Abstract
Millions of individuals find themselves unable to perform everyday activities independently due to neurological disorders such as stroke and dementia. The goal of assessment, for such individuals, is to identify the causes of performance deficits and provide an accurate baseline of function. Accurate assessment increases the clinician's ability to recognise deficits and thereby most effectively target treatment for functional problems. British and American Government policy and directives from Occupational Therapy Associations have highlighted the need for new tests providing accurate, cost effective evaluation of the impact of neurological deficits on an individual's ability to engage in daily tasks. The Structured Observation Test of Function provides such a test. This research was conducted to develop the Structured Observation Test of Function (SOTOF). The SOTOF enables clinicians to undertake synchronous evaluation of the individual's performance of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and the underlying neuropsychological function. The SOTOF is founded on an interdisciplinary conceptual framework drawn from neuropsychological, occupational therapy and general systems theories. This conceptual framework was applied to the tasks of eating, washing, drinking and dressing using activity analysis to extrapolate the skills, performance, and neuropsychological components of these tasks as the basis of a test of function. Studies were undertaken to evaluate the psychometric properties and clinical utility of SOTOF. Results indicate the SOTOF is a valid, reliable and clinically useful tool that provides information regarding the relationship between an individual's neurological deficits and ADL performance. Data generated by the SOTOF provides a comprehensive baseline from which to plan effective treatment and management. Future directions for occupational therapy assessment are discussed.