The Occupational Therapy (OT) Functional Assessment
At its core, OT serves to increase a person’s independence to enable them to participate socially within their community and complete tasks and vocations in their life that are meaningful to them. When a person has a diagnosed medical condition or disability that impacts their independence and functioning, they may be referred for an OT functional assessment.
The purpose of the OT functional assessment is a functional capacity evaluation to determine the person’s current activity (involving identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses) in all aspects of daily life and develop recommendations to alleviate identified difficulties so that the person is as independent as possible.
Generally, following the functional assessment, therapy goals are developed that involve either enhancing the person’s skills in the areas where they are showing deficits, or amending their environment (e.g. with assistive equipment or other resources) to mitigate their difficulties. Therapy may also incorporate a combination of both approaches and usually involves the key supports for the person (e.g. parents or teachers).
Why Would a Person Need an Occupational Therapy Assessment?
As occupational therapy assessments aim to determine an individual’s cognitive function level, it is often indicated for purposes such as:
- To get a general baseline about the person’s functioning in a wide variety of areas
- May help with diagnostic clarification (but is not a diagnostic tool in itself)
- For accommodation placement purposes to determine the level of support, they may need
- To determine if the person needs specialised equipment or other assistive technologies and resources
- To guide future therapies and assessment tools to develop goals for the person
What Does the OT Functional Assessment Involve?
The assessment is usually completed at the person’s residence performed by occupational therapists (or hospital setting, if applicable) and can be as comprehensive as required. The person’s age needs to be taken into account and medical conditions; i.e. meal preparation skills of a young child would generally not be appropriate for assessment.
The initial step for the OT is usually to gain a medical and social history of the person before conducting the assessment, to better understand the purpose and context of the assessment. This includes learning about the person’s medical background, communication skills, home environment, work or education situation, what they do for recreation/leisure and interests, as well as their sleep/rest habits. Once this information has been collected, the assessment can usually proceed.
At the very least, OT assessments usually involve evaluating the following basic daily living skill areas:
- Mobility and transfers
- Showering
- Dressing, grooming and hygiene
- Feeding/eating If appropriate to the person’s age and social situation
The assessment may also explore the person’s skills in the areas of:
- Home maintenance (e.g. completion of household chores, gardening)
- Money management and budgeting
- Meal preparation and cooking
- Medication management
- Telephone use
- Travel and transport
- Shopping
- Laundry/washing
What Happens After the OT Assessment is Completed?
Once the OT has performed the face-to-face portion of the assessment, they will develop a report outlining what the assessment involved, the person’s functional tolerance and highlighting areas where the person is least/most dependent or independent.
Depending on the initial aim of the assessment, the OT will also make recommendations about suitable accommodation (and the level and type of support and supervision/assistance they need), current and future goals for therapy (for OT as well as for other disciplines), and any equipment or assistive technology they may need.
Apart from the client, the report is also usually given to the referring party, which is often a doctor or other health professional.
Empower Your Future with Youth Living Skills
At Youth Living Skills, our comprehensive Occupational Therapy Functional Assessments are designed to pave the way for greater independence and enhanced quality of life.
By identifying your unique strengths and areas of need, we provide tailored recommendations and support to help you perform activities and achieve your personal goals. Our multidisciplinary team of health professionals is here to guide you every step of the way, ensuring you have the tools and strategies necessary to thrive.
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Contact us to schedule your Occupational Therapy Functional Assessment and start making strides towards a more independent and fulfilling life. Speak with our friendly team today and discover how we can help you unlock your full potential.