Human Occupation: Contemporary Concepts and Lifespan Perspectives

This comprehensive textbook provides occupational therapy and science students and practitioners with a complete overview of the key human occupation concepts, as well as a range of perspectives through which occupational therapy and occupational science can be viewed and understood.

Comprising 40 chapters, the book is divided into five sections:

• Section 1: Overview of Human Occupation. Introducing the occupational therapy field and its conceptual landscape, including different models of therapeutic practice and practice reasoning
• Section 2: Contemporary Perspectives on Human Occupation. Including critical perspectives on disability and race and the philosophical foundations of occupational science
• Section 3: Principal Concepts. Explaining the conceptual language of human occupation across key person, social, psychological, physical, performance, and environmental issues
• Section 4: Human Occupation across the Lifespan and Life Course. Covers human occupation from infancy to later adulthood
• Section 5: Domains/Types of Human Occupation. From sleep to play, sexuality to social participation, and education to work

Uniquely international in scope, each chapter in this edited book includes learning objectives, key terms, summary dot points, review questions, and a list of additional online resources for readers to refer to. This is a complete resource for anyone beginning an occupational therapy course, clinicians seeking an accessible reference work to support their practice, or occupational scientists needing to refer to contemporary occupation-related concepts.

Ted Brown is a Professor of Occupational Therapy and undergraduate course director in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Monash University - Peninsula Campus, Australia. Prior to this, he worked as an occupational therapy clinician for 16 years in Canada and Australia primarily in the area of pediatrics.

Stephen Isbel leads the Occupational Therapy program at the University of Canberra, Australia. He has worked in the USA, the UK, and Australia primarily in the areas of aged care, community care, and adult neurological rehabilitation.

Louise Gustafsson is Professor and Lead of the Occupational Therapy Program at Griffith University, Australia. Her research aims to address occupational issues of older adults and individuals with neurological conditions.

Sharon Gutman is a professor at Rutgers University in the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program. Her body of work has primarily addressed the development and assessment of interventions designed to help sheltered homeless people transition from homelessness to supported housing.

Diane Powers Dirette is a professor in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences PhD Program at Western Michigan University, and her research interests are focused on treatments for people with acquired brain injuries.

Bethan Collins (she/her) is Head of Occupational Therapy in the University of Salford, UK. Bethan completed her primary degree in Occupational Therapy and her PhD in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Tim Barlott is Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta. His work pursues theory, practices, and collective processes that can be liberating for psychiatrized and other marginalized people.