The Genesis of the Handbook: Material and Methods

Abstract

The International Handbook of Occupational Therapy Interventions came about through extensive literature searches on occupational therapy and medical rehabilitation. These searches also helped is selecting the authors of the chapters in this book, who are experts on clinical interventions in occupational therapy. The searches also identified four major roles for the occupational therapist (OT¹): (1) to manage adaptations applied to the clients’ environment; (2) to teach clients how, through occupation, to regain functioning and daily living skills; (3) to enable clients to perform purposeful and meaningful occupations that may help their recovery; and (4) to promote health and well-being in preventive interventions. These four roles overlap, as is illustrated in the case study of a woman with a femur fracture.