The importance of maintaining a focus on performance components in occupational therapy practice

Some authors have promoted the need for occupational therapists to prioritise occupation over performance components in their clinical work (Fisher 1992, Mathiowetz 1993, Trombly 1995, Baum and Law 1997, Fortune 2000, Molineux 2004). Nevertheless, there is a strong case to be made for maintaining concurrently a focus on performance components. This case is based on a review of relevant literature, which yielded three ways in which performance component functioning could be used to enhance a person's experience of occupational therapy. It is concluded that there is a sound rationale for maintaining a dual focus on occupational performance and performance components in occupational therapy practice.