Occupation by design: Dimensions, therapeutic power, and creative process

Two forces are converging, creating conditions both challenging and potenti ally fruitful for occupational therapy The profession's knowledge base desc ribing occupation is growing exponentially At the same time functional outc omes of intervention are being increasingly valued within the health care e nvironment. Other professions imitate and claim our areas of expertise in t he most flattering and dangerous ways. To benefit from the convergence of t hese forces, occupational therapy must expeditiously translate understandin g of occupation into powerful occupation-based practice. Three bridges must be built: a generative discourse demonstration sites, and effective educat ion. The occupational design approach offers;important conceptual tools with whi ch to rapidly build these bridges to powerful practice. Described here are subjective and contextual dimensions of occupational experience, elements o f the occupational design process, and how these factors produce therapeuti c power through the appeal, intactness, and accuracy of interventions.