AOTA

Rondalyn Varney Whitney, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Director of Faculty Development and Scholarship

West Virginia University’s School of Medicine, Department of Human Performance, Morgantown, WV

Wendy E. Walsh, PhD, OTR/L

Chair of University of the Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, Philadelphia, PA

Abstract
The occupational therapy profession was founded as a response to events that led to the occupational disruption in the lives of people, groups, and populations. In today’s COVID-19 outbreak, occupational therapy practitioners can again see their role as essential personnel. The aim of this article is to illustrate the role of occupational therapy during times of disaster that result in occupational disruption, using two case examples to present and

explore evaluation of and intervention for individuals and groups.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify occupational therapy’s essential role in times of disaster (e.g., a pandemic or other national emergency)

2. Describe interventions that promote occupational well-being through the use of occupation

3. Synthesize information and use clinical reasoning to facilitate evaluating, analyzing, and providing occupation-based interventions to address performance patterns in times of occupational disruption

4. Interpret assessment findings of occupational performance and participation deficits to enable development of evidence and occupation-based intervention plans

AOTA Topics Areas:

CE Find Key Words:

Learning Level: Intermediate

Target Audience: Occupational Therapy Practitioners

Content Focus: Domain: Occupations; OT Process: Intervention

Reference Information:

Whitney, Rondalyn Varney, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Walsh, Wendy E., PhD, OTR/L 

(May 2020) Occupational Therapy’s Role in Times of Disaster: Addressing Periods of

Occupational Disruption

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