Evidence to Inform Occupational Therapy Intervention With Adults With Intellectual Disability: A Scoping Review

DOI

10.5014/ajot.2021.043562

Authors

Meghan G. Blaskowitz, Meghan G. Blaskowitz, DrPH, MOTR/L, is Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA; blaskowitz@duq.edu.
Khalilah R. Johnson, Khalilah R. Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L, is Assistant Professor, Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill.
Theodore Bergfelt, Theodore Bergfelt, MLS, is Humanities Librarian, Gumberg Library, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA.
Wanda J. Mahoney, Wanda J. Mahoney, PhD, OTR/L, is Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy and Medicine, Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

5-1-2021

Publication Title

The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association

Volume

75

Issue

3

ISSN

0272-9490

Abstract

IMPORTANCE: Occupational therapy practitioners use a range of habilitative and compensatory approaches to teach new skills or modify tasks and environments to address occupational performance among adults with intellectual disability (ID); therefore, they must identify and use available evidence to guide intervention planning. OBJECTIVE: To summarize the scope of evidence that can inform occupational therapy intervention with adults with primary or comorbid ID. DATA SOURCES: Articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 2002 and January 2018 and indexed in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus. Study Selection and Data Collection: A total of 159 articles met inclusion criteria and contained information on occupational therapy intervention with adults ages 18 yr or older with primary or coexisting ID. FINDINGS: Fifty-seven of the 159 articles focused on intervention to address occupational performance outcomes (i.e., employment, self-care, leisure and social interaction, community participation). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: A wide range of literature is available to support occupational therapy intervention with adults with ID. Occupational therapy practitioners may be less knowledgeable about this evidence because much of it is located in non-occupational therapy or international journals. What This Article Adds: This scoping review provides occupational therapy practitioners with evidence to support high-quality occupational therapy intervention with adults with ID.

Repository Citation

Blaskowitz, M. G., Johnson, K. R., Bergfelt, T., & Mahoney, W. J. (2021). Evidence to Inform Occupational Therapy Intervention With Adults With Intellectual Disability: A Scoping Review. The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 75 (3). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2021.043562