11th ACOT Biennual Scientific Conference will be coming here.

The Association of Caribbean Occupational Therapists (ACOT) is holding its 11^th Biennual Scientific Conference at the Hibiscus Conference Room, George Town Hospital 8:30am – 5:00pm from October 31^st to November 2^nd 2013.

The Association of Caribbean Occupational Therapists was formed at the first meeting of Caribbean occupational therapists in March 1991 in Antigua. Nine registered occupational therapists from Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago met to discuss regional and professional concerns. The World Federation of Occupational Therapists’ Western Hemisphere delegate to the United Nations was also present. In April 1992, the first scientific conference was held in Jamaica. Eighteen occupational therapists attended from five Caribbean states and the USA.

ACOT has had its challenges with the physical distance between territories and cadre of practitioners across the region being very small and in some countries non-existent. Representation to various tertiary institutions to establish an occupational therapy training programme has to date not borne fruit, despite the dire need for these professionals across the region.

In spite of its challenges however, individual member countries of ACOT continue to agitate for improved delivery of services. Occupational therapy practitioners sometimes work in isolation and usually with very little resources.

The objectives of ACOT include:

Encourage the development of the profession in the Caribbean

Promote the establishment of an Occupational Therapy training programme in the English-speaking Caribbean

Link with regional governments and NGOs to expand the scope of the profession

Facilitate professional growth and development through scientific conferences, workshops and continuing education programmes

Provide communication links and support systems among Caribbean Occupational Therapists many of whom work in extreme professional isolation

Publish a newsletter regularly to exchange technical and professional information

Establish links with the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and with national Occupational Therapy associations

Organize professional scientific conferences to promote dialogue and expand therapeutic knowledge and expertise.

Occupational therapy is the art and science of enabling engagement in everyday living, through occupation; of enabling people to perform the occupations that foster health and well-being; and of enabling a just and inclusive society so that all people may participate to their potential in the daily occupations of life (Townsend& Polatajko, 2007, p. 372).

Occupational Therapy is a health care profession based on the knowledge that purposeful activity can promote health and well-being in all aspects of daily life. The aims are to promote, develop, restore and maintain abilities needed to cope with daily activities to prevent dysfunction. Programs are designed to facilitate maximum use of function to meet demands of the person’s working, social, personal and domestic environment. The essential feature of occupational therapy is the active involvement of the person in the therapeutic process. Occupational therapists receive education in social, psychological, biological and medical sciences, professional skills and methods. Fieldwork studies form an integral part of the course. (www.wfot.org)

OTs work with individuals of any ages and a variety of physical and/or psychosocial needs.

OTs are seen in hospitals, schools, community services, clinics, rehabilitation centers and workplace; in the public or private sector. They work in prevention as well as in acute, secondary and tertiary care.

For more information go to:

http://www.caribbeanot.com/index2.html