ABC Therapeutics Occupational Therapy Weblog

In 2012 , I asked on this blog: “Is NY State taking steps toward a paraprofessional delivery model?” That was the year the state began inserting Level II HCPCS codes into the New York Early Intervention System (NYEIS). These were not therapy codes — they were catch-alls used for durable medical equipment and non-professional services. I warned at the time that commercial carriers would never reimburse them. These codes had no standing in pediatric therapy billing. The only plausible reason for inserting them into NYEIS was to create billing pathways for non-licensed, lower-cost providers. A few months later, I wrote again — “More Road Paving for Paraprofessional EI Services in New York State.” That post analyzed how New York was linking Early Intervention with OPWDD’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers . Services like Family Education & Training or Community Habilitation are commonly delivered by staff with 2- or 4-year human services degrees, not licensed therap...

  Language my lawyer told me to insert: “The following is a satirical commentary intended to critique scope creep in occupational therapy scholarship.” I recently saw an article on the role of occupational therapy in global nuclear disarmament. Inspired by this expansion of our scope into the realm of geopolitics, I thought I would make my own contribution to these kinds of important and clinically relevant proclamations. Abstract The looming challenge of interplanetary colonization poses an existential opportunity for humanity and directly impacts the ability of individuals and communities to engage in meaningful occupation beyond Earth. This article argues that occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants have a critical role to play in preparing for Mars colonization, and that such efforts align with both our ethical responsibilities and scope of practice. By anticipating the profound occupational disruptions of space travel and Martian settlement, occupational ...