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.

Various reports in the national media have focused on a potentially significant rise in the incidence of autism during the past decade. As such, providing occupational therapy practitioners with a comprehensive guide for practice with people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to be a primary goal of this best-seller. Recognizing that young children grow into adolescents and adolescents grow into adults, this updated edition includes additional content applicable to adults as well as incorporates the findings from the explosion of recent research in this area. Using the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework as a guide, the 24 revised and new chapters provide the information occupational therapy practitioners need to work with individuals with an ASD in client- centered and occupation-based practice.

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.

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.

ASD is a common developmental disability, currently identified in 1 of 59 children in the United States and occurring across all racial, ethinic, and socioeconomic groups. Occupational therapy clinicians must have thorough knowledge of factors related to ASD, human function and performance, occupation across multiple contexts, and the interactions among them to make sound intervention decisions. -- back