English for Occupational Therapy: Essential Vocabulary & Phrases

"occupational profile"

A summary of a client's occupational history, patterns, interests, values, and needs that informs the evaluation and intervention process

"The therapist developed a detailed occupational profile during the initial interview to understand which daily activities were most meaningful to the patient."

"standardised assessment"

An evaluation tool with fixed administration procedures, scoring criteria, and normative data that allows comparison across individuals

"The occupational therapist administered a standardised assessment to objectively measure the child's fine motor skills against age-expected norms."

"functional assessment"

An evaluation of a client's ability to perform everyday tasks and activities within their natural or simulated environment

"The functional assessment revealed that the patient could not safely manage a hot stove, prompting a home modification recommendation."

"performance skills"

Observable, goal-directed actions that support the execution of occupational tasks, including motor, process, and social interaction skills

"The therapist documented deficits in the client's performance skills, noting reduced grip strength and difficulty sequencing multi-step tasks."

"activity analysis"

A systematic process of breaking down an occupation into its component steps, demands, and required skills to identify barriers and plan intervention

"Through activity analysis, the therapist identified that buttoning a shirt required both fine motor coordination and bilateral hand use, guiding the treatment plan."

"top-down approach"

An assessment strategy that begins with the client's occupational roles and goals before examining underlying body functions and performance components

"Using a top-down approach, the therapist first asked the client which activities she most wanted to resume before testing her hand strength or range of motion."

"criterion-referenced test"

An assessment that measures a client's performance against a predetermined standard or set of criteria rather than against other individuals

"The criterion-referenced test showed that the student had not yet met the benchmark for independent handwriting at the expected grade level."

"re-evaluation"

A formal reassessment conducted after a period of intervention to measure progress, update goals, and determine whether the treatment plan requires modification

"The re-evaluation at six weeks showed significant improvement in the client's dressing speed, supporting discharge from in-patient occupational therapy."

"activities of daily living"

Basic self-care tasks performed daily, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, and toileting, that are essential for independent living

"The patient's goal was to regain independence in all activities of daily living before returning home from the rehabilitation unit."

"instrumental activities of daily living"

Complex tasks that support independent living in the community, such as cooking, managing finances, using transportation, and taking medication

"The occupational therapist addressed instrumental activities of daily living, including meal preparation and medication management, as part of the discharge planning process."

"adaptive equipment"

Specialised tools and devices designed to help individuals with physical or cognitive limitations perform daily activities more safely and independently

"The therapist recommended adaptive equipment including a long-handled bath sponge and a dressing stick to compensate for the client's limited shoulder range of motion."

"energy conservation"

A set of techniques and strategies that help individuals with fatigue or limited endurance to complete necessary tasks while minimising energy expenditure

"The occupational therapist taught energy conservation techniques such as sitting while preparing meals and prioritising essential tasks to help the client manage chronic fatigue."

"transfer technique"

The method or procedure used to safely move a person from one surface or position to another, such as from bed to wheelchair

"The therapist trained both the patient and his wife in the correct transfer technique to ensure safe movement from the wheelchair to the car seat."

"self-care routine"

The habitual sequence of personal hygiene, grooming, and dressing tasks that a person performs as part of their daily pattern

"The morning self-care routine took over two hours since the stroke, so the therapist worked with the client to streamline and adapt each step."

"compensatory strategy"

An alternative method or approach used to accomplish a task when the original approach is no longer feasible due to disability or impairment

"As a compensatory strategy for one-handed dressing, the therapist taught the client to use her stronger arm first when putting on a button-down shirt."

"dysphagia management"

The assessment and treatment of swallowing difficulties, often addressed by occupational therapists in collaboration with speech-language pathology

"The occupational therapist contributed to dysphagia management by recommending adapted utensils and positioning strategies to reduce the client's aspiration risk during meals."

"sensory processing"

The neurological process by which the brain registers, organises, and interprets sensory input from the body and environment to produce adaptive responses

"The child's difficulty tolerating clothing textures was attributed to atypical sensory processing, leading to a sensory integration intervention approach."

"proprioception"

The sensory system that provides the brain with information about body position, movement, and force, enabling coordinated and controlled motor actions

"Diminished proprioception following the knee surgery affected the patient's ability to judge weight-bearing limits, requiring targeted balance retraining."

"fine motor skills"

Coordinated movements involving the small muscles of the hands and fingers, required for tasks such as writing, buttoning, and tool use

"The occupational therapist designed a programme of therapeutic activities to improve the preschooler's fine motor skills in preparation for classroom tasks."

"gross motor skills"

Movements involving the large muscles of the body responsible for posture, balance, coordination, and locomotion

"Deficits in gross motor skills were identified during the physical education observation, informing the school-based occupational therapist's intervention plan."

"bilateral coordination"

The ability to use both sides of the body together in a smooth, controlled, and simultaneous manner during functional tasks

"The therapist incorporated cutting activities to improve the child's bilateral coordination, as holding paper with one hand while cutting with the other remained challenging."

"muscle tone"

The resting level of tension or resistance in a muscle that supports posture and readiness for movement, which can be hypotonic (low) or hypertonic (high)

"The infant's low muscle tone made it difficult to maintain a seated position, prompting the occupational therapist to recommend postural support equipment and strengthening activities."

"tactile defensiveness"

A sensory processing pattern characterised by an overreaction to tactile stimuli that are typically considered non-threatening or neutral by most people

"Tactile defensiveness was suspected when the child became distressed during handwriting tasks and refused to touch finger-paint or clay-based materials."

"vestibular system"

The sensory system in the inner ear that detects movement and head position relative to gravity, contributing to balance, spatial orientation, and postural control

"Dysfunction in the vestibular system contributed to the patient's dizziness and difficulty walking in busy, visually complex environments."

"executive function"

A set of higher-order cognitive processes including planning, problem-solving, cognitive flexibility, working memory, and self-regulation that support goal-directed behaviour

"Impaired executive function following a traumatic brain injury left the client unable to plan meals or manage her weekly schedule without structured support."

"cognitive rehabilitation"

A therapeutic approach aimed at restoring or compensating for cognitive deficits caused by brain injury, neurological disease, or other conditions

"The occupational therapist used cognitive rehabilitation techniques including errorless learning and strategy training to help the client return to work after his stroke."

"working memory"

The cognitive system that holds and manipulates a limited amount of information over short periods of time to support ongoing mental tasks

"Deficits in working memory made it difficult for the patient to follow multi-step verbal instructions, requiring the therapist to provide written task guides."

"attention deficit"

A reduced ability to focus, sustain, select, or divide attention, which significantly affects performance in everyday occupations and safety

"The attention deficit identified after the stroke meant that the client could not safely cross a road without becoming distracted, delaying his planned return to independent travel."

"errorless learning"

A teaching technique that minimises errors during skill acquisition by providing prompts and cues that prevent incorrect responses from being practised and reinforced

"Errorless learning was used to teach the patient a consistent route from her room to the therapy department, ensuring she never experienced the confusion of wrong turns."

"metacognitive strategy training"

An intervention approach that teaches clients to monitor and regulate their own cognitive performance, identify errors, and apply problem-solving strategies in daily life

"Through metacognitive strategy training, the client learned to pause and check written lists before leaving the house, significantly reducing the frequency of missed appointments."

"cognitive load"

The total amount of mental effort required to perform a task, which can be managed through task simplification, environmental modification, or use of external aids

"The therapist reduced cognitive load during the kitchen assessment by organising ingredients in order of use and providing a laminated, illustrated recipe guide."

"visual perceptual skills"

The cognitive abilities used to interpret and make sense of visual information from the environment, including figure-ground, spatial relations, and form constancy

"The child's visual perceptual skills assessment revealed difficulty with figure-ground discrimination, explaining her challenges locating items on a cluttered desk."

"developmental milestone"

A functional skill or ability that most children achieve within a specific age range, used as a benchmark to identify developmental delays or concerns

"The paediatric occupational therapist tracked the toddler's developmental milestones and noted that independent spoon use was significantly delayed for her age."

"sensory integration"

The neurological process of organising sensory information from the body and environment for effective use, and the therapeutic approach designed to improve this process

"Sensory integration therapy was recommended for the child who struggled with emotional regulation and could not tolerate the sensory demands of a busy classroom."

"handwriting intervention"

Targeted therapy to improve the legibility, speed, and endurance of handwriting through activities addressing pencil grip, letter formation, and visual-motor integration

"The school-based occupational therapist provided handwriting intervention twice weekly, focusing on consistent letter sizing and spacing for the second-grade student."

"individualized education program"

A legally mandated written plan in the US educational system that specifies the special education services, goals, and accommodations a student with a disability will receive

"The occupational therapist contributed to the student's individualized education program by documenting the fine motor and sensory goals that would be addressed during school-based therapy."

"play-based intervention"

A therapeutic approach that uses play as both the context and the medium for achieving developmental, sensorimotor, and social-emotional goals in children

"The therapist used play-based intervention with the three-year-old, embedding fine motor challenges into block building and art activities rather than rote exercise."

"visual-motor integration"

The coordinated use of visual perception and fine motor skills to guide hand movements, essential for writing, drawing, and copying tasks

"Poor visual-motor integration explained why the student could identify letters correctly but struggled to reproduce them neatly on a lined page."

"sensory diet"

A personalised, scheduled programme of sensory activities designed to provide a child with the type and amount of sensory input needed to maintain an optimal level of arousal

"The occupational therapist developed a sensory diet that included heavy work activities before class and movement breaks every 40 minutes to help the student focus during lessons."

"developmental coordination disorder"

A neurodevelopmental condition characterised by significant difficulties in motor skill acquisition and coordination that interfere with daily activities and academic performance

"The diagnosis of developmental coordination disorder explained the child's persistent difficulties with riding a bike, tying shoelaces, and participating in physical education."

"discharge planning"

The process of preparing a client for safe transition from one care setting to another or to community living, including arranging equipment, support, and follow-up services

"Discharge planning began on the day of admission, with the occupational therapist assessing the patient's home environment and identifying any necessary modifications before his return."

"home modification"

Physical changes made to a person's living environment to improve accessibility, safety, and the ability to perform daily activities independently

"The home modification recommendations included installing grab rails in the bathroom and a ramp at the front entrance to support the client's use of a walking frame."

"goal-setting"

The collaborative process of establishing meaningful, measurable, and achievable targets that guide the direction and focus of occupational therapy intervention

"Goal-setting with the patient revealed that returning to work as a primary school teacher was her most important priority, shaping the entire rehabilitation programme."

"frame of reference"

A theoretical foundation that guides occupational therapy practice by linking theory, function and dysfunction assumptions, and specific intervention approaches

"The therapist selected the biomechanical frame of reference to address the patient's post-surgical shoulder weakness, focusing on strength, range of motion, and endurance."

"client-centred practice"

An approach that places the client's occupational needs, values, and goals at the centre of the assessment and intervention process, with the therapist serving as a collaborator

"Guided by client-centred practice, the therapist respected the client's decision to prioritise returning to her gardening hobby over achieving full kitchen independence."

"occupation-based intervention"

Therapy that uses actual meaningful occupations and activities as both the therapeutic medium and the desired outcome, rather than isolated exercise or preparatory tasks alone

"Rather than prescribing isolated strengthening exercises, the therapist used occupation-based intervention, having the client practise grocery shopping and food preparation in a simulated kitchen."

"splinting"

The fabrication and application of custom or prefabricated orthoses to support, protect, position, or correct the alignment of joints and soft tissue structures

"The therapist fabricated a resting hand splint overnight to maintain the appropriate wrist and finger position and prevent contracture formation."

"interdisciplinary team"

A coordinated group of healthcare professionals from different disciplines who collaborate and integrate their expertise to provide holistic patient care

"As part of the interdisciplinary team, the occupational therapist worked alongside the physiotherapist, speech therapist, and social worker to prepare the patient for community discharge."