The use of core concepts and terminology in South Africa

Abstract

This article describes the evolution of occupational therapy terminology and identifies global developments that have influenced terminology in South Africa. Terminology in South Africa is largely driven by the occupational therapy educational institutions. However, South African universities do not have a national directive or framework providing a uniform terminology.A survey was conducted among the eight universities in South Africa that train occupational therapists to determine the current most frequently used concepts and terminology. The findings indicated that the core concepts most often used by the eight educational institutions in South Africa are: performance components, occupational performance areas, environment or context, creative ability, task concept, occupational science, role performance, habit, routine, adaptation, quality of life and independence.The findings from this preliminary survey of terminology use could facilitate discussion of the need for and advantages of using uniform terminology in South Africa.