Occupational Therapy

From The Critics

Reviewer: Elizabeth Walker Peterson, MPH, OTR/L(Univ of Illinois at Chicago Coll of Associated Health Professions)
Description: This is the second edition of a textbook that describes the practice of occupational therapy (OT) on a fundamental level.
Purpose: It is intended to serve as a introduction to the field for students. The four sections of the book cover an overview of OT; descriptions of the arenas in which occupational therapists practice; descriptions of professional OT organizations along with current issues in, and projections for the future of, OT practice; and selected references.
Audience: This book was written for students enrolled in two-year or four-year OT programs. To make the text useful to students in both professional and technical OT educational programs, the author successfully uses nontechnical language to clearly and thoroughly describe complex topics.
Features: The appendixes are useful references, although the glossary is not comprehensive. Realistic case studies are presented throughout the text. Their illustrative qualities bring clarity to the subjects described. Black-and-white photographs depicting occupational therapists at work are included at the beginning of each chapter. These photographs are of fair quality but lack explanatory captions.
Assessment: This work contains valuable information for OT students seeking a greater understanding of the field. The author's descriptions of OT history and practice are interesting, insightful, and relevant. This second edition includes up-to-date information on OT demographics and accurately portrays the occupational therapist as a professional whose practice is influenced by trends in health care delivery and financing.

Elizabeth Walker Peterson

This is the second edition of a textbook that describes the practice of occupational therapy (OT) on a fundamental level. It is intended to serve as a introduction to the field for students. The four sections of the book cover an overview of OT; descriptions of the arenas in which occupational therapists practice; descriptions of professional OT organizations along with current issues in, and projections for the future of, OT practice; and selected references. This book was written for students enrolled in two-year or four-year OT programs. To make the text useful to students in both professional and technical OT educational programs, the author successfully uses nontechnical language to clearly and thoroughly describe complex topics. The appendixes are useful references, although the glossary is not comprehensive. Realistic case studies are presented throughout the text. Their illustrative qualities bring clarity to the subjects described. Black-and-white photographs depicting occupational therapists at work are included at the beginning of each chapter. These photographs are of fair quality but lack explanatory captions. This work contains valuable information for OT students seeking a greater understanding of the field. The author's descriptions of OT history and practice are interesting, insightful, and relevant. This second edition includes up-to-date information on OT demographics and accurately portrays the occupational therapist as a professional whose practice is influenced by trends in health care delivery and financing.

3 Stars from Doody