Occupational Therapy History

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The historical perspective demonstrates how Occupational Therapy (OT) gradually evolved and progressed. Occupation can be traced back to the biblical times. However occupation in health became widely recognized in the western society. Important influences which contributed to the evolution of OT are Industrialisation, Women rights, Economic downturns and World Wars. OT as it is today, began before the 20th century, however many values and beliefs are still applicable in the modern society. The American Occupational Therapy Association was founded In 1917 (Duncan, 2011). The group was formed by individuals who came from many different professional backgrounds, who had a large contribution to OT e.g. Psychiatrist, Social services, Nurses and…show more content…
This became the norm, and other forms of procedures which could not be tested were ignored. However due to this, the value of healing through occupation began to fall and clients became dissatisfied with the emphasis of science on therapy (Gage,1995). They then began seeking professionals who could provide healing though alternative forms of medicine. This gave OTs an opportunity to utilise their values to provide the missing aspect of the clients therapy. Some of the key principles that OTs still preserve are, taking a client centred approach, using different forms of occupation for therapy and realising the potential of the clients abilities (Jackson, 1998). Therefore enabling them to consider the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being of the…show more content…
They focused on the relationship being built on care, trust and respect (Wimpenny, 2012). There are many features to building a rapport with service users, with the importance on maintaining performance and professional boundaries in the healthcare system. The occupational therapist must respect the confidentiality of service users (Health and Care Professions Council, 2012). This include, only using the information gained for the purpose the client have given consent for. When sharing any data within the health care system the service user must be informed (Dimond, 2004). However in certain circumstances, it is the duty for the therapist to share the information gained from the client, for example if the data is required by law or court order. In relation to Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (2010), the therapist must behave in an honest manner by not getting involved in any activities or behaviours which can damage the public's confidence in their profession (Pearmain, 2010). This prohibits the therapist in entering into a relationship which could weaken their objectivity and judgement, as well as give the service user a advantage or drawback in their

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