Effective 28 Aug 2008

324.050. Occupational therapy practice act — definitions. — 1. Sections 324.050 to 324.089 shall be known and may be cited as the "Occupational Therapy Practice Act".

2. For the purposes of sections 324.050 to 324.089, the following terms mean:

(1) "Board", the Missouri board of occupational therapy;

(2) "Certifying entity", the nongovernmental agency or association which certifies or registers individuals who have completed academic and training requirements;

(3) "Director", the director of the division of professional registration;

(4) "Division", the division of professional registration;

(5) "Occupational therapist", a person licensed to practice occupational therapy as defined in this section and whose license issued pursuant to sections 324.050 to 324.089;

(6) "Occupational therapy", the use of purposeful activity or interventions designed to achieve functional outcomes which promote health, prevent injury or disability and which develop, improve, sustain or restore the highest possible level of independence of any individual who has an injury, illness, cognitive impairment, psychosocial dysfunction, mental illness, developmental or learning disability, physical disability or other disorder or condition. It shall include assessment by means of skill observation or evaluation through the administration and interpretation of standardized or nonstandardized tests and measurements. Occupational therapy services include, but are not limited to:

(a) The assessment and provision of treatment in consultation with the individual, family or other appropriate persons;

(b) Interventions directed toward developing, improving, sustaining or restoring daily living skills, including self-care skills and activities that involve interactions with others and the environment, work readiness or work performance, play skills or leisure capacities or enhancing educational performances skills;

(c) Developing, improving, sustaining or restoring sensorimotor, oral-motor, perceptual or neuromuscular functioning; or emotional, motivational, cognitive or psychosocial components of performance; and

(d) Education of the individual, family or other appropriate persons in carrying out appropriate interventions.

­­Such services may encompass assessment of need and the design, development, adaptation, application or training in the use of assistive technology devices; the design, fabrication or application of rehabilitative technology such as selected orthotic devices, training in the use of orthotic or prosthetic devices; the application of ergonomic principles; the adaptation of environments and processes to enhance functional performance; or the promotion of health and wellness;

(7) "Occupational therapy aide", a person who assists in the practice of occupational therapy under the direct supervision of an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant at all times and whose activities require an understanding of occupational therapy but do not require training in the basic anatomical, biological, psychological and social sciences involved in the practice of occupational therapy;

(8) "Occupational therapy assistant", a person who is licensed as an occupational therapy assistant by the division, in collaboration with the board. The function of an occupational therapy assistant is to assist an occupational therapist in the delivery of occupational therapy services in compliance with federal regulations and rules promulgated by the division, in collaboration with the Missouri board of occupational therapy.

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(L. 1997 S.B. 141 §§ 1, 2, A.L. 1999 H.B. 343, A.L. 2008 S.B. 788)