History of occupational therapy from 1950 to 1960

History Of Occupational Therapy

Frame 1 - Introduction

Occupational therapy is an essential part of the recovery process. It allows the person to engage in meaningful activity that adds structure and purpose to their daily routine. Occupational therapy is now considered an essential part of the treatment process for those with long-term, or severe injuries. The role of the occupational therapist is to help the person we turn to a life where they can be independent and are in there and living, regardless of their condition. Occupational therapy helps a person to adjust to the changes in their lives as result of a severe illness or injury. This presentation will explore the history of occupational therapy with a focus on the changes in paradigm that took place during the 1950s and 1960s.

Frame 2 - Occupational therapy was first conceived in the early part of the 1900s. It was originally designed to help "invalids." At that time, many felt that the activities were trivial and that they did little to help the patients (Quiroga, 1995). Now we know differently and consider occupational therapy and essential part of the treatment program.

Frame 3 - One of the areas of greatest change was in regards to training and experience required to become an occupational therapist (Kearney, 2004). Another change was the degree of specialization that exists in the occupation.

Frame 4 -- In 1935, the first edition of "Essentials" was published. This publication served as a means to bring consistency and a unified theory to the field of occupational therapy. Many more editions have been published throughout the years and this guide still serves to define and bring quality to the field of physical therapy. Changes in "Essentials" reflects paradigm shifts in practice and in theory.

Frame 5 -- Training requirements changes in the 1950 edition of Essentials, increasing the time spent in psychiatry training. The time spent in tuberculosis, general medicine and surgery also increased. These increased training times reflected changes that were occurring in the field of medicine (Kearney, 2004).

Frame 6 -- The medical model continued to influence the practice of occupational therapy during the 1950s. Occupational therapists were no longer regarded merely as "craft" teachers as they were in the earl y part of the century. They were now regarded as true medical professionals.

Frame 7 -- The medical model would remain the standard in occupational therapy and practice throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Changes in practice standards would mean that the field of occupational therapy would become more complex, as would the required training.

Frame 8 -- The 1950s and 1960s saw a growing acceptance of the reductionist paradigm and both those in the field of medicine and those in occupational therapy became more specialized and the divisions into specialized field continued (Kearney, 2004). This lead to conflicts within the field about whether the field should continue to specialize or whether it should remain generalized.

Frame 9 -- In 1956, the Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) position was created to help ease the demand for OTs. OTs required 4-6 years of training in order to be certified. The field of occupational therapy continued to grow and by the 1960s had become highly specialized (Kearney, 2004).

Frame 10 -- During this period of specialization, the field of occupational therapy became divided into specialized field of pediatrics, developmental disabilities, and the physically infirm. Occupational therapists also specialized in working with the mentally ill and others to help them become functional and contributing members of society. In 1958, it was observed that occupational therapy was not the only occupation undergoing specialization. The fields of law, medicine, and engineering were also becoming highly specialized (Kearney, 2004).

Frame 11 -- In 1963, Moore criticized the field of occupational therapy for the inability to communicate effectively with other members of the medical community. At that point, their training consisted of half science and half "arts and crafts" training (Kearney, 2004). Studies were conducted and in 1965, Essentials was revised again to reflect these changes.

Frame 12 -- The revisions in the 1965 edition set the standard for all subsequent editions of the manual. The manual emphasized science and medicine, but added greater recommendations for inclusion of the social sciences. This edition de-emphasized arts and crafts classes.