What does enhancement in occupational therapy emphasize?

Enhancement in occupational therapy focuses on the development of both performance skills and performance patterns. This approach aims at improving the individual's ability to engage in meaningful occupations by promoting skills necessary for tasks and establishing routines that support participation.

Performance skills refer to the observable actions that support occupational performance, such as motor skills, process skills, and social interaction skills. Performance patterns involve the habits, routines, rituals, and roles an individual engages in, which influence how they participate in daily activities. By targeting both of these dimensions, occupational therapy enhances the overall quality of life and occupational engagement.

While the development of new performance skills and improvements in environmental factors are important aspects of occupational therapy, enhancement specifically focuses on a holistic view that encompasses the interrelationship between skills and patterns within the context of an individual’s daily life. Complete social integration, while a valuable goal, is often a broader outcome that results from enhancing skills and patterns, rather than something that is directly developed in isolation.