Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background. Occupational therapists' stated commitments to client-centred practice and to enabling participation in the occupations of daily life are not universally reflected in either the practice or the occupation of occupational therapy research. Nor have the profession's researchers generally engaged with those critiques of their endeavours that have been articulated by disability theorists. Purpose. Because no guidelines exist for the client-centred practice of occupational therapy research this paper draws from the work of disability theorists to sketch a disability methodology: a specific philosophical, political and ethical approach to developing knowledge that is fundamentally concerned with realigning power within the research relationship and throughout the research process. Practice implications. The proposed disability methodology attempts to align the practice of occupational therapy research with the client-centred philosophy underpinning occupational therapy practice and aspires to enable clients' meaningful participation in the occupation of research.

Background. Occupational therapists routinely evaluate cognition in older adults, yet little is known about which assessments they use and for what purposes. Purpose. To examine the standardised and non-standardised assessments used by occupational therapists to evaluate cognition. Method. Arandom sample of 1042 Canadian occupational therapists completed the questionnaire by e-mail, post, or Internet website (n=247, response rate: 24.5%). Results. Respondents reported using 75 standardised and non-standardised measures. The assessments were grouped according to theoretical approach: bottom-up (assessment of cognitive components), top-down (assessment of function) and combined (either of above, plus interview). Theoretical approaches were used similarly across regions, despite differences in reporting of particular assessments. Therapists used more bottom-up assessments that were standardised, identified deficits, and easy to administer. They used more top-down assessments that were non-standardised, predicted function, and fit with their theoretical approach. Conclusion. It is recommended that standardised top-down assessments be developed to support evidence-based occupational therapy.

Description. L'utilisation des services de télésurveillance connaît un essor chez les aînés. À cet égard, les ergothérapeutes recommandent depuis longtemps des systèmes d'appel d'urgence qui sont liés à des centrales de télésurveillance. But. Cette étude vise à documenter les utilisations actuelles et potentielles des services de télésurveillance dans un contexte de soutien à domicile auprès des aînés ainsi que les impacts de ces services sur la pratique des ergothérapeutes. Méthodologie. Pour ce faire, une recension des écrits scientifiques portant sur les utilisations de la télésurveillance a été réalisée et le Modèle canadien de rendement occupationnel a été employé pour les répertorier. Résultats. La recension des écrits révèle que le monitorage à distance des composantes physiques et cognitives chez l'aîné à l'aide des nouvelles technologies d'information et de télécommunications s'avère efficace sur le plan clinique et qu'il existe des impacts positifs sur la composante affective de la personne ainsi que sur l'environnement social, physique et institutionnel. Au niveau du monitorage des occupations dans le domicile, la recherche et développement est prometteuse pour les soins personnels comme le suivi des déplacements, du sommeil, de la prise de médicaments et de la routine de vie. Conséquences pour la pratique. L'arrivée sur le marché de nouveaux services de télésurveillance permettra de suivre en mode continu les progrès des aînés à domicile, de façon non invasive, et d'intervenir précocement lors d'une perturbation dans les occupations quotidiennes.

Background. There is considerable evidence that children with autism experience sensory dysfunction, which can affect their ability to participate in functional activities. Occupational therapists frequently recommend somatosensory stimulation interventions to mitigate sensory dysfunction and improve a child's ability to function. Purpose. This paper examines the rationale and evidence supporting somatosensory stimulation interventions for children with autism. Method. A comprehensive review of the literature specific to somatosensory stimulation was conducted, resulting in six published studies that addressed interventions feasible within a child's daily routine. Discussion. Although research related to somatosensory stimulation interventions is becoming more rigorous, empirical support remains limited; therefore, when these interventions are implemented, they should be systematically evaluated. Practice Implications. To help occupational therapists recommend interventions with confidence, strategies are provided to (1) utilise best practices to intervene in an area in which evidence is limited, and (2) help expand the evidence base through clinical research.