This ground-breaking text provides a comprehensive guide to the occupational therapy profession in Australia, from the profession's role in the health care system to the broad scope and nature of its practice. The book is organised into three sections: the Australian context; professional issues and practice issues. Contributions from 80 Australian occupational therapists working in education, research, policy and practice bring together the most relevant and up-to-date information in this essential book. The authors begin the Australian environment section with an overview of the Australian health care system, a history of occupational therapy in Australia and the role of Australian occupational therapy professional associations and regulatory bodies. The values and philosophy of occupational therapy, ethical and legal aspects of practice and the role of occupational therapy in population health and health promotion are considered next. The professional issues covered in the book include using effective communication skills, client-centred practice principles and a strength-based approach when working with individuals, families, groups, communities, organisations and populations. Additional topics, including occupational science, the education of occupational therapists, research in occupational therapy, evidence-based practice clinical reasoning and occupational therapy models of practice, are also covered in the middle section of the book. Occupational Therapy in Australia: Practice and Process Issues is established as the essential practice reference for students, practitioners and educators in Australia. This second edition has been revised and updated throughout and includes new chapters on communication skills, environmental aspects of occupational therapy practice and decolonising occupational therapy through a strength-based approach to practice.

This ground-breaking text provides a comprehensive guide to the occupational therapy profession in Australia, from the profession's role in the health care system to the broad scope and nature of its practice. The book is organised into three sections: the Australian context; professional issues and practice issues. Contributions from 80 Australian occupational therapists working in education, research, policy and practice bring together the most relevant and up-to-date information in this essential book. The authors begin the Australian environment section with an overview of the Australian health care system, a history of occupational therapy in Australia and the role of Australian occupational therapy professional associations and regulatory bodies. The values and philosophy of occupational therapy, ethical and legal aspects of practice and the role of occupational therapy in population health and health promotion are considered next. The professional issues covered in the book include using effective communication skills, client-centred practice principles and a strength-based approach when working with individuals, families, groups, communities, organisations and populations. Additional topics, including occupational science, the education of occupational therapists, research in occupational therapy, evidence-based practice clinical reasoning and occupational therapy models of practice, are also covered in the middle section of the book. Occupational Therapy in Australia: Practice and Process Issues is established as the essential practice reference for students, practitioners and educators in Australia. This second edition has been revised and updated throughout and includes new chapters on communication skills, environmental aspects of occupational therapy practice and decolonising occupational therapy through a strength-based approach to practice.

In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an autism alarm, estimating that one in 150 children may be affected by autism spectrum disorder. Autism has been treated mainly with technical approaches: principally applied behavior analysis and psychopharmacology. The findings in this book implicate oxidative stress as a common feature in autism, and support the claim that oxidative stress and intracellular redox imbalance can be induced or triggered in autism by exposure to certain environmental agents. Such findings could point the way to new treatment approaches in autism. Autism: Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Immune Abnormalities brings together a wealth of cutting-edge evidence that is already influencing how we treat this serious condition. It looks at the role of neuropathological abnormalities, genetics, and those factors common to oxidative stress such as inflammation, immune dysfunction, aberrant cellular signaling, and gene-environment interactions. Among dozens of research topics, this volume - Looks at interactions between genetic and environmental factors such as the maternal immune environment and prenatal/postnatal environmental stressors Summarizes evidence for oxidative damage and inflammation in autism Introduces a PDD behavior inventory as a tool for assessing autism Considers autism as an aberrant adaptive response to neuroinflammation and oxidative stress Examines the role of abnormal calcium signaling and the hypothesis that it may represent a target for novel therapeutics Presents a hypothesis that autism arises from the dysregulation of a unified gut/brain system rather than originating in the brain alone Proposes the utility of using a biopsychosocial method to treat autism This book shows us that autism is not only developmental but also a chronic condition based on active pathophysiology, and that it is not only behavioral but also presents somatic and systemic features. The findings in these chapters support the theory that oxidative stress plays an important role in autism. They also point to the value of conducting in-depth mechanistic studies as a way to uncover new targets for therapeutic intervention in autism.

Evidence-based education is an attempt to find, critique and implement the highest quality research evidence that underpins the education provided to students. This comprehensive book presents concepts key to evidence-based education, learning and teaching, analysing a wide range of allied health professions in depth. It introduces unique, inspirational practice models, ideal for practical application, and highlights ways in which healthcare educators can make use of existing education-related research to improve their teaching and also generate learning environments to promote optimal student experiences. Whilst fostering knowledge and understanding between various health professions, it also improves student outcomes and increases student satisfaction. This edited text is an invaluable resource for healthcare professionals along with experienced clinical and university-based educators such as practice education supervisors, academic educators, educational researchers and doctoral students in a range of areas including nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, radiography, occupational therapy, speech therapy, audiology, paramedics, nutrition and dietetics, and pharmacy who want to ensure their teaching and learning strategies are underpinned by sound empirical evidence.

While paediatric healthcare professionals view play as the treatment tool of choice for children under school age, the theory and practice underpinning play-based therapeutic approaches often remain less clear to individual practitioners. Paediatric intervention approaches are increasingly being questioned, and individual practitioners constantly asked to provide evidence-based practice. In response, a more coherent understanding and fresh discussion on children's play and utilisation of play for therapeutic purposes is needed, especially as societal expectations and lifestyles change. Play as Therapy provides background theory and practical applications of original research on play assessment and interventions used in therapy. The book offers a solid foundation for identifying and assessing play dysfunction, understanding play in different cultural contexts and considerations when intervening with play. The practical approach is underpinned by theory, research and case vignettes to explain how to utilise play as therapy with challenging children.