Reflecting on how the world perceives occupational therapy, it’s apparent that many people overlook several of its dimensions. In an era of rapidly advancing sciences, occupational therapy has shifted from a skills-centered approach to an occupation-centered one. Therapists now view individuals holistically, considering not only the skills performance and physical functions, designing interventions to enhance their participation in meaningful activities. After all, isn't this the broader purpose of occupational therapy, to ultimately support an individual’s fuller participation in life?

The science of occupational therapy is often said to serve individuals across all age groups who face or are at risk of developing temporary or permanent dysfunction in daily tasks. However, if the question arises about what tasks are and what role therapists play in them, it can be challenging to provide a clear answer. This is because service recipients may not fully understand the meaning or impact of their involvement in these tasks. Daily life is structured around activities that are often carried out automatically, without much thought, planning, or analysis of their value. These activities are only fully understood or “decoded” when a difficulty is detected in their execution. Just imagine this scenario: it's morning, you're at home, getting ready for work, but the front door is locked, and the keys are missing. What do you do? While you may not realize it, this situation reflects the kinds of challenges people face daily in completing their tasks.

And since we are mentioning activities, it’s time to formally define them. According to Ann Wilcock, tasks refer to daily activities that individuals need, want, or must perform, either individually or in groups, filling their time and providing purpose and meaning in their lives. The role of occupational therapists is to support individuals in participating and engaging actively in tasks of their choice. Among these tasks are the beloved ADLs, or Activities of Daily Living. Referring to ADLs, occupational therapy addresses nine categories of activities: bathing/showering, toileting and personal hygiene, dressing, swallowing/chewing, feeding, functional mobility, management of personal care items, personal hygiene and grooming, and sexual activity (AOTA, 2014). Consider how important it is to perform these activities for both an individual's independent living and mental well-being. How would you respond if you faced difficulty completing even one of these tasks? The challenges individuals face in performing daily activities highlight the essential role of occupational therapy in promoting independence and overall health.

With a brief review of the literature, you can easily detect the benefits of ADL training. The effectiveness of this approach lies in its ability to enable individuals to perform tasks they find challenging, offering motivation and opportunities for active engagement in solving their problems (Abdulrahman et al., 2022). While training older adults in ADLs has been extensively studied, the same focus has not been applied to children, despite the relevance of functional task training for both groups. Considering that many neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with deficits in the functional execution of tasks, leading to difficulties both in childhood and later in adult life, do you understand the reason for this distinction? Perhaps it's time for immediate intervention based on people's real needs, without focusing solely on age or diagnostic categories. As therapists, relatives, and potential service recipients, wouldn't you want a fast and meaningful intervention program? Why not have it? ADLs are here and are waiting for you to get to know them!