What is Praxis in Occupational Therapy?

Lesson Transcript : What Is Democracy?

Occupational therapy is all about helping people of all ages function better with restrictions from physical or neurological problems. An important concept in OT is Praxis that contributes to what we do and how we execute purposeful movement. But what is praxis in the context of OT and why does it matter? This website will be the representation of what is praxis through definitions, examples, and practical tips for therapists, students and parents.

What is the Praxis in OT?

Praxis is the ability of the mind to concept, plan, and execute, skilled movement. It’s not just the physical moving of muscles there’s much more to motor activity, including motor planning, sequencing and coordinating different actions to achieve a goal.

Occupational therapy relies on praxis and the ability to complete daily activities such as dressing, writing, cooking and using tools. Praxis problems can manifest in many ways this continuum of symptoms is known as dyspraxia and can affect an individual from the ability to perform simple motor movements to how independent a person can become.

What does praxis mean in occupational therapy?

In OT, praxis is the ability to translate an idea or intention into a voluntary, organized action. The answer involves four definite cognitive and motor procedures:

• Ideation: sketching the idea of what we need to be doing
• Plan – Everything to be arranged for preparing himself for the task to be done.
• Sequencing – putting movements in the right order
• Execution We are DOWN to doing it MOVE.

Should anyone of these phases be impaired, the subject may not be able to perform properly even if possessing the physical capacity.

Philosophy Philosophy and Practice of Occupational Therapy

Praxis is founded upon the principle of neurodevelopment and relies on the implementation of multiple brain regions. Occupational Therapy Praxis Theory The theory of praxis within OT is the way your brain organizes everything you’ve learned and then uses that to guide motor movement.

The 4 Stages of Praxis

(ideas page 195)› the act or process of forming or creating ideas (the) ideating of a new approach.

Motor Planning: The execution of the motor planning of a movement

6Motor Execution: Performing the Movements

Feedback: Sensory-guided movement

Occupational therapists can assess each step of this process to determine what stage of breakdown is occurring and can develop treatment objectives and treatment plans to remediate motor planning and execution.

Praxis OT Examples

How praxis challenges might present in therapy Here is a list of examples that might describe praxis challenges and what the client may say in a therapy session and how I may respond:

• Not being able to button a shirt even though you have it all buttoned up
• You can’t make a proper use of scissors or a few other tools
• Trouble with ordering the steps involved in cooking or cleaning
• Drawing or writing in complex shapes is hard.

Being aware of these deficits will help occupational therapists to modify activities to remediate or compensate for these praxis deficits.

Praxis and motor planning can seem very similar on the surface but what, exactly, differentiates the two?

Praxis and motor planning: Sometimes used interchangeably, these terms may sound similar, but they’re not the same thing:

• Motor Planning is the process that the brain goes through to plan and sequence a movement.
• Praxis is planning in a motoric sense but praxis is that production and execution of an intended act, and is a goal-directed act.”

During therapy, dealt with maximization of client homologous behavior at the level of perform complex intentional action.

The Importance of Praxis in Occupational Therapy

Praxis understanding is central for OTs, because:

• It lends itself to a more in-depth analysis of hypotheses of mechanisms underlying cutaneous-skeletal synergies.
• It guides the tailoring of treatment
• It enhances client independence in personal comfort activities.
• It treats children with developmental delay and adults with neurological damage.

For best praxis interventions, functional movement can be restored in a natural way, which will enhance quality of life.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)