About the AusTOMs for Occupational Therapy
Carolyn Unsworth, Dianne Duncombe

There are 12 AusTOMs for Occupational Therapy Scales:

1. Learning and applying knowledge (click for example- PDF file)
2. Functional walking and mobility
3. Upper limb use
4. Carrying out daily life tasks and routines
5. Transfers
6. Using transport
7. Self-care
8. Domestic life- inside house
9. Domestic life- outside house
10. Interpersonal interactions and relationships
11. Work, employment and education
12. Community life, recreation, leisure and play

The AusTOMs for Occupational Therapy scale headings focus on the Activity Limitation domain, unlike the Physiotherapy and Speech Pathology scale headings, which reflect impairments. The scale headings reflect the Activities and Participations domain of the WHO ICF.

Each of the AusTOMs for Occupational Therapy scales has four domains:

Impairment: Impairments are significant deviations or loss of body structure (anatomical) or function (physiological or psychological).

Activity Limitation: Activity Limitation results from the difficulty in the performance of an activity. An activity is the execution of a task by an individual.

Participation Restriction: Participation restrictions are difficulties the individual may have in the manner or extent of involvement in their life situation.

Wellbeing: The level of concern experienced by the individual. Concern may be evidenced by anger, frustration, apathy, depression etc.

The AusTOMs for Occupational Therapy scales were developed by Australian occupational therapy clinicians through focus groups, a mail out survey, and ongoing feedback during training and pilot data collection. Consumer groups also had input into the development of all of the AusTOMs scales, particularly the Participation Restriction and Wellbeing domains.

For ordering information, click here.

About the AusTOMs for Physiotherapy
About the AusTOMs for Speech Pathology

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Funding for the AusTOMs study was provided by the
Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing