PEO MODEL &
ENVIRONMENTS
OCT 205
Week 8
Gail Miravite, MS, OTR/L

OBJECTIVES
O Understand the PEO model as

related to occupational performance.
O Understand the “E” of the PEO
Model.
O Lab: Fieldtrip to different
“environments”
O Analysis of environments

WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL
PERFORMANCE?
O …occupational performance may be

better described as the product of a dynamic, interwoven relationship that exists among people, their occupations and roles, and the environments in which they live, work and play. (Law et. al., 1996, p
10).
O NOTE: PERSON, OCCUPATION, and

ENVIRONMENT!!

“Transactional” Approach of the P-E-O Model
O An “interactive” approach looks at

each “component” individually
Person
Environment
Occupation

O Recognizes that when the context

changes the person also needs to change in order to meet their goals.

More on Occupational
Performance
O …problems related to disability may

be caused by the relationship between a person with a disability and the environment, rather than by the disability itself (Law et. al., 1996, p 10).

PEO MODEL
O
1.
2.

O.

Provides OTA’s with a practical tool which: Assists OTA’s in analyzing problems in occupational performance
Assists OTA’s in communicating OT practices to clients, funding agencies, and other professionals
Can be used in a variety of settings.

Person-Environment-Occupation
Model of Occupational
Performance
Environmental supports Demands
Individual Skills

Occupation

Occupationa l Performance

Barriers

3 Components of the PEO
Model
Person

Occupation

Environment

Occupational
Performance
● Overlap in the center of the circles

represents “Occupational Performance.”
● The more the circles overlap the greater the
“fit” between the person, the environment and the occupation = Increased level of client satisfaction and functioning.
● Occupational Performance can be impacted by external and/or internal changes
● OTA’s work together with clients to adjust the “fit” striving for optimal occupational performance The Person
O Defined as – a unique being who

assumes a variety of roles which are dynamic, vary over time.
O Viewed “holistically”
O Contribute their own life experiences, personality, cultural background, and personal attributes.

The Environment
O In this model environment is defined

“broadly” with equal importance on the cultural, socio-economic, institutional physical and social aspects. O Each “domain” is considered from the unique perspective of the client.

Occupation
O Activities, Tasks and Occupations are defined

separately but are grouped together in the
Model.
Activity – the basic unit of a task.
Task – a set of purposeful activities.
Occupation – groups of self-directed, functional tasks and activities in which individuals participate in throughout the lifespan.

O All 3 are performed within the context of the

individual’s roles and within multiple environments. OTPF
Occupational Therapy Practice Framework

OTPF provides a framework emphasizing the “interactive” relationship between the client and the occupational therapy practitioner.
O Client’s occupational profile = (Person)
O Context both internal and external to the client =

(Environment)
O Activity demands = (Occupation)

Applying the PEO Model to
Practice
Identify occupational strengths and problems in occupational performance Assess performance components Assess occupation, activities, tasks Assess environmental conditions Bring this information together in a transactional framework to develop intervention plan with client. Outcome is evaluated by measuring occupational performance. PEO Model (Law et. al., 1996, Figure 4, p 19).

PEO Model
O The PEO Model recognizes the complex
O
O
O
O
O
O

relationships between individuals participating in occupations across environments.
Shifts the focus from performance components to occupational performance.
Is flexible
Offers a systematic approach to analyzing occupational performance,
Offers multiple intervention options
Assists