The occupational therapy process is guided by a series of ongoing assessments. The occupational therapist works with the person seeking help to focus on their specific abilities and problems related to activities in their daily life.

Assessment tools include standardised procedures, interviews, observations in a variety of settings and consultation with people close to the person seeking help.

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The process of designating a person, who is not an occupational therapist, with the responsibility of delivering specific components of occupational therapy service. The recipient of the occupational therapy intervention is a client of the occupational therapist. The occupational therapist has ongoing responsibility to monitor the provision of the occupational therapy service.

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The process of providing generic information, education and/or training to a service provider who is not an occupational therapist. The recipient of the intervention of the service provider is not considered to have received occupational therapy and is not a client of the occupational therapist. The occupational therapist does not have continuing responsibility for the supervision and follow-up of the service provision.

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Activities or procedures defined in legislation in some Canadian jurisdictions which can be performed only by specific regulated health professionals as result of a significant risk of harm e.g., communicating a diagnosis, setting a fracture.

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A term defined in legislation in some Canadian jurisdictions as the transfer of authority from one practitioner to another for performing a designated controlled act.

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Evidence-based occupational therapy focuses on client-centred enablement of occupation based on client information and a critical review of relevant research, expert consensus and past experience.

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The methods used by occupational therapists to facilitate the performance of everyday tasks and adaptation of settings in which the person works, lives and socialises. Interventions focus on programs that are person-oriented and environmental. Examples of interventions include teaching new techniques, providing equipment to promote personal care independence, reducing environmental barriers and providing resources to lessen stress.

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Occupational therapy is the art and science of enabling engagement in everyday living, through occupation; of enabling people to perform the occupations that foster health and well-being; and of enabling a just and inclusive society so that all people may participate to their potential in the daily occupations of life.

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Workers who are not qualified occupational therapists but are knowledgeable in the field of occupational therapy through experience, education and/or training and are directly involved in the provision of occupational therapy services under the supervision of an occupational therapist.

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The function by which an occupational therapist uses the assessment results to create a plan for achieving short- and long-term goals for a client. The plan should be relevant to the person’s development stage, habits, roles, life-style preferences and the environment.

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The setting in which occupational therapists provide services. Occupational therapists are generally employed in community agencies; health-care organizations such as hospitals, chronic care facilities, rehabilitation centres and clinics; schools; social agencies; industry, or are self-employed. Some occupational therapists specialize in working with a specific age group or disability such as arthritis, developmental coordination disorder, mental illness, or spinal cord injury.

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A period of practical experience and training for an occupational therapy student that is supervised by a regulated occupational therapist.

An individual licensed or certified by a provincial or territorial regulatory body as an occupational therapist.

In Canada, scope of practice for occupational therapy is determined by provincial acts that describe the requirements for education and training, and define the procedures, actions, and processes that are permitted for the occupation.

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A process in which an internationally trained occupational therapists waiting to be registered in Canada can practise while under the supervision of a regulated occupational therapist.

A process in which two or more people participate in a joint effort to promote, establish, maintain or increase a level of performance and service. One person is identified as having ultimate responsibility for the quality of service.

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The approach by which the occupational therapist works in collaboration with individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations, or populations to develop the means and opportunities to identify and engage in the occupations of life.