Biopsychosocial Framework For Occupational Therapy Essay

Explain the sequence and rate of each aspect of development from birth – 19 years.

Most of my professional life to date has focused on working with people with disabilities and in helping them identify and achieve their goals. As an occupational therapist, I had coursework in psychology, but no formal training in counseling. My ability to help my patients reach their highest potential really depended on my professional relationship, or what as therapists we referred to as “therapeutic use of self”. I certainly learned and used specific techniques and assessments over the years to help me achieve better outcomes, but never identified with any specific theory as the framework of my interactions. I recognize there were times when my personality and my skills were a great match and other times when I felt like I just couldn’t figure out the right approach. Thankfully for much of my career, I worked with an interdisciplinary team that included some very skilled psychologists, so I always had the ability to consult.

All children and young people develop at different rates, but the order which they advance in differs very little. Children’s development tends to progress from head to toe, inner to outer, from simple to complex and from general to specific.

Through a young person’s development, from birth to 19 they are expected to follow a development pattern including physical, social, environmental, behavioural, intellectual and communicational. The expected pattern is seen as the average time period it would take to accomplish these skills.

Task 1: Explain the sequence and rate of each aspect of development from birth - 19 years.

1a. Explain the sequence and rate of each aspect of development from birth – 19 years.

| 1.1 | Explain the sequence and rate of each aspect of development from birth – 19 years |

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working.” OT Career Path.com also states that, “occupational therapy assistants assist with the rehabilitation and care of patients with mental, developmental, physical, social, and emotional disabilities” Occupational therapist may provide many different forms of service from setting up materials, moving a patient, explaining exercises, preparing reports and implementing treatment plan as prescribed by the Occupational Therapist. An OTA’s duties vary greatly an example of their duties include helping patients acquire fine

Explain the sequence and rate of each aspect of development from birth – 19 years

1.1 Explain the sequence of rate of each aspect of development from birth – 19 years.

1.1 Explain the sequence and rate of each aspect of development from birth – 19 years

As learned in Occupations, completing a developmental profile can be beneficial in both, learning about a client and identifying their needs. Through identifying a client’s needs, occupational therapists can create appropriate interventions to assist the client with those needs. These interventions can be beneficial in improving a clients well-being and life balance.

According to Keilhofner (2009), a paradigm is noted as the “field’s innermost core of knowledge in that it directly addresses the identity of occupational therapy” (pp. 10). Historically, when occupational therapy grew into existence and emerged within the medical world, the profession developed as it shifted into various paradigms. Every paradigm used within the field of has worked to define, redefine, and shape the profession. The utilization of paradigms has provided rationale for the way occupational therapy practitioners provide therapeutic treatment to clients. Paradigms assist practitioners to fully comprehend the individual needs of each client they work with in order to understand what it is they do as professionals. It is necessary

Life span developmental psychology takes a scientific approach to human growth and change, focusing on change during the life span. There are three main aspects to life span development: cognitive, social, and physical development. This class is not simply a discussion of nature vs. nurture, it explores the interaction between genetic and environmental factors that orient us towards specific behaviors. Initially, my views on life span development were limited to more sociological factors, and did not take into consideration physical developments of the brain. In relation to my personal and professional identity this course has made me realize that development occurs on a spectrum and that not everyone develops at the same time, in the same ways, making me more understanding and compassionate towards those who developed differently than me. The three most important lessons I have learned from this class are that development occurs throughout the entire life span, infants begin learning at a very young age, and that senescence begins as early as young adulthood.

Occupational therapy has been in the process of continued development since the 1900’s. With several contributors helping to build the groundwork for creating the awareness needed to bring occupational therapy into the field of health care. Continued research is contributing to the ongoing significance of how occupational therapy is a vital aspect in promoting increased independences in all aspects of healthcare. (Willard, Schell, 2014) With the incorporation of “Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process (3rd ed.)” helps creates the foundation for occupational therapy clinicians as well as other health care providers in facilitating the core believe of occupational and the relationship of health and occupation. (AOTA 2014) Therefore, providing a uniform outline of the various aspects of each individual and how they are interconnected to create the foundation of each individual. With a greater understanding of the foundations of that induvial, the clinician can then facilitate the best therapeutic treatment plan for that individual to achieve their personal goals with unified foundations of care.