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Rachel Campbell

Slagle Lecture Annotation

October 14, 2014

I reviewed Mary Reillys 1961 Slagle Lecture entitled Occupational Therapy


Can Be One of the Great Ideas of 20th Century Medicine. Ms. Reillys paper
evaluated whether occupational therapy is a service that is important and unique
enough to be valued by medicine and society. Her hypothesis that man, through the
use of his hands as they are energized by mind and will, can influence the state of his
own health (Reilly, 1961, p. 81) looked at this question. She noted 20th century
America is the appropriate time and place to test this hypothesis. Americans can
value occupational therapy because we have an innate need to be self-reliant and
take action. These are needs that will always exist. In order for Occupational
Therapy to be valued and recognized as its own profession, we must identify what
is most vital and important for our patients and focus on those needs. Selfpreservation, which includes work, is one of humans vital needs and occupations
are central to fulfilling this. If a person cannot master or feel in control of his
environment, he experiences a sense of dysfunction. Occupational therapy is
necessary to help people make the environment their own so they can optimally
perform and alleviate this dysfunction. Physiologically and psychologically factors
influence our ability and drive to work and to take action. Occupational therapy, as a
profession, must focus on this this this innate drive for occupation.
Mary Reilly challenged the profession of Occupational Therapy to reclaim its
roots occupation instead of only focusing on the medical model as the perspective
for practice. She developed the philosophy that occupational behavior is a central
foundation in Occupational Therapy. Her occupational behavior frame of reference
took a holistic view of the patient and saw patient achievement in occupations as a
direct responsibility of the occupational therapist. Through her frame of reference,
she emphasized the importance of play in child development. She recognized play to
be a complex behavior that prepares children to adapt to adulthood and the
occupations that come later in life. This paved the way for play and leisure to be
considered occupations in the current OT practice framework.
Reflecting on the timeline and individual assignments, I recognize that as an
OT it is important to be able to work as a team, but to also have your own voice.

Rachel Campbell
Slagle Lecture Annotation

October 14, 2014

References
Major Contributions (2014). Retrieved on October 10, 2014 from
http://otmaryreilly.wikispaces.com/Major+Contributions.

Reilly, M. (1962). Occupational Therapy Can Be One of the Great Ideas of 20th
Century Medicine. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 16, 1-9.

Schell, B.A.B., Gillen, G., & Scaffa, M. E. (Eds.). (2014) Willard and Spackmans
occupational therapy (12th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

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