Ways of Living: Adaptive Strategies for Special Needs, Third Edition

Recent developments in science and technology are changing the world quickly. When the first edition of this book was published in 1994, the World Wide Web and the Internet were unknown to most people. And, although occupational therapy was experiencing significant changes (accompanied by phenomenal growth in U.S. academic programs), for the most part those changes reflected trends continuing from the 1980s.

One notable exception is the emergence of occupational science, which has grown tremendously since the seminal papers introducing it as an academic discipline were published in the early 1990s. Another striking development has been the emergence of the World Health Organizations's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). The framework underlying the ICF is so compatible with the philosophy, principles, and models of occupational therapy practice that this widely discussed way of thinking about people and health will enable the field to play a more significant role in policy discussions about health and disability throughout the world.

The emergence of occupational science and the more lifestyle-oriented emphasis of the ICF made it apparent that a book with a wider focus was needed. As a consequence, this new edition includes the range of occupational areas beyond self-care and terminology of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process adopted by the American Occupational Therapy Association to describe practice and is guided by the concepts inherent in the ICF. In addition, readers will find many references to concepts and research from occupational science.