Thomas Bessell Kidner and the Development of Occupational Therapy in the United Kingdom: Establishing the Links

Abstract

This historical research describes the life and work of Thomas Bessell Kidner (1866-1932). The purpose of the article is threefold: to describe Kidner's British heritage, to suggest how Kidner's background may have influenced his contributions to the early development of the profession, and to examine how Kidner's contributions have influenced practice. Using methods appropriate to interpretive biography, primary and secondary source materials have been gathered and analysed relating to Kidner's education and early work experiences in England; his work in Canada, teaching manual training and as Vocational Secretary during the First World War; and his time in the United States, with particular reference to his role with the American Occupational Therapy Association.

The analysis suggests that Kidner brought the ideology of educational reform, as manifested in manual training, into occupational therapy and that this work provided a foundation for his approach to the treatment of injured soldiers. Kidner's efforts to help the profession to survive and expand after the war, with the consequent alignment with medicine, are also highlighted. His contact with the profession and with key individuals, such as Elizabeth Casson, in the United Kingdom is also explored. Finally, Kidner's contributions are considered in the light of how the profession might have developed had circumstances been different.