Occupational Therapy Glossary

A conceptual practice model explaining how occupation is motivated, patterned, and performed within environmental contex...

The process of acquiring and refining motor skills through practice, resulting in relatively permanent changes in motor...

The cognitive process of organizing and sequencing body movements to complete unfamiliar or complex motor tasks.

An intervention strategy that simultaneously engages multiple sensory systems to enhance learning, processing, and occup...

The continuous partial contraction of muscles at rest, providing postural stability and readiness for movement.

The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, which administers the national certification examination f...

A therapeutic approach focusing on normalizing movement patterns and postural control in individuals with neurological d...

A therapeutic approach focusing on facilitating normal movement patterns and inhibiting abnormal reflexes in individuals...

Therapeutic approaches that use meaningful activities and occupations as both the means and ends of intervention.

A theoretical framework describing the dynamic process by which individuals respond to occupational challenges and devel...

The state of being prevented from participating in necessary or meaningful occupations due to external factors beyond in...

The right of all individuals to have equitable opportunities to engage in meaningful occupations that contribute to thei...

The ability to carry out activities of daily life that have meaning and purpose for an individual.

Initial assessment component that gathers information about a client's occupational history and current concerns.

An externally applied device designed to support, align, prevent deformity, or improve function of movable body parts.

An externally applied device designed to support, align, prevent, or correct musculoskeletal deformities or improve func...

The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, AOTA's official document defining the profession's domain and process.

The fourth edition of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, AOTA's official document defining the profession's do...

A theoretical model that examines the dynamic interaction between person, environment, and occupation to optimize perfor...

The underlying skills and abilities required for occupational performance, including sensorimotor, cognitive, and psycho...

The habits, routines, roles, and rituals that influence how clients engage in occupations.

Observable, goal-directed actions that a person enacts when performing daily life tasks, including motor skills, process...

A structured format for formulating clinical research questions that guides evidence-based practice searches.

A Medicare program that incentivizes healthcare providers to report quality measures and demonstrate evidence-based care...