Florence Clark Putting OT in HD Susan Nguyen, Sara Devoe, Linda Vena, Heather Schuler

Bio Born in 1946 in Brooklyn, NY BA in English and Drama SUNY Albany MSOT from SUNY Buffalo PhD in Education from USC Professor and Associate Dean at USC

OT in the 70’s Medical model still pervasive Education for the Handicapped Act (EHA) Research becomes central issue to OT A. Jean Ayres opens Sensory Integration clinic

Accomplishments Charter member of the Academy of Research of the American Occupational Therapy Association Served as special consultant to the United States Army Surgeon General Served on the board of the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research Books: Lifestyle redesign: Implementing the Well Elderly Program. Occupational science: The evolving discipline.

More Accomplishments Recipient of the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship 1993 In 1999 the American Occupational Therapy Association honored her with its Award of Merit Established the Center for Occupation and Lifestyle Redesign Current president of AOTA

Occupational Science OTPF: Interdisciplinary academic discipline in the social and behavioral sciences dedicated to the study of the form, the function, and the meaning of human occupations Evolved to incorporate conceptual and practical biological sciences Facilitate application or translation of new knowledge and theory into solutions to real-world problems.

Occupational Science VS Occupational Therapy Occupational science is a vehicle through which the profession is becoming more science-driven and evidence-based Occupational therapy is the integration of this evidence into practice

Research Interests Lifestyle redesign –Well Elderly Studies –health promotion in the elderly Development and dysfunction of sensory integration in children Maternal role behavior Acquisition of independent living skills among adolescents with disabilities Spinal cord injury

Lifestyle Redesign Developed through research in Well Elderly Studies Process of acquiring health-promoting habits and routines in your daily life Improve health and wellness by preventing and managing chronic conditions through building healthier lifestyles Redesign high-risk lifestyles into healthier ones

Well Elderly Studies Study 1: conducted at USC from Study 2: conducted at USC from Purpose: Experimental test of a preventive occupational therapy intervention designed to enhance the health and psychosocial well- being of community dwelling older adults

Well Elderly Studies Participants aged 60 years and older; Ethnically diverse sample Community-dwelling Assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: –(1) 9 months of OT focused on lifestyle redesign –(2) Non-professionally led social activities –(3) No treatment

Well Elderly Studies OT intervention and lifestyle redesign – Didactic presentation –Peer exchange –Direct experience –Personal exploration results

Results Participants who received OT had greater gains and fewer declines in physical health, physical functioning, social functioning, vitality, mentalhealth, and life satisfaction Preventive OT intervention slows decline associated with aging Improved quality of life Reduced health risks Cost-effective

Lifestyle Redesign Today Lifestyle Redesign Center USC Weight-management Diabetes Pain Management College Student Optimal Living for MSLife Coaching, Lifestyle Risk Assessment & Executive Health

Activity - How Lifestyle Redesign Can Help What are the ways that stress affects you?

Putting OT in HD “By the year 2017, we envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse work force meeting society's occupational needs" (AOTA, 2007, p. 613). Florence Clark and Advocacy

How AOTA plans to do this: 1. Image-building campaign 2. Advocacy to ensure funding 3. Linkages between research, education, and practice 4. Research agenda 5. Model curriculum 6. Outcomes database

“A lot of professions lack substance but have visibility, but for occupational therapy it is the opposite. We have substance, but lack visibility,” Florence Clark Our only problem: Fuzziness Create awareness so all have access to our services What we do - in simple terms –Find your way to easily explain OT

What does this mean for us? Florence Clark’s vision: –Each OT is his/her own pixel, change starts with us –Public awareness, advocacy, and research –Make your voice heard - get involved in advocacy –Make our scope of practice and what we do with clients clear –Tell our stories aspx

References American Occupational Therapy Association. (2007). AOTA's Centennial Vision and executive summary. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61, American Occupational Therapy Association (2008). Occupational therapy practice Framework: Domain and process (2nd ed.) American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62, Clark, F. (2010). High-definition occupational therapy: HD OT (Inaugural Presidential Address). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64, doi: /ajot Clark, F. (1997). Reflections on the human as an occupational being: biological need, tempo and temporality. Journal of Occupational Science: Australia, 4, Clark, F. A., Carlson, M., Jackson, J., & Mandel, D. (2003). Lifestyle redesign improves health and is cost-effective. AOTA: OT Practice online. Retrieved from Clark, F. A., Jackson, J., Carlson, M. (2004). Occupational science, occupational therapy and evidence-based practice: What the well elderly study has taught us. In M. Molineux (Ed.), Occupation for occupational therapists ( ). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. Jackson, J., Carlson, M., Mandel, D., Zemke, R., & Clark, F. (1998). Occupation in lifestyle redesign: The well elderly study occupational therapy program. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 52,

References Public Law Education of All Handicapped Children Act. (1999). Seattle Community Network. Retrieved from Redesigning Lives. (n.d.). USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Retrieved from Sensory Integration International – The Ayres Clinic. (2011). Autism Link. University of Southern California (2011). Lifestyle redesign programs. Retrieved from Waite, A. (July, 2011). Well elderly 2 study: Evidence that occupational therapy helps prevent decline in seniors. OT Practice, 16(13), What is OT? (2011). The Mumbai Branch of All India Occupational Therapist’s Association. Retrieved from

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