AOTA's vision 2025 states that "occupational therapy maximizes health, well-being, and quality of life for all people, populations, and communities through effective solutions that facilitate participation in everyday living". This vision is crucial to various developments of emerging areas of practice in the field of occupational therapy. There are several emerging areas that I read about and noticed that seemed very interesting to me as an OT student. However the one that stood out to me the most is the area of practice in relation to autism in adults. More often than not, people typically think that providing OT intervention or other therapy services is a strictly pediatric field. In reality, that is far from the case and people typically forget the importance of working with individuals with autism as they progress into adulthood.
I personally have always had a heart and passion for children with autism. Working with children who have autism is a huge factor into my decision to become an occupational therapist. As I was reading about this emerging area of practice, I realized that intervention does not need to simply end at childhood and early adolescence. Thinking about it all makes sense, but putting those thoughts into action is a completely different step. Therefore, I was especially intrigued by the emphasis on continuing intervention plans and treatment programs for adults who have autism. I read about an OT named Teresa May-Benson who is a huge advocate for this emerging area of practice and has developed programs for adults with autism that she practices in. I think she said it best when she said that, "Occupational therapy services with this population are necessary throughout the lifespan...". I believe that is very true because as an OT working with adults who have autism, it is still very important for us to help those individuals improve their quality of life, live comfortably in the world, and build/maintain positive relationships with others.
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