Literacy and Occupational Therapy : Enabling Participation Across the Lifespan

Occupational therapy practitioners encounter illiteracy and low literacy across all practice areas, from pediatrics to older adults. Many children receiving special education services are diagnosed with conditions that affect their ability to develop proficient literacy skills, and poor literacy in the school years has far-reaching effects – students unable to read at grade level have limited success in employment, monetary earnings, and general well-being. In adulthood, lack of adequate literacy skills affects health and prolongs poverty cycles. Adults with low literacy have more challenges when it comes to following prescription directions, interacting with health care professionals, and obtaining health information, all of which can negatively affect their health.

Occupational therapy’s holistic approach to task engagement can successfully address literacy skills across the lifespan. Literacy and Occupational Therapy explores the many forms of literacy, from functional to digital to health, and provides practical guidance on how practitioners can support literacy development in the areas most relevant to their clients.