Occupational Performance Presentations, Presentations, PRPP Presentations, ULPA Presentations, Upper Limb Presentations

Ranka, J. (2006, 24-28 July). Assessing occupational performance through skilled observation: Task mastery & component operations. Pre-congress workshop presented at the Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Sydney, Australia

Ranka, J. (2006, 24-28 July). Assessing occupational performance through skilled observation: Task mastery & component operations. Pre-congress workshop presented at the Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Sydney, Australia

A major expectation of occupational therapists is to identify the occupational performance limitations of clients, to identify the causes of these limitations and to design intervention to restore or compensate for lost skills and abilities. Although numerous assessments of task performance and measures of impairment exist, few examine the motor, cognitive, perceptual, intrapersonal or interpersonal component operations that support occupational performance within the context of everyday task performance. The lack of occupation-embedded assessments of occupational performance skill and component ability requires that occupational therapists rely on skilled observation. However, there is also a lack of formal structures of skilled observation.

The purpose of this session is to present a suite of structured skilled observation tools that have evolved out of the Occupational Performance Model (Australia). These tools are based on a method of procedural task analysis that results in calculation of a mastery score. This is followed by an assessment of the reasons for reduced mastery using a comparative format, the Comparative Analysis of Performance (CAP). CAPs exist for motor operations (CAP-M), sensory operations (CAP-S), cognitive operations (CAP-C), intrapersonal operations (CAP-IAP) or interpersonal operations (CAP-IER). Findings from CAP assessments provide therapists with specific information on which to design intervention to achieve mastery outcomes.

This session is designed for therapists who wish to learn more about skilled observation and educators who teach occupational therapy process and task analysis. At the end, participants will be able to carry out an assessment of mastery and the component operations that support mastery for selected videotaped case examples.