The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is the national professional association established in 1917 to represent the interests and concerns of occupational therapy

Occupational therapy

Occupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...

 practitioners and students and improve the quality of occupational therapy services. Current AOTA membership is approximately 43,000 occupational therapist

Occupational therapist

An occupational therapist is trained in the practice of occupational therapy. The role of an occupational therapist is to work with a client to help them achieve a fulfilled and satisfied state in life through the use of "purposeful activity or interventions designed to achieve functional...

s, assistants and students globally.

Mission statement

AOTA advances the quality availability, use and support of occupational therapy through standard-setting, advocacy, education, and research on behalf of its members and the public.

Vision statement

AOTA advances occupational therapy as the preeminent profession in promoting the health, productivity, and quality of life of individuals and society through the therapeutic application of occupation.

Key initiatives

Among AOTA’s key initiatives for 2006–2009 are:

• developing a major image-building campaign to more effectively explain occupational therapy to a variety of audiences;
• engaging in broad-based advocacy to ensure funding for occupational therapy in traditional and emerging practice areas;
• making stronger linkages among occupational therapy research, education and practice to enable effective communication within and about the profession;
• building a cutting-edge research agenda for the profession;
• developing a model curriculum for occupational therapy and assistant educational programs to ensure consistency in how practitioners are prepared for the 21st century workforce; and,
• developing outcome measures to meet the growing demands of consumers payors and policymakers for demonstrating the value of occupational therapy.

See also

• American Journal of Occupational Therapy
  American Journal of Occupational Therapy
  The American Journal of Occupational Therapy is the official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association. It is published six times per year. It is a peer reviewed journal which focuses on research practice, and health care issues in the field of occupational therapy...
  
  
• Anna Jean Ayres
  Anna Jean Ayres
  Dr. Anna Jean Ayres , often referred to as "A. Jean Ayres", was an occupational therapist and developmental psychologist known for her work in the area of sensory integration dysfunction, a term she coined in the 1960s to describe a theory used in occupational therapy. She is the author of several...
  
   (1920–1989), a developmental psychologist known for her work in the area of sensory integration dysfunction
  Sensory Integration Dysfunction
  Sensory integration dysfunction is a neurological disorder characterized by a neurological sensory integration deficit. The more current diagnostic nosology uses the term sensory processing disorder to describe this condition....
  
  

External links

• American Occupational Therapy Association official website