Occupation as a Means and an End

As occupational therapists, one of our main focuses when trating a client is to provide them with occupation-centered services. This is what sets OT apart from other health professions. As a profession that puts an emphasis on occupation, this truly should be at the core of everything we do. Occupation can come into play in several ways during a treatment, so the OT certainly has some options as far as how to incorporate occupation into their treatment. The OT can use an occupation as a means by using occupation as a therapeutic intervention that will improve a client’s body functions, motor performance skills, and process performance skills. For example, if the client is having problems with balance in a way that results in their struggling to fully complete certain ADLs, the OT could use an ADL such as having the client stand at a sink to brush their teeth during the therapy session to improve balance while tying in ADL work. The OT can also use occupation as an end, which means that the therapist would use an occupation of the client’s choosing as an end goal on which the OT will work to help the client achieve. An example of this would be seen with a client who loves to golf but has balance issues. The OT would use the occupation of golfing as an end goal, so each OT session will use different interventions for regaining or strengthening balance all while doing this in order to help the client be able to balance while playing golf.