An Occupational Therapy Guide to Assessment of Executive Function of Rural Agriculture Workers

Abstract

Purpose: Develop a guide for occupational therapists working with rural agricultural-based individuals’ experiencing cognitive deficits. Methodology: A comprehensive literature review was completed with major topics including the definition of executive functioning, common duties of ranch/farm workers, relationship between executive functioning and work, rural agriculture culture. The goal of the literature review was to gain an understanding of the influence of executive functioning skills on engagement within occupational duties and tasks of rural agriculture workers. Results: An occupational therapy guide was developed to provide a list of common tasks/duties of ranchers/framers and the associated executive functioning skills as well as client factors. The guide intends to assist therapists in assessing executive functioning deficits in common duties/tasks of the rural agriculture worker in order to provide a more occupation-based evaluation. Conclusions: The occupational therapist’s assessment and intervention of executive functioning skills for ranch and/or farm workers should be directed by The Occupational Therapy Guide to Assessment of Executive Functioning of Rural Agricultural Workers to foster client-centered practice which meets the occupational performance needs of the individual