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Model of Human Occupation

   Throughout the presentations given in class today regarding the history of occupational therapy, one character that stood out to me was Dr. Gary Kielhofner. He is responsible for creating the Model of Human Occupation, first published in 1980, which is the most widely used theory in OT research and practice today. This model aimed to explain how human occupation is motivated, patterned, and performed. It emphasizes that humans are complex and many factors contribute to human occupation, including the context or environment in which it takes place.
   While Dr. Kielhofner is responsible for the foundation of this theory through his master thesis, it has been built upon my numerous others throughout the past few decades, evolving into what it is today. Just as OTs can work in a variety of settings and with many diagnoses, the Model of Human Occupation can be used for traumatic brain injury, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and dementia as well as in hospitals, outpatients clinics, and nursing homes, just to name a few. The strong foundation laid by Dr. Kielhofner, volume of input and collaboration by other experts into this model, and years of refinement have helped to make the Theory of Human Occupation a current leading theory in the field of occupational therapy.

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