Occupational therapy is founded on the understanding that people are occupational beings whose identities, wellbeing and participation are shaped through engagement in meaningful activities, roles and relationships. Within assistance animal assessment, understanding the person’s occupational narrative is essential because an assistance animal is not simply introduced to address a diagnosis, impairment or isolated task limitation. It is introduced into a person’s life.

An occupational narrative explores the story of who a person is, what matters to them, how they participate in daily life, what has changed due to disability, and what future participation they wish to achieve.

For occupational therapists assessing assistance animals, the question is not only:

“What can an assistance animal do?”

but:

“What life participation opportunities, roles and occupations could this partnership support?”

This distinction ensures that assistance animal recommendations remain grounded in occupational therapy principles rather than focusing only on impairment reduction or task performance.

The Role of Occupational Narrative in Assistance Animal Assessment

A comprehensive occupational narrative allows the occupational therapist to understand:

• the person’s previous and current occupational roles;
• meaningful activities and routines;
• personal values and priorities;
• strengths and abilities;
• barriers to participation;
• environmental influences;
• aspirations for the future.

This information provides the foundation for determining whether an assistance animal aligns with the person’s occupational needs.

For example, two people may both experience difficulty leaving the home due to disability-related barriers.

However, their occupational narratives may be very different.

One person may identify returning to university attendance as their primary goal.

Another may prioritise reconnecting with family, participating in community activities or independently accessing healthcare.

Although the functional barrier may appear similar, the occupational goals and therefore the potential role of an assistance animal may differ substantially.

Moving Beyond a Problem-Focused Assessment

A purely deficit-focused assessment may ask:

• What can the person not do?
• What symptoms do they experience?
• What limitations are present?

While understanding functional limitations is important, occupational therapy requires a broader perspective.

An occupational narrative also asks:

• What does this person value?
• What roles are important to them?
• What occupations provide meaning?
• What participation opportunities have been lost?
• What future occupations do they want to regain or develop?

This approach aligns with contemporary disability practice by recognising people as whole individuals rather than collections of diagnoses or impairments.

Occupational Disruption and Life Transitions

Disability may affect more than physical ability or task completion.

It may influence:

• employment;
• education;
• relationships;
• independence;
• community participation;
• leisure;
• identity;
• confidence and sense of belonging.

For some individuals, the greatest impact of disability is not the inability to complete a specific activity, but the loss of valued life roles.

An assistance animal may therefore be considered not only for task assistance, but for its potential contribution to rebuilding participation and enabling meaningful engagement.

However, occupational therapists must avoid assuming that an assistance animal will automatically restore lost roles.

The assessment must consider whether:

• the animal can realistically contribute to participation;
• the person’s goals align with the intervention;
• barriers are primarily related to factors an assistance animal can address;
• other interventions may be equally or more appropriate.

Occupational Identity and Assistance Animals

Occupational identity refers to how people understand themselves through their participation in meaningful occupations and roles.

Disability, injury or illness may affect occupational identity by changing how a person sees themselves and how they engage with the world.

An assistance animal may become part of a person’s occupational identity by supporting:

• independence;
• confidence;
• social participation;
• valued roles;
• connection with community.

However, occupational therapists must recognise that the assistance animal should support the person’s identity rather than replace it.

The goal is not for the person to become “an assistance dog handler”.

The goal is for the person to participate more fully in the occupations and roles that matter to them.

Life Participation as an Outcome

Assistance animal outcomes should ultimately be considered through the lens of participation.

Participation-focused assessment considers whether the partnership supports meaningful changes such as:

• attending education;
• maintaining employment;
• engaging in relationships;
• accessing community environments;
• participating in recreation;
• increasing independence.

A task performed by an animal is not automatically meaningful unless it contributes to improved occupational participation.

For example:

A dog may be trained to interrupt a behaviour.

However, the occupational question is:

“Does this interruption enable the person to participate more successfully in meaningful occupations?”

The value of the task lies in its relationship to participation outcomes.

The Occupational Therapist’s Role in Developing an Occupational Narrative

The occupational therapist is responsible for gathering and synthesising information from multiple sources, including:

• the person’s own experiences;
• observation;
• functional assessment;
• environmental assessment;
• information from support networks where appropriate;
• relevant professional reports.

The OT should avoid allowing external expectations to define the occupational narrative.

For example:

• a family member may believe an assistance dog is needed;
• a trainer may believe a dog is suitable;
• a funding body may require specific evidence.

However, the OT must determine whether the intervention aligns with the person’s occupational needs and goals.

Using Occupational Narrative to Guide Assistance Animal Recommendations

A strong assistance animal recommendation should demonstrate a clear connection between:

Person’s occupational narrative

↓

Identified participation barriers

↓

Functional needs

↓

Assistance animal role

↓

Expected occupational outcomes

Without this connection, recommendations risk becoming task-focused rather than occupation-focused.

Case Example: Occupational Narrative Influencing Assessment

Scenario

Two individuals request assistance dogs due to difficulty accessing community environments.

Person A:

Identifies their primary goal as returning to university and independently navigating campus environments.

Assessment identifies that trained assistance animal tasks may support confidence, regulation and environmental navigation.

Person B:

Identifies their primary goal as reducing loneliness and having companionship.

Assessment identifies significant benefit from animal interaction but limited evidence that a trained assistance animal is required.

Although both individuals value animals, their occupational narratives result in different clinical reasoning outcomes.

Clinical Practice Considerations

Occupational therapists should consider:

• What occupations does the person want to participate in?
• What roles are important to their identity?
• How has disability affected participation?
• What changes would indicate meaningful improvement?
• Does an assistance animal address these goals?
• Are alternative interventions available?

Key Practice Principles

1. Assistance animal assessment begins with the person, not the animal

The intervention must fit the person’s life.

2. Occupational narratives provide context for functional assessment

Tasks only have meaning when connected to participation.

3. Disability impacts identity, roles and participation—not only abilities

Assessment must consider the whole person.

4. The goal of an assistance animal is improved participation

Not simply task completion.

5. Occupational therapists assess whether the intervention supports the life the person wants to live

The animal is a means to support occupational engagement, not the end goal.

Occupational narrative provides the foundation for person-centred assistance animal assessment by connecting functional needs with meaningful life participation. At AQF 9 level, occupational therapists must demonstrate the ability to analyse how disability affects occupational identity, roles and participation, and determine whether an assistance animal represents an appropriate and sustainable intervention within the person’s broader life context.