An Occupational Revolution: Reclaiming What Matters

Intentional use of the word occupation to describe why, what, and how we do as occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants is central to maintaining our professional identity and to centering occupation in everyday practice. Throughout occupational therapy's history, using occupation, as opposed to words such as task or activity, has fallen both in and out of favor in practice and education in the United States. Some argue that task and activity, while not reflective of the nuances of the word occupation, including meaning and purpose, are more accessible to external audiences than occupation, which is often confused with one's vocation In this article, the authors argue that the time is now to be bold and unwavering in our use of the word occupation when communicating both intraprofessionally and with external audiences. The arguments are grounded in historical perspectives, including through the lens of the Slagle lectures. Failure to commit to occupation places the profession at risk for scope creep and perpetuates the identity crisis that has gripped the profession since the mid-1900’s shift to more closely align with medical models of care. Prominent figures in occupational therapy have consistently called for us to be courageous and in our use of the word to describe what we do. Failure to center occupation in our language can lead to decentralization of occupation in practice. With other professions beginning to use tasks and activities to augment their practice, it is imperative that we heed the call and join the occupational revolution and commit ourselves to intentionally and consistently using the term occupation.