American Journal of Occupational Therapy

The principal purposes of the AOTA Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (hereinafter referred to as the Code) are to help protect the public and to reinforce its confidence in the occupational therapy profession rather than to resolve private business, legal, or other disputes for which there are other, more appropriate forums for resolution. The Code is also an aspirational document to guide occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and occupational therapy students toward appropriate professional conduct in all aspects of their diverse professional and volunteer roles. It applies to any conduct that may affect the performance of occupational therapy as well as to an individual’s behavior in another capacity that reflects negatively on the reputation of occupational therapy.

The Enforcement Procedures for the AOTA Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (hereinafter referred to as the Enforcement Procedures) have undergone a series of revisions by the Association’s Ethics Commission (EC) since their initial adoption. This public document articulates the procedures followed by the EC as it carries out its duties to enforce the Code. A primary goal of these Enforcement Procedures is to ensure objectivity and fundamental fairness to all individuals who may be parties in an ethics complaint. The Enforcement Procedures help ensure compliance with the Code, which delineates enforceable Principles and Standards of Conduct that apply to Association members.

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) recognizes the value, necessity, and viability of occupational therapy assistant education. Occupational therapy assistant educational programs meet standards of performance established by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE^®) to produce competent entry-level occupational therapy assistants who are eligible for national certification and state licensure. Occupational therapy assistants work collaboratively with occupational therapists in contributing to the profession’s pursuit of providing high-quality, cost-effective services to promote health and wellness by meeting society’s occupational needs. Occupational therapy assistant education provides a sound foundation for practice with the development of competent skill sets to fulfill various professional roles within contemporary practice. These roles include direct care provider, educator, manager, leader, and advocate for the profession and the consumer (ACOTE, 2018).

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) asserts that occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, through the use of occupations and activities, facilitate clients’ cognitive functioning to enhance occupational performance, self-efficacy, participation, and perceived quality of life. Cognitive processes are integral to effective performance across the broad range of daily occupations such as work, educational pursuits, home management, and play and leisure. Cognition plays an integral role in human development and in the ability to learn, retain, and use new information to enable occupational performance across the lifespan.

This statement defines the role of occupational therapy in evaluating and addressing cognitive functioning to help clients maintain and improve occupational performance. The intended primary audience is practitioners 1 within the profession of occupational therapy. The statement also may be used to inform recipients of occupational therapy services, practitioners in other disciplines, and the wider community regarding occupational therapy theory and methods and to articulate the expertise of occupational therapy practitioners in addressing cognition and challenges in adapting to cognitive dysfunction.

Note. The Guidelines for Contributors to AJOT is also available at the American Journal of Occupational Therapy manuscript processing system website; go to https://ajot.submit2aota.org and click “Instructions for Authors.” These guidelines are published annually in a supplement to the journal; any changes implemented in the interim are published at https://ajot.aota.org/ss/authors.aspx.