As occupational therapy celebrates its centennial in 2017, attention returns to the profession's founding belief in the value of therapeutic occupations as a way to remediate illness and maintain health. The founders emphasized the importance of establishing a therapeutic relationship with each client and designing an intervention plan based on the knowledge about a client's context and environment, values, goals, and needs. Using today's lexicon, the profession's founders proposed a vision for the profession that was occupation based, client centered, and evidence based--the vision articulated in the third edition of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process. The Framework is a must-have official document from the American Occupational Therapy Association. Intended for occupational therapy practitioners and students, other health care professionals, educators, researchers, payers, and consumers, the Framework summarizes the interrelated constructs that describe occupational therapy practice. In addition to the creation of a new preface to set the tone for the work, this new edition includes the following highlights: a redefinition of the overarching statement describing occupational therapy's domain; a new definition of clients that includes persons, groups, and populations; further delineation of the profession's relationship to organizations; inclusion of activity demands as part of the process; and even more up-to-date analysis and guidance for today's occupational therapy practitioners. Achieving health, well-being, and participation in life through engagement in occupation is the overarching statement that describes the domain and process of occupational therapy in the fullest sense. The Framework can provide the structure and guidance that practitioners can use to meet this important goal.

Currently in the United States, 20% of children ages 6 years or younger live in poverty. Poor children have fewer opportunities than their peers to resources that are important for child development. At the same time, the prevalence of developmental disabilities has increased to 1 in every 6 children. Early identification of developmental delays is critical, and more than half of all American parents do not know the warning signs. Occupational therapy professionals in early intervention and preschool practice can provide the necessary services to support children's health in early childhood. This Practice Guideline explains the occupational therapy process for young children--and their families, caregivers, and teachers--which includes evaluation, intervention, and outcomes planning to enhance a child's occupational performance, adaptation, health and wellness, community participation, role competence, and self-advocacy. Topics include social-emotional development; feeding, eating, and swallowing; cognitive and motor development; service delivery; autism; obesity, cerebral palsy; and parent training. This work can help occupational therapy practitioners, as well as those who manage, reimburse, or set policy regarding occupational therapy services, understand the contribution of occupational therapy in evaluating and serving young children. This guideline can also serve as a resource for parents, school administrators, educators, and other early childhood staff.

Wrightslaw Special Education Legal Developments and Cases 2019 is designed to make it easier for you to stay up-to-date on new cases and developments in special education law.Learn about current and emerging issues in special education law, including:* All decisions in IDEA and Section 504 ADA cases by U.S. Courts of Appeals in 2019* How Courts of Appeals are interpreting the two 2017 decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court* Cases about discrimination in a daycare center, private schools, higher education, discrimination by licensing boards in national testing, damages, higher standards for IEPs and "least restrictive environment"* Tutorial about how to find relevant state and federal cases using your unique search terms

Educational psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and other professionals are often asked by parents or teachers to intervene when ‘normal’ classroom strategies have failed children in their charge. This title, originally published in 1990, brought together for the first time some of the ‘intervention strategies’ available at the time and offers professionals vital information about the results of each strategy in practice. The contributors, acknowledged experts in their fields, present a critical and objective overview of the range of approaches available and apply them to the areas of poor school attendance, maladaptive behaviour, and poor reading levels. They stress the need to avoid replacing a traditional approach with an intervention strategy whose results are unproven. They also warn that different problems demand different approaches and that the consultant must avoid the dogmatic application of a single approach when the child’s welfare is at risk. The need for consultants to deal sensitively with the professionals they are asked to advise is also emphasized. Teachers may feel, for example, that an educational psychologist is out of touch with the realities of teaching. Above all else, interventions should offer realistic and effective methods of improving children’s lives. Intervention with Children provides in one volume practical, effective, and acceptable strategies for working with children. Educational psychologists, LEA advisers, researchers, and other professionals will still find it a valuable source of ideas and a model of good practice from which to develop their own intervention strategies. Written in a clear and accessible style, it will still be of interest to experienced teachers, social workers, and others involved in the management and care of children.

Practice guidelines have been widely developed in response to the health care reform movement. They can be a useful tool for improving the quality of health care, enhancing consumer satisfaction, promoting appropriate use of services, and reducing costs. Using an evidence-based perspective and key concepts from the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, this guideline provides an overview of the occupational therapy process for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), the prevalence of which is increasing rapidly in the United States. It defines the occupational therapy domain, process, and interventions--including sensory integration and sensory-based interventions, relationship-based interventions, school-based programs, social skills interventions, and comprehensive behavioral interventions--that occur within the boundaries of acceptable practice.

The friendly, down-to-earth survival guide OTs need to deliver their important services effectively as part of an inclusive school team.