Top-down or Bottom-up Occupational Therapy Assessment: Which Way Do We Go?

Abstract

Using either a top-down or a bottom-up approach has been introduced to occupational therapy assessment and there has been a long debate about which approach is the most appropriate for contemporary occupational therapy practice (Weinstock-Zlotnick and Hinojosa 2004). Since therapists can adopt a bottom-up, a top-down or a mixed directional approach to clients’ assessment, it is important to be cognisant of both assessment approaches and the implications associated with each. Occupational therapists should decide which assessment direction is the most appropriate so as to ensure the provision of high quality, client-centred services. © The College of Occupational Therapists Ltd.