The Model of Human Occupation grew from efforts to integrate and apply concepts developed in occupational therapy during the 1960's and 1970's by Dr. Mary Reilly and her colleagues and students. Gary Kielhofner developed the first version of the model, which was then termed, A Model of Temporal Adaptation, in his masters thesis in 1975. With the collaboration of two colleagues, Cynthia Heard Igi and Janice Burke, the model was further refined and published in a series of 4 articles. While the model was introduced in the United States, scholars and clinicians worldwide now contribute to its development and application. This model can potentially be used with any occupational therapy client and is applied across the lifespan and with diverse groups of clients.
Habituation includes internalized social roles and habits.
According to the model, these factors all interact and shape occupational behavior. This conceptualization helps explain adaptive occupational behavior as well as problems which can arise or occupational dysfunction. The Model of Human Occupation emphasizes that through therapy persons are helped to engage in occupational behavior which maintains, restores, reorganizes or develops their capacities, motives and lifestyles.