OVERVIEW

Occupational Therapy Assessment of Functional Cognition for Employment: Unpacking the Toolbox 2025 is organized by Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) / Association canadienne des ergotherapeutes (ACE) and will be held on Jun 19, 2025.

Description:
Canadian occupational therapists are increasingly faced with the challenge of evaluating the functional cognitive impacts of concussion / TBI, mental health diagnoses, chronic pain, and other factors on an individual’s occupational participation. It is important for occupational therapists to have a solid understanding of functional cognition, what it encompasses, how it impacts an individual's capacity for employment, and how to assess and analyze the impact for the purposes of providing independent opinion and determining a therapy plan with the individual. Occupational therapists utilize ecologically valid measures for contextual occupational analysis; to assess the fit between the individual’s function and the specific occupational demands of employment.

A toolbox of measures that capture the functional cognitive limitations experienced by the individual that are also relevant to critical cognitive job demands is required to ensure an accurate and comprehensive assessment of abilities and limitations and the starting point to establish a work-oriented rehabilitation plan.

The purpose of this workshop is to unpack the toolbox of measures to assess functional cognition and to familiarize occupational therapists with the utility and application of each measure for determining an individual’s suitability and challenges for employment. Workshop topics include:

Functional cognition: What is functional cognition? How do we assess an individual’s functional cognitive capacity?
Structured observations: How do we tailor the environmental parameters of the assessment and use structured observations to gather information on functional cognition?
Patient-related outcome measures (PROM): How do we consider an individual’s subjective reports regarding functional cognitive challenges? Why is collaboration with clients critical to understanding occupational participation?
Standardized measures: What standardized measures do we have available to evaluate functional cognition, keeping the client's occupation at the centre of practice?

Work simulation: How do we utilize work simulation activities (generic and work-specific) to evaluate work-related functional cognition?
Please note that the focus of this workshop is on work-oriented assessment rather than work-oriented rehabilitation. This workshop will assist therapists in establishing a baseline of function and identifying where gaps for employment exist, assisting with formulation of targets for cognitive rehabilitation.

Learning objectives:
By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

Explain the concept of functional cognition within the occupational therapy scope of practice.
Utilize structured observations of functional cognition that will assist with formulation of opinion on abilities and limitations.
Select Patient-Related Outcome Measures (e.g., qualitative measures) that will assist with formulation of opinion on abilities and limitations.
Select standardized measures (e.g., quantitative measures) that will assist with formulation of opinion on abilities and limitations.
Describe generic and work-specific work simulation activities that will assist with formulation of opinion on abilities and limitations.
Incorporate tests and measures to formulate an opinion on an individual's functional cognitive capacity and compare this with information on critical cognitive job demands.