Reflection on Era Presentations

Occupational Therapy in the 1940s stuck out to me because education and requirements changed throughout the decade. I thought it was interesting how the military developed 2-week training programs. It seemed that there was a focus on quantity over quality. However, in 1943 it became a requirement to take and pass an exam to be a registered OT practitioner. The field of OT was impacted by this requirement considering that successful completion of the certification exam is still a requirement in 2020. 

In 1977, adaptive games were used in therapy. The occupational therapist adapted the game pieces in order for her client to improve grip strength. I was not aware that adaptive games were used in the 1970s. This is an important aspect of therapy today because OTs are constantly adapting and using creativity to modify activities used in intervention. 

In the 2000s, Carolyn Baum was the important person in OT highlighted in the decade. Carolyn Baum was the president of the AOTA twice and the president of the NBCOT. She also developed the occupation performance & participation model. She stood out to me as an important leader in the OT field.