By: Timothy Dwyer. The History of Occupational Science Founded in 1989 by...
Occupation Science
By: Timothy Dwyer
The History of Occupational Science
• Founded in 1989 by Elizabeth June Yerxa (on left).
• Since 1989, the research Occupational Science as grown worldwide.
What is Occupational Science?
• The study of a human as an occupational being, centering around how human beings realize their sense of meaning
through occupation. • It is a way of bringing together many different strands of
OT knowledge and skills to make a clear explanation of how and why people act in everyday situations.
• Occupational Science is not a single theory, model, or frame of reference, but it is a social science.
• Its does not belong to any one group of people.
Key Terms
• Occupation- chunks of culturally & personally meaningful activity that humans engage in which can be named in the lexicon of
the culture. Includes sexual, social, and spiritual activity.
• Adaptation- a process of selecting & organizing activities to improve life opportunities & enhance quality of life according to the
experience of individuals or groups in an ever-changing environment.
• Play- intrinsically motivated activity in which the experience is pleasurable.
The Relationship of Occupational Science to OT
• The knowledge about occupation is the key link between OT and Occupational Science.
• Occupational Science places great value on all experiences of life.
The 3 Forms of Occupation
• Form of occupation– Focuses on the observable occupations. Ex.
Occupational performance.
• Function of occupation– Ways in which occupations serve adaptation. Ex. Any
behavior that promotes health and well-being.
• Meaning of occupation– Occupations that have significance in a person’s live
and culture. Ex. Baby showers.
2 Concepts of Adaptation
• Adaptive strategies– Are sequences of actions that improve life
opportunities or enhance the quality of life.
• Adaptive systems (person-centered)– Includes activities in all domains of life.
Importance of Play
• A behavior is more playful if it is voluntary, pleasurable, relaxing, and improvisational.
• Play should not be forced on people, rather they should play for the pure enjoyment.
• A way of increasing playfulness in a child is by making a variety of toys and objects readily available.
Play continued
• By placing a child into his/her home environment, it will increase playfulness.
• Play is a main component for integrating multiple developmental skills.
• Play and work are on opposite sides of a continuum in the Occupational Science model.
Applications
• Occupational Science applies to every kind of disease from infancy to the elderly.
• The main application is that a clinician must listen to the patients to find out what interests them.
• The therapist must use the patient’s interests to aid in assessment and to make it easier to work with the patient.
Research
• Susan Knox studied the demographics of a family.
• Sheama Krishnagiri completed a study on how mate selection can be defined as an occupation.
References
• Clark, Florance & Zemke, Ruth (1996). Occupational Science. The Evolving Discipline. F.A.
Davis Company. Philadelphia.
• Wilcock, Ann A. Occupational Science: The key to broadening horizons. British Journal of
Occupational Therapy. August 2001.
• Yerxa, Elizabeth J (2000). Occupational Science: A Renaissance of Service to Humankind Through Knowledge. Occupational Therapy International. London.
Unique Elements
• Occupational Science is the study of a human as an occupational being, centering on how human beings realize their sense of meaning through occupation.
• Occupational Science is not based on any one group of people.
• Three forms of occupation are the form, function, and meaning of occupation.
• Adaptive systems and Adaptive strategies are the two components of adaptation.
• Play is the main assessment tool for Occupational Science.
• The model is relatively new and requires more research in order for it to become a Conceptual Practice Model.