ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces three core tools of occupational therapy: occupational profiling, activity analysis and occupational performance analysis. It provides an overview of occupational profiling and how it can be used to guide a client-centred occupational therapy process. An activity analysis involves breaking down an activity into the components that influence how it is chosen, organized and carried out within the environment in which it might be typically performed. Occupational performance analysis is a way of observing a person perform an occupation to determine what is supporting or hindering them being able to participate to his/her desired level. An occupational performance analysis is structured, detailed and always placed in the context of the occupations a person wants or needs to perform. The occupational performance analysis guides us to record key features within the environmental context that the occupation took place. Prompts are included to consider the social context, physical space, and qualities of the tools and objects used.
