In this way, I fulfill my duty not only to my clients, but also to the community that helps me to accomplish the fulfilment of this duty (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2005). The central premise of my philosophy is therefore to connect with clients on a personal level, determine what they need, and work with them to achieve the results they desire. For this reason, I expect that my engagement in scholarship will be mainly with the "scholarship of application" and the "scholarship of discovery," as suggested by the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. It is only by sharing findings that the occupational therapy field developed as far as it has today. Indeed, even the earliest occupational therapists recognized the importance of sharing their findings with the rest of the community (Meyer, 1922).

In summary, my philosophy therefore centrally concerns the way in which I may be of help to occupational therapy clients who seek my help specifically, those in my community, and also those throughout the world. In this way, my primary focus on my own clients drive research and scholarship that could be of help to other clients as well. Integrating with both clients and colleagues in this way is something I feel can make my life very meaningful indeed.

References

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy. (2009). Scholarship in Occupational Therapy. November/December, Vol 63, No. 6.

The American...

Model State Regulation for Supervision, Roles, and Responsibilities during the Delivery of Occupational Therapy Services. Retrieved from: http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Advocacy/State/Resources/Supervision/36447.aspx
The American Occupational Therapy Association (2011). Occupational Therapist Assistant Overview. Retrieved from: http://www.careercornerstone.org/pdf/alliedhealth/otasst.pdf

Hoppes, S., Bender, D, and DeGrace, B.W. (2005, Spring). Service Learning is a Perfect Fit for Occupational and Physical Therapy Education. Journal of Allied Health. Retrieved from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4040/is_200504/ai_n13500672/

Meyer, a. (1922). The Philosophy of Occupation Therapy. Archives of Occupational Therapy, Vol 1.

Ohio State University (2011). Occupational Therapy Division Philosophy. College of Medicine, School of Allied Medical Professions. Retrieved from: http://amp.osu.edu/ot/1457.cfm

Snodgrass, J. Douthitt, S., Ellis, R., Wade, S. And Pelmons, J. (2008, Spring). Occupational Therapy Practitioners' Perceptions of Rehabilitation Managers' Leadership Styles and the Outcomes of Leadership. Journal of Allied Health. Retrieved from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4040/is_200804/ai_n25418394/