Practice theory provides a way of understanding everyday life, but until now its application in occupational therapy has not been much developed. Theorising Occupational Therapy Practice in Diverse Settings draws on practice theory to explore the conditions for occupational therapy practice in a variety of clinical and non-traditional settings. With examples from around the globe, the chapters of the first section unfold practice theory perspectives of occupational therapy history, the management of occupational therapists in health systems, professional roles and working contexts. A bridging chapter reviews this development and sets out some of the global social phenomena that shaped occupational therapy; including colonialism and social inequality. The authors look forward to where the profession finds itself at present, in terms of social and health needs, power structures, occupational therapy theory and emerging areas of practice. The second section of the book considers how occupational therapists are responding to the challenges facing the profession in relation to issues of access, resources and change. A final chapter reviews how occupational therapy can meet the health-related occupational needs of individuals, communities and populations throughout the 21st century. While acknowledging the complexity of occupational, health and social needs, the book enables readers to relate occupational therapy aims and objectives effectively to pragmatic strategies for dealing with the realities of working in different settings. With numerous case examples, this is an important new text for students and practitioners of occupational therapy. It is relevant both for those working in, or preparing for, placements in mainstream health and social care services, or in community interest companies, charities and social enterprises.

Practice theory provides a way of understanding everyday life, but until now its application in occupational therapy has not been much developed. Theorising Occupational Therapy Practice in Diverse Settings draws on practice theory to explore the conditions for occupational therapy practice in a variety of clinical and non-traditional settings. With examples from around the globe, the chapters of the first section unfold practice theory perspectives of occupational therapy history, the management of occupational therapists in health systems, professional roles and working contexts. A bridging chapter reviews this development and sets out some of the global social phenomena that shaped occupational therapy; including colonialism and social inequality. The authors look forward to where the profession finds itself at present, in terms of social and health needs, power structures, occupational therapy theory and emerging areas of practice. The second section of the book considers how occupational therapists are responding to the challenges facing the profession in relation to issues of access, resources and change. A final chapter reviews how occupational therapy can meet the health-related occupational needs of individuals, communities and populations throughout the 21st century. While acknowledging the complexity of occupational, health and social needs, the book enables readers to relate occupational therapy aims and objectives effectively to pragmatic strategies for dealing with the realities of working in different settings. With numerous case examples, this is an important new text for students and practitioners of occupational therapy. It is relevant both for those working in, or preparing for, placements in mainstream health and social care services, or in community interest companies, charities and social enterprises.

The profession of occupational therapy has a highly specialised language, but until now there have been no standard definitions of its key terms. Based on the work of the terminology project group of the European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE), this book selects and defines the core building blocks of occupational therapy theory. Consensus definitions of a wide range of terms are developed through an analysis of published definitions from around the world. Concepts with similar meanings are clustered into groups, and the clusters are then arranged into a conceptual map. The book provides an analysis of what each term means in common usage, how it is used in occupational therapy, and its implications for therapeutic practice. The conceptual framework that emerges represents an important contribution to the profession's understanding of the fundamental concepts of occupational therapy. The consensus definitions presented in this book will facilitate communication between professionals as well as with clients and others, and will be of interest to occupational therapy practitioners, students, educators and researchers.

Global Perspectives in Professional Reasoning is the first text of its kind to address the broader scope of occupational therapy practice and the different types of professional reasoning that can be employed, including strategic, political, nonlinear, creative, and social reasoning. This text encompasses a wide range of thinking skills and cognitive processes used by occupational therapists, from reflecting on practice to solving problems, and from reasoning in the clinic to reasoning in the wider political, social, and cultural worlds. Marilyn B. Cole and Jennifer Creek and their contributors are therapists, educators, and scholars who have explored new areas of professional practice and written about the thought processes that reinforced their actions. The authors come from around the world, providing a global perspective while also demonstrating that occupational therapists within different cultures serve remarkably similar human needs: to be included in their communities, to have occupational choices, and to determine their own life course. Many of the contributors in Global Perspectives in Professional Reasoning have identified and analyzed their own thought processes as they tackled complex and challenging tasks, often in unfamiliar contexts. These challenging tasks have produced several entirely original conceptualizations of professional reasoning, such as development and spiritual reasoning. The contributors start by observing what is going on, try to make sense of the situation, and then work out what to do. Other contributors are fascinated by a theory, a policy, or an approach; study it; and then look for ways to utilize it in practice. Most of the time, contributors focus their attention on the process of reasoning rather than on the specific types of reasoning they are employing or on desired outcomes. Inside Global Perspectives in Professional Reasoning, each chapter charts the learning process that contributors went through as they extended their thinking skills and processes to meet the challenges they encountered. All the chapters describe reasoning in practice and all of them utilize theory. A broad and fresh take on professional reasoning in occupational therapy practice, Global Perspectives in Professional Reasoning is the perfect resource for occupational therapy students and clinicians who want to utilize reasoning to tackle the most complex and challenging of tasks.