The intended primary audience is practitioners 1 within the profession of occupational therapy. This statement defines the role of occupational therapy in evaluating and addressing cognitive functioning to help clients maintain and improve occupational performance. Cognition plays an integral role in human development and in the ability to learn, retain, and use new information to enable occupational performance across the lifespan.
Cognitive processes are integral to effective performance across the broad range of daily occupations such as work, educational pursuits, home management, and play and leisure. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) asserts that occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, through the use of occupations and activities, facilitate clients’ cognitive functioning to enhance occupational performance, self-efficacy, participation, and perceived quality of life.
