Module 1 – Foundations of Occupational Therapy Assessment for Assistance Animals

Assistance animal practice requires occupational therapists to apply occupational therapy theory beyond traditional clinical environments. Unlike many interventions, assistance animals represent a complex living intervention involving the interaction between a person, an animal, occupations, environments and broader social systems.

This module introduces the theoretical foundations underpinning occupational therapy assessment of assistance animals. It explores how occupational therapy frameworks, disability models and occupational justice principles inform decision-making about whether an assistance animal represents an appropriate intervention for a person’s occupational needs.

The module establishes the foundation that assistance animals are not simply prescribed based on diagnosis or impairment. Rather, they must be considered within the broader context of occupational participation, environmental demands, individual goals, animal welfare and the sustainability of the human–animal partnership.

Learners will explore the role of the occupational therapist in balancing disability rights, person-centred practice, ethical responsibility and evidence-informed intervention selection.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, learners will be able to:

1. Analyse occupational therapy models relevant to assistance animal assessment and explain how they inform professional reasoning.
2. Critically evaluate the limitations of diagnosis-based approaches and apply occupational therapy perspectives that focus on participation, context and lived experience.
3. Apply the Person–Environment–Occupation–Animal (PEOA) framework to understand interactions between the individual, animal, environment and meaningful occupations.
4. Explain the ethical considerations involved in recognising an assistance animal as a living intervention partner rather than a piece of equipment.
5. Analyse how occupational justice principles influence equitable access to assistance animal interventions.
6. Justify intervention selection using occupational therapy reasoning rather than assumptions based solely on diagnosis or preference.