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1917 : The founding if the National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy in the U.S. This was considered the formal beginning of the occupational therapy profession
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1917 : The National Society for the Promotion of Occupational Therapy was founded
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1920s : The NSPOT was renamed the American Occupational Therapy Association, and they began to establish standards for practices and education.
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1947 : The creation of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, a premier journal.
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1940s: During World War II, occupational therapy gained recognition, because therapists were involved in rehabilitating injured soldiers.
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1965 : The social security amendments in the U.S. included the provision of occupation therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries, thus, significantly expanding the access to therapy.
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1979 : "Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process" was published by AOTA helped with standardizing practice and terminology.
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1980s : Technological advances led to the integration of computer-assisted therapy tools.
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2017 : The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy began requiring the continuation of education for the renewal of certification.
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2007 : The introduction of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework