The occupational therapist in prevention programs.

In order for a profession to maintain its relevancy it must be aware of the times, interpreting its contribution to mankind in accordance with the needs of the times. When social change was slower it was possible for a profession to make this transition gradually; to proceed in a process of evolution, with new ideas and methods slowly replacing formerly held concepts and practices. However, in our era in history, this process of adjustment has had to be accelerated in order to keep pace with the rapidity with which our society is changing. In today’s world, the demand to act is often presented to us before we have had sufficient time to understand and assimilate the meaning and significance behind the demanded actions. This is a tenuous position in which to be placed. One is presented with the need and the pressure to respond to that need but without the time to reflect on the knowledge and skills required to respond effectively. Reality, today, is continually outdistancing our preparation to respond to it. Until the twentieth century, the pace of change allowed the average person the opportunity to incorporate change while feeling a sense of stability. But during this century the scope, the scale, and above all, the pace of change have been accelerated: Change in our society has developed a visibility it did not possess in former times. C. P. Snow comments, “Until this century social change was so slow that it could pass unnoticed in one person’s lifetime.”1 Such is no longer the case. Alvin Toffler in his book, Future Shock, addresses himself to the current phenomenon of accelerated change and its impact on man’s ability to adapt. Toffler reflects on the exhaustion which can engulf the individual as he reaches an overload in his capacity to adjust to the new.2