Occupational Therapy:  A historical view of the profession  and current developments for Guyana
As we welcome Rehabilitation Week to share with Guyana the developing rehabilitations services that are available for people with disabilities, we would also like to share with you the profession of Occupational Therapy (OT).  This profession is part of the collective of services that supports individuals with  disabilities to be healthy and independent members of their communities. Occupational Therapy uses activity (occupation) as a method of therapy.  This means Occupational Therapists use everyday activities such as self care (washing, dressing, cooking), work (paid or voluntary work, useful roles within the family) and leisure (games, sport, craft) to help individuals improve their ability to function.  Occupational Therapists support people to set their own goals for rehabilitation, and find ways to make changes to their activity or their environment, to overcome barriers to independence and thus lead fulfilling and purposeful lives.  Occupational Therapists believe that using activities that are meaningful to the person helps them to improve more effectively.

Occupational Therapists work with people who have a variety of disabilities, from birth to older age and come from all backgrounds.  Common types of disability that OTs work with include Stroke, Head Injury,  Accidents (road accidents, work related injuries),  Amputee, Arthritis, Mental Health difficulties, Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome, Learning Disabilities, Autism.

Occupational Therapy is not new to the world!  OT approaches to working with people with disabilities can be dated back through history; here is an Occupational Therapy timeline:

•    100BC – the Greeks used bathing, massage and music as a means to ‘humane’ treatment of people with mental illness
•    Romans – prescribed music, travel, conversation and exercise for healing
•    18th Century Europe – Philippe Pinel and Johann Christian Reil reformed the hospital system. Instead of the use of metal chains and restraint, their institutions utilized rigorous work and leisure activities
•    1910s – The health profession of occupational therapy was conceived, focus at this time was on ‘invalids’ being productive, using wood carving and craft
•    1900 – 1930 established standards for OT practice – highlighting a complex combination of social, economic, and biological reasons that cause disability
•    World War I – OT profession clarified its role in the medical world and supported victims of war to find ways to cope with their disabilities and continue to lead productive lives.  Clinics, workshops and training schools for OT emerged.
•    Post war – the profession developed its philosophy, established codes of conduct and included ideology such as ‘holism’ (seeing the whole person in terms of physical, sensory, cognitive, social, psychological and cultural needs), ‘client centredness’ (the person with a disability fully participates in the rehab process) and focuses more on occupational performance (the relationship between the person, environment and occupation)
•    1970 and onwards – OTs recognise the value of working with people in their own homes and communities, rather than working with patients in institutions

Currently in Guyana, the profession is becoming ever more established.  Through Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO) Guyana has two overseas OTs working with the Ministry of Health.  They do not provide therapy directly to people with  disabilities, but work in partnership with Rehabilitation Assistants to build their capacities to practise principles of Occupational Therapy along with Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy.  The Rehabilitation Assistants complete an eighteen- month course looking at key aspects of each of these professions and work in hospitals, health and rehabilitation centres, special needs schools and communities across Guyana.  Rehabilitation Services have adopted a Community Based Rehabilitation approach, which empowers persons with disabilities to access and benefit from education, employment, health and social services. It is implemented through the combined efforts of people with disabilities, their families, organizations and communities, relevant government and non-government health, education, vocational, social and other services.

The next step of development for Guyana in providing high-quality services in rehabilitation includes the introduction of a Bachelor of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Guyana.  For more information about this course and its contents, see http://turkeyenonline.uog.edu.gy/

For more information on Occupational Therapy please visit the Association of Caribbean Occupational Therapists at  http://www.caribbeanot.com/ or World Federation of Occupational Therapists at  http://www.wfot.org/

If you or someone you know has a disability and would like more information, please contact us and we will put you in touch with someone in your area.
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Division of Rehabilitation Services, Ministry of Health
Telephone: 223-7087
e-mail: ministry.health@networksgy.com

We look forward to hearing from you!