Adolf Meyer

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Adolf Meyer
and
George Barton
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Adolf MeyerBackground

• Born on September 13, 1866 in Niederweningen,
  Switzerland
• 1892
• Received his medical degree from the University
  of Zurich
• Emigrated to the United States
• Wrote The Philosophy of Occupational Therapy in
  1922
• Died March 17, 1950 at his home in Baltimore

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Connection to OT
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Influence on OT

• One of the founders of occupational therapy
• Healthy living is a blend of work and pleasure
• Occupation is therapeutic
• The work cure

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Major Contributions

• Mental problems are problems of living
• Fundamentals of Life Work and play and rest and
  sleep
• Our role consists in giving opportunities rather
  than prescriptions. There must be opportunities
  to work, opportunities to do, to plan and create,
  and to use material. (Gordon, 2009).

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George BartonBackground

• Born 1871- Brookline, MA
• Died 1923

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Connection to OT

• Architect
• Boston Society of Arts and Crafts
• Little formal medical experience
• Experience through personal illness, nursing, and
  independent study
• First exposure to OT in Clifton Springs
  Sanatorium- Reverend Elwood Worcester

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Influence on the Profession

• 1914- Consolation House
• Work as rehabilitation He used his own body as
  a clinic to work out the problem of
  rehabilitating himself (Quiroga, 1995, p. 118).
• Grading occupations, energy conservation
  strategies, efficiency
• 1915- coined the term occupational therapy
• If there is an occupational disease, why not an
  occupational therapy? (Reed Sanderson, 1999)
• 1917- NSPOT- President and chair of Committee on
  Research and Efficiency
• Treat the whole person
• Occupation as a drug

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Major Contributions

• Rehabilitation can be achieved through work and
  productivity
• Used OT to work with the physically disabled
• Energy conservation practices
• Founded NSPOT

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Additional Accomplishments

• Cured his paralysis
• Consolation House
• He wanted to raise the cry that it is time for
  humanity to cease regarding the hospital as a
  door closing upon a life (Reed Sanderson,
  1999)

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Value of OT

• Medicine only healed illness and patients left
  hospital completely dependent- OT gives people a
  purpose
• Productive and meaningful activity speeds
  recovery
• A good occupation is one that promoted physical
  improvement, clarified and strengthened the mind
  and could become the basis or the corollary of a
  new life upon recovery (Peloquin, 1991).
• Injury or illness does not mean life is over.
  Work can create a new meaningful and purposeful
  life.

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End of Life

• 1918-Resigned from presidency
• 1918- married
• Continued as chair of Research and Efficiency
  Committee of NSPOT
• 1923- died from tuberculosis

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References

• AOTA A historical perspective. (2009). In the
  American occupational therapy
• association, inc. Retrieved from
  http//www.aota.org/About/39983.aspx 
• Bing, R. (1981). Occupational therapy revisited
  A paraphrastic journey. American
• Journal of Occupational Therapy, 35, 499518.
  Retrieved from http//www.aota. org/
  Practitioners/Resources/Slagle/1981.aspx
• Founders image. (1917). Retrieved November 9,
  2009, from http//www.nysota.org
• Gordon, D. M. (2009). The history of occupational
  therapy. In E. B. Crepeau, E. S. Cohn,
• B. A. Boyt Schell (Eds.), Willard Spackmans
  Occupational Therapy (11th ed.) (pp.202-215).
  Philadelphia Lippincott Williams Wilkins.
• Peloquin, S.M. (1991). Looking Back--Occupational
  Therapy Service Individual and Collective
  Understandings of the Founders, Part 1. American
  Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45, 352-260.
  Retrieved from http//www1.aota.org/ajot/
  abstract.asp?IVol45INum4ArtID9DateApril20
  1991
• Quiroga, V.A.M. (1995). Occupational therapy The
  first 30 years 1900-1930. Maryland The American
  Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
• Reed, K. L., Sanderson, S. N. (1999). Concepts
  of occupational therapy (4th ed.).
• Philadelphia Lippincott Williams
  Wilkins.
• http//www.nndb.com/people/022/000119662/ ? image
  of adolf meyer