0. By: Colby Hutchison, Stacy Sellner, Heidi Huynh, & Tanja Lakic
The Evolution of OT:
By: Colby Hutchison, Stacy Sellner, Heidi Huynh, & Tanja Lakic

1. World Events: WWII Influx of Occupational Therapists
Created a new demand for more OTs
War Department initially required graduates of an accredited school
War Emergency Courses were implemented
1945: 2177 members of AOTA
Successful completion of exam became a requirement
Shift of Focus
Shift from arts and crafts to scientific rehab
ADL’s and Vocational Rehab
Development of prosthetics and orthotics
Few OT’s were employed in the army/hospitals because they had not achieved military stuatus
School requirements took 18 months - they didn’t have that kind of time
Because of emergency courses, # of employed practitioners increased significantly
1945 exam became requirement - initially essay format - changed to an objective test in 1947

2. Sociocultural & Economic Factors
Shortage of workers in every industry
Influx of women into the workforce
Hospitals understaffed
Advances in technology
Use of radio & TV for news and entertainment
Microwave oven & refrigerator
Rationing
Victory Gardens
War Effort, GI Bill of Rights → economic prosperity
Baby Boom
A shift to the suburbs

3. Medical Advances —1940: discovery of Penicillin
—1942: development of a bivalent vaccine for Influenza
—1942- development of chemical derivatives of mustard gas to treat different forms of cancers
—1943: discovery of the antibiotic streptomycin by Selman Waksman (treatment for TB)
1949: Establishment of Nuremburg code
One of most important document in the history of the ethics of medical research. The Nuremberg Code is a set of research ethics principles for human experimentation

4. Progress & Events in OT -Increased growth and change
Shift towards scientific techniques over arts and crafts
- Emphasized ADL’s, ergonomics, and rehabilitation
Bigger focus towards reintegration into society
-Prosthetic training due to development of prostheses and orthotics
- OT specific programs in Great Britain were established
- First OT book by Willard and Spackman published

5. Grace Herman Saw a vision of the future of Occupational Therapy
Wider in scope and more intensive
Therapist must change with the times
The rating of Occupational Therapy as a profession should be of concern
Written record of analysis is important
The future depends upon
needs of the social group
contributions from allied fields
the amount of drive within therapists

6. Captain Mary K. Berteling, OTR
Women’s Medical Specialist Corps
Trained army personnel in treatment of amputees
Chief OT at Brook Army Medical Center and
Welch Convalescent Hospital
Emphasis on…
ADLs
Reassessment
Rapport with patients
Community Reintegration
Continuing Education
Military Hospitals

7. Berta Bobath
Physiotherapist with Karl Bobath
Developed neurodevelopmental
treatment
Their treatment protocols still in
use today
Controversy over lack of
evidence of effectiveness
- Worked with clients with cerebral palsy and other neurological deficits

8. Sidney Licht
Trained as a physician in NYC and as a psychiatrist under William Bierman
Psychiatrist- practiced at Veterans Administration Hospitals
1957- ended his practice to write and teach
Teacher at Rehabilitation Medicine Service at the Miami VA Hospital
Editor of Physical Medicine Library
Author of Occupational Therapy: Principles and Practice (1950,1957)
co-author William Rush Dunton (psychiatrist)
Editor of first OT Journal (“Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation” → “American Journal of Physical Medicine”)
Organizer of The International Rehabilitation Medicine Association (IRMA)
He stipulated that IRMA should be a society made up solely of physicians from any specialty so long as they were interested in Rehabilitation Medicine.

9. References
Milton Y, Logothetis A (2013). An occupational therapy practice initiative using the Bobath Concept: a collaborative partnership with higher education. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(10), 452–455.
Snow, J. & Harris, N. (1949). Occupational Therapy And Physiotherapy. The British Medical Journal, 1(4603),
Steglich, R. (1948). Principles of Occupational Therapy. The American Journal of Nursing, 48(3),
Willard, H. (2014). A Contextual History of Occupational Therapy. In Willard & Spackman's occupational therapy (12th ed., pp ). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Hannoun, C. (2012). The evolving history of influenza viruses and influenza vaccines. Expert Review of Vaccines,
Radomski, M. (2008). Occupational therapy for physical dysfunction (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Flax, H. (1979). Sidney Licht, M.D., a man of many seasons. American Journal of Physical Medicine, 58(6),
Medical Advances Timeline. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2014, from

10. References
Bobath, B. (1948). The importance of the reduction of muscle tone and the control of mass reflex action in the treatment of spasticity. Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation. 27(5),
Dudrick, R. (2013). American culture in the 1940s. Retrieved from
Herman, G. (n.d.). The Future of Occupational Therapy. American Journal of Physical Medicine, 19(2),
Hussey, S., & Chafee, B. (2007). Looking Back: A History of Occupational Therapy. In Introduction to occupational therapy (4th ed., p. 19). St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier Mosby.
Major West, W L, AMSC, USAR. (2009). Professional services of occupational therapists: World war II. Retrieved from