Clio has taught education courses at the college level and has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction.
As an occupational therapist, one of the things Kelly cares about most is her clients' occupational performance, or how well they are able to do the tasks and skills that are important to their daily lives and functioning. Kelly knows that occupational performance criteria are different for different people; for instance, some of her clients are working on learning to dress and feed themselves, while others are working on regaining lost skills for manipulating machinery and technology. Kelly starts thinking about the different factors that influence her clients' occupational performance regardless of the differential nature of their goals and objectives.
First, Kelly knows that the environment a client lives and works in can make a big difference in their occupational performance. Environment includes where they live and work, and it also includes their support system on both a social and a financial level. For example, Kelly's patients who live alone sometimes actually have higher performance levels because their environment dictates a need for independence. At the same time, they might sometimes struggle more because they have fewer supports built in as part of their daily life. Kelly tries to learn as much as she can about each client's environment as part of establishing their goals and work plans in the context of occupational therapy (OT).
Kelly knows that occupational performance can also vary tremendously based on context, meaning exactly where and when a skill is being performed. Context can contribute to or detract from stress, and it can also put different requirements forth for Kelly's clients to pursue. Kelly thinks about one client who is on the autism spectrum. When he is in a dimly lit room surrounded by quiet, he is able to dress himself, including doing laces, zippers and buttons independently. The same child, when surrounded by peers at school getting ready to play outside, cannot even put his jacket on. One of Kelly's goals is to help him transfer, or move, his skills from one context to another.
Another factor that Kelly knows can play a big role in her clients' occupational performance is their underlying condition. A client who is pursuing OT because of a broken arm, for instance, has very different occupational performance levels from a client who is getting OT because of degenerative multiple sclerosis (MS). Of course, when Kelly works with clients, she tries to pay attention to what they are actually able to do and what their goals are, rather than the dictates of their diagnosis. On the other hand, she knows that a condition like autism, MS or a traumatic brain injury will inevitably impact a client's performance and, sometimes, even their long-term potential.
Many of Kelly's clients are taking medications for a variety of reasons. Some are taking psychiatric medications, which can impact their neurological functioning in ways that are immediately relevant to their work in OT. Other clients are taking medications for physical symptoms, and these, too, might have side effects like sleepiness, increased or decreased appetite, a tremor or other things that can impact their occupational performance in terms of muscle control and management of sensory stimuli. Kelly keeps an up-to-date list of all of the medications and dosages each of her clients is taking, and she stays in communication with their prescribers about whether the medications seem to be having a profoundly negative impact on their performance levels.
Finally, Kelly knows that many of her clients see other therapists for different kinds of support as well. These include, but are not limited to:
The work Kelly's clients do in each of these therapies can impact their occupational performance, so Kelly maintains open and collaborative relationships with the other therapists working with her clients.
As an occupational therapist, you have probably noticed that there are many different factors that can influence your clients' occupational performance over time. Staying alert to these factors will help you better understand and meet the needs of your patients. Some of the most important factors that play a role include:
Become a Study.com member and start learning now.
Become a MemberAlready a member? Log In
Back
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
