ABSTRACT
Careful analysis of a person doing a priority occupation is one of the cornerstones of occupational therapy. Occupational therapists need to consider potential risks associated with assessments and interventions. Where possible, assessment of occupation should happen where the person would usually perform this occupation. Each setting will have its own policy on how and when to gain consent from clients and, if appropriate, parents. If a person cannot consent, consider and clearly document how we believe our assessment and intervention will be in his/her best interest. The client's perception of his/her occupational performance is important, but it is often not sufficient to base interventions upon this alone. The Occupational Therapy Intervention Process Model (OTIPM) provides an occupational therapy process which is designed for working with individual clients. It can, however, also work well if we are focusing on the needs of more than one person. Observing together with students or letting them observe by themselves are both useful learning opportunities.
