Decision Guide

When working as an occupational therapy practitioner, some situations may lead you to ask the question, "Is this in my scope of practice?" These resources will help guide you through the decision-making process.

Any decisions related to your scope of practice should consider educational curriculum, history of application in practice, and the language in scope of practice state licensure law.

State law defines occupational therapy practice. Therefore, state licensure law is the final authority on the scope of occupational therapy practice.

• Consult your state licensing entity
• Read your state's scope of practice statutes.

In addition to state licensure law, the foundations of a profession's scope of practice are included in the educational curriculum and the history of application in practice.

• Review AOTA's Scope of Practice official document
• Review AOTA Code of Ethics
• View occupational therapy program curriculum, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) Standards, and the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF-4)
• Consult with content experts from various practice settings using platforms such as AOTA's CommunOT.
• Review official documents from national and state-level OT associations to ensure the practice area is consistent with those documents and that no language prohibits the practice.
• Review the practice acts of other professions with an established scope of practice and recognized by an accrediting agency or regulated by state law.
• Review clinical practice guidelines and ensure the service or treatment is consistent with the documents and that no language prohibits the practice.

Once the practice area or intervention has been determined to be within the OT scope of practice, ensure competency to deliver the service.

• Assess knowledge, skills, training, and supervised practice to deliver the service.
• Ensure regulatory or professional requirements for practice (e.g., certifications) are completed.
• Consider if it is required to demonstrate and document competency to an individual qualified to do so.
• Ensure that all interventions are occupation-centered, evidenced-based, and part of an occupational therapy plan of care.
• Review your employer's policies, procedures, and or bylaws to ensure they support the practice and consult with your direct supervisor to complete organization required steps.