54-3702. DEFINITIONS. As used in this chapter:

(1) "Association" means the Idaho occupational therapy association.

(2) "Board" means the occupational therapy licensure board of Idaho as set out in section 54-3717, Idaho Code.

(3) "Bureau" means the bureau of occupational licenses.

(4) "Department" means the department of self-governing agencies.

(5) "Good standing" means the individual’s license is not currently suspended or revoked by any state regulatory entity.

(6) "Graduate occupational therapist" means a person who holds a certificate of graduation from an approved occupational therapy curriculum, who has submitted a completed application for certification by examination, and who may practice occupational therapy in association with and under the supervision of an occupational therapist and under authority of a limited permit.

(7) "Graduate occupational therapy assistant" means a person who holds a certificate of graduation from an approved occupational therapy assistant curriculum, who has submitted a completed application for licensure by examination under this chapter and is performing the duties of occupational therapy assistant in association with and under the supervision of an occupational therapist and under the authority of a limited permit.

(8) "License" means a document issued by the board to a person under this chapter authorizing the person to practice as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant.

(9) "Occupational therapist" means a person licensed under this chapter to practice occupational therapy.

(10) "Occupational therapy" means the care and services provided by or under the direction and supervision of an occupational therapist.

(11) "Aide in the delivery of occupational therapy services" means a person who is not licensed by the board and who provides supportive services to occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants. An aide shall function only under the guidance, responsibility and line of sight supervision of the licensed occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant who is appropriately supervised by an occupational therapist. The aide provides only specifically selected client-related or nonclient-related tasks for which the aide has been trained and has demonstrated competence.

(12) "Occupational therapy assistant" means a person licensed under this chapter to practice occupational therapy and who works under the supervision of an occupational therapist.

(13) "Practice of occupational therapy" means the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (occupations) with individuals or groups for the purpose of participation in roles and situations in home, school, workplace, community, and other settings. Occupational therapy services are provided for the purpose of promoting health and wellness and to those who have or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability, activity limitation, or participation restriction. Occupational therapy addresses the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, sensory, and other aspects of performance in a variety of contexts to support engagement in everyday life activities that affect health, well-being and quality of life. The practice of occupational therapy includes:

(a) Development of occupation-based plans, methods or strategies selected to direct the process of interventions such as:

(i) Establishment, remediation, or restoration of a skill or ability that has not yet developed or is impaired.

(ii) Compensation, modification, or adaptation of activity or environment to enhance performance.

(iii) Maintenance and enhancement of capabilities without which performance in everyday life activities would decline.

(iv) Health promotion and wellness to enable or enhance performance in everyday life activities.

(v) Prevention of barriers to performance, including disability prevention.

(b) Evaluation of factors affecting a client’s occupational performance areas of activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), rest and sleep, education, work, play, leisure, and social participation, including:

(i) Client factors, including body functions (such as neuromuscular, sensory, visual, perceptual, cognitive), values, beliefs, and spirituality, and body structures (such as cardiovascular, digestive, integumentary, genitourinary systems).

(ii) Performance patterns, including habits, routines, roles, and behavior patterns.

(iii) Contexts and activity demands that affect performance, including cultural, physical, environmental, social, virtual and temporal.

(iv) Performance skills, including sensory perceptual skills, motor and praxis skills, emotional regulation skills, cognitive skills, communication and social skills.

(c) Interventions and procedures to promote or enhance safety and performance in activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), education, work, play, leisure, and social participation, rest and sleep, including:

(i) Therapeutic use of occupations, exercises, and activities.

(ii) Training in self-care, self-management, home management, and community/work reintegration.

(iii) Development, remediation, or compensation of physical, cognitive, neuromuscular, sensory functions and behavioral skills.

(iv) Therapeutic use of self, including one’s personality, insights, perceptions, and judgments, as part of the therapeutic process.

(v) Education and training of individuals, including family members, caregivers, and others.

(vi) Care coordination, case management, and transition services.

(vii) Consultative services to groups, programs, organizations, or communities.

(viii) Modification of environments (home, work, school, or community) and adaptation of processes, including the application of ergonomic principles.

(ix) Assessment, design, fabrication, application, fitting, and training in assistive technology, adaptive devices, orthotic devices, and prosthetic devices.

(x) Assessment, recommendation, and training in techniques to enhance functional mobility, including wheelchair management.

(xi) Driver rehabilitation and community mobility.

(xii) Management of feeding, eating, and swallowing to enable eating and feeding performance.

(xiii) Application of superficial, thermal and mechanical physical agent modalities, and use of a range of specific therapeutic procedures (such as basic wound management; techniques to enhance sensory, perceptual, and cognitive processing; therapeutic exercise techniques to facilitate participation in occupations) to enhance performance skills.

(xiv) Use of specialized knowledge and skills as attained through continuing education and experience for the application of deep thermal and electrotherapeutic modalities, therapeutic procedures specific to occupational therapy and wound care management for treatment to enhance participation in occupations as defined by rules adopted by the board.

(d) Engaging in administration, consultation, testing, education and research as related to paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this subsection and further established in rule.

History:

[54-3702, added 1987, ch. 69, sec. 1, p. 124; am. 1998, ch. 153, sec. 1, p. 527; am. 2009, ch. 222, sec. 2, p. 691; am. 2018, ch. 51, sec. 1, p. 131.]