Strengths-Based, Trauma-Informed Identity-Affirming Assessment
& Intervention Tool
As therapists & teachers, we are all crunched for time - the Visual Activity Sort (VAS) is an effective tool that quickly helps you gather important information about your student or client's wants and needs.
Utilize this client-centered tool to build rapport and connect with students and clients about their interests and goals. In the end you will have a plan for therapy that is meaningful to your client.
Are you looking for a tool that will help you connect with your clients in an engaging & meaningful way?
Do you like quick, easy & intuitive tools?
Ultimately, it is a unique and interactive assessment and therapy tool that helps build a foundation for improved therapy outcomes
There are an infinite way to utilize the VAS in therapy & in teaching - using visuals helps clients with perspective & decision-making.
VAS is a fun, interactive assessment and therapy tool that uses picture cards to encourage engagement with your client.
Essentially Heres How it Works:
You will go through the activity/picture cards & ask about the client's:
Participation with Activity
Satisfaction with Activity
Motivation to Participate in Activity
​Perceived Competence​ in Activity
​Next you have the client select activities they want to improve upon.
Then they rank them in prioritization.
Then you both analyze the activity choices specific to the client & look into strengths and barriers to participation
Finally you make collaborative goals with the client that are just right!
7+ Ways to Sort
Gather Valuable Information About Your Client
Participation
Yes
No
Perceived Competence
Not Good At
Okay
Good
Interests
Like
Neutral
Dislike
Motivation
Do NOT Want to Do
Want To Do More
Want To Do Less
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Sort Activity Cards
The Visual Activity Sort includes 117 activities in all areas of occupation color categorized:
ADLs
IADLs
Health Management
Social Participation
Work/School
Leisure/Play
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All cards are coated so that they can be cleaned and disinfected.
Occupation-Focused Tool
Occupations are activities one engages in during daily life - what people spend their time and energy doing. Occupations reflect and support one’s interests and skills, and they help us as humans meet our individual needs and desires. Occupational pursuits develop roles and routines within a cultural context that give a person a sense of identity and life meaning. Participation in occupations is central to a person’s health, sense of well-being and life satisfaction.
Occupation-based practice (OBP) reflects the foundational values of the occupational therapy profession and the academic discipline of occupational science, and is congruent with AOTA’s Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (AOTA, 2008). It is true occupational therapy practice. The goal of OBP is to improve the satisfaction and capacity of individuals, groups, and society, for engaging in desired occupations where and when they naturally occur. Such engagement enhances valued roles, positively influences overall health and quality of life, and assists in developing and reaffirming the identity of individuals or groups. Occupational engagement may be supported or hindered by a person’s motivation and body functions, performance skills and patterns, demands of the occupation, and physical, social, cultural, and economic environments.