OBJECTIVE We assessed evidence for post-acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation interventions used to enhance community integration (CI) relevant to occupational therapy. METHOD We conducted a systematic review of intervention studies on TBI rehabilitation from 1990 to 2007. RESULTS We analyzed and summarized 10 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Of 10 studies, 7 found that ...

Occupational therapy practitioners are among the professionals who provide services to children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), embracing both leadership and supportive roles in service delivery. The study's primary aims were as follows: (1) to identify, evaluate, and synthesize the research literature on interventions for ASD of relevance to occupational therapy and (2) to inte...

Although occupational therapy services have been rendered in prisons historically, only one occupational therapy program currently exists in a county jail: the Allegheny County Jail Project (ACJ Project). The offenders who populate county jails experience occupational deprivation. The participants of the ACJ Project have benefited from occupational therapy intervention that was initiated during...

OBJECTIVE Students are taught how to apply clinical reasoning methods through a variety of teaching methods, including the use of case studies. Various types of case studies have been described in the literature: paper cases, videotape cases, simulated client cases, and real client cases. This study examined the effectiveness of a new type of paper case study--the clinical reasoning case study-...

OBJECTIVE We reviewed the evidence regarding the effectiveness of community occupational therapy interventions, delivered alone or within a multidisciplinary team, in improving occupational outcomes for adults with selected chronic diseases. METHOD We completed a scoping review of randomized controlled trials published from 1988 through 2008. Studies included participants with heart disease, ...

In this article, I examine the state of mental health research in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy from 2008 to 2011. Although other practice areas have seen an increase in the number and rigor of intervention effectiveness studies, mental health occupational therapy research has been insufficient to support the profession's role in traditional mental health services. Strategies to ...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether an occupational therapy intervention improved an academic outcome (D'Nealian printing) in a school setting. The study specifically examined improvement in printing skills in economically disadvantaged first graders who were at risk academically and socially. The intervention was based on an occupational framework including biomechanica...

Occupational therapy’s long-standing expertise in activities of daily living includes involvement in the feeding, eating, and swallowing performance of individuals across the life span (AOTA, 2002). Both occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants1 provide essential services in the comprehensive management of feeding, eating, and swallowing problems. These problems can be wide r...

This paper includes information required for establishing and conducting an occupational therapy program in an intensive care unit. Three common problems in the intensive care unit are immobility and prolonged bed rest, sensory deprivation and stress, and prolonged mechanical ventilation. The resolution of these rehabilitation problems through occupational therapy intervention is addressed.

This article presents one perspective on the integration of play activities within a neurodevelopmental frame of reference. Based on the premise that activities are characteristic of occupational therapy intervention, issues related to combining play activities with neurodevelopmental principles are discussed. Clinical examples are also provided to illustrate the value of integrating play activ...