EHP (Ecology of Human Performance)

Presented by:Velasco, Ma. Rizaly D.

Hernandez, Rey AnnGanosa, Glyness

Salvador, Llewelyn

Proponents:

Winnie Dunn PhD, OTR, FAOTA Catana Brown PhD, OTR, FAOTA Ann McGuigan PhD

At University of KansasAnd was first published in 1994

The four components of EHP

Person- A being that has

experiences, skills and abilities

- Is in the context and cannot be understood out of the context

- Skills include sensorimotor, cognitive and psychosocial

Context- Can be cultural, personal, spiritual and temporal

- Context and the person affects one another

- The place where the person draws meaning

Task- Are sets of behavior

necessary for goal attainment

- Where people perform in the context through the usage of skills and abilities

- Context is utilized to support performance of task

Performance- If the skills and

abilities are limited, it may limit performance

- Dependent upon experiences and available resources

Persons are embedded in their contexts. An infinite variety of tasks exists around every person. Performance results when the person interacts with the context to engage in tasks.

- EHP serves as a framework for considering the effect of context.

- An interaction between people and their environment (Ecology) directly affects human behavior and performance

- A transactional process through which the person, context and the performance task are interdependent on each other

- It is holistic and client centered

What is EHP?

Assumptions

Human performance and behavior are affected by the interaction between the person and the context. 

Occupational performance can only be studied and understood within context.

 People and the contexts within which they exist are unique and dynamic in nature

A person’s variables are continually changing and impacted by past interests and experiences. Skills can be gained and/or lost due to illness or stress.

The transactional relationship among person, task, and context constitute occupations and roles. Life roles are a constellation of tasks. Tasks may overlap into many roles and each person has a unique role configuration.

Function

When task demands match person’s abilities in a supportive context performance is optimal.

A wide performance range depicts optimal performance therefore it’s functional.

Can fulfill the task requirements that are part of their life roles.

 Persons use their skills and abilities to look through the context at the tasks they need or want to do. They derive meaning from this process. Performance range is the configuration of tasks that the persons execute.

Dysfunction A limited range and an imbalance

among the four components could indicate dysfunction, therefore need for intervention.

Contextual barriers such as limited resources could limit performance range.

Mismatch between person variables, task demands and/or contextual features= dysfunction.

A person with limited skills and abilities within the Ecology of Human Performance framework. Although context is still useful, the person has fewer skills and abilities with which to look through context and derive meaning. The lack limits the person's performance range.

Intervention

Establish/Restore

- Skills and abilities are restored or improved to enable performance within context.

- Sensory-motor, cognitive and psychosocial skills and abilities are the focus of intervention.

Alter/ Modify

- Matching the person’s current skills and abilities to a context to enable performance.

- By choosing a suitable context rather than changing the present context to meet abilities.

- Focuses on the context

Prevent

- The main focus of intervention

- Occurrence or evolution of maladaptive performance is prevented.

- The person, task and context variables are dealt with to prevent occurrence or evolution of maladaptive performance.

Adapt

- Features of the context are structured to support performance.

- A supportive environment is designed specifically to meet the person’s abilities.

Create

- Circumstances that promote more adaptable or complex performance within context are created.

- Towards overall promotion of functional performance without the assumption that disabilities could occur or interfere.

The Role of OT Facilitator Consultant/Adviser