Occupational Therapy (OT) addresses the assessment and treatment of the development and maintenance of meaningful activities (or occupations) performed by an individual across their lifespan. OT utilizes comprehensive clinical rehabilitation techniques that address sensorimotor, neuromusculoskeletal, and psychosocial components in order to maximize independence and performance of our daily activities within the areas of work, rest, and play.
OTs help in regaining function along a treatment spectrum that ranges from rehabilitation techniques that utilize physical medicine procedures to adaptation techniques that incorporate the use of compensatory strategies and assistive devices and aids. OT examines the needs of the individual based on their ability to perform either activities of daily living (ADLs) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
ADLs regard our basic self-care performance areas, such as dressing, grooming, bathing, toileting, as well as our ability to properly ambulate within our self-care environments.
IADLs refer to more complex tasks that we perform which incorporate more integrated and sequenced skill sets (such as laundry, cooking, cleaning, managing finances, work-related skills, medication management, social skills, and goal planning and development).
Neurodevelopment
Neurodevelopment is the brain’s ability to create the neurological pathways responsible for our ability to learn, focus, create motor movement, and develop memories and social skills. Everything a human being engages in on a daily basis (such as reading, writing, listening, and watching) is contributing to neurodevelopment of the brain.
The objective of occupational therapists specializing in neurodevelopment is to improve the learning process through training exercises which identify and strengthen weak neurodevelopmental pathways. Deficits in the natural processes of neurodevelopment are typically characterized by disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), motor disorders, communication disorders, and intellectual developmental disorders. Neurodevelopmental methods can identify and improve deficits by analyzing the neural pathways associated with that specific deficit harnessing the power of neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt to changes in an individual’s environment by forming new neural connections over time. Aspects of our brain are incredibly adaptive and can be altered in response to environmental and/or structural changes. Neuroplasticity explains how the human brain is able to adapt, master new skills, develop motor movement, store memories and information, and initiate brain recovery after a traumatic brain injury using wholism, neural re-education, and biohacking techniques.
Occupational therapists examine the various aspects that determine how the brain is able to integrate patterns and information through its ability to regulate the relationship between the following components:
Sensorimotor – sensory awareness (such as visual, proprioceptive, and auditory factors), sensory processing (including kinesthesia, spatial relations, and depth perception), neuromusculoskeletal (such as range of motion, strength, and posture), and motor components (fine motor coordination, dexterity, praxis, etc.).
Cognitive Integration – including orientation, memory, sequencing, concept formation, generalization, recognition, and problem solving.
Psychosocial/Psychological – values, interests, self-concept, role performance, social conduct, interpersonal skills, self-expression, time management, and coping skills.
