Alaska § 08.84.190 - Definitions.

§ 08.84.190. Definitions.

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires,        (1) “board” means the State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board;

 (2) “occupational therapist” means a person who practices occupational therapy;

 (3) “occupational therapy” means, for compensation, the use of purposeful activity, evaluation, treatment, and consultation with human beings whose ability to cope with the tasks of daily living are threatened with, or impaired by developmental deficits, learning disabilities, aging, poverty, cultural differences, physical injury or illness, or psychological and social disabilities to maximize independence, prevent disability, and maintain health; “occupational therapy” includes             (A) developing daily living, play, leisure, social, and developmental skills;

 (B) facilitating perceptual-motor and sensory intergrative functioning;

 (C) enhancing functional performance, prevocational skills, and work capabilities using specifically designed exercises, therapeutic activities and measures, manual intervention, and appliances;

 (D) design, fabrication, and application of splints or selective adaptive equipment;

 (E) administering and interpreting standardized and nonstandardized assessments, including sensory, manual muscle, and range of motion assessments, necessary for planning effective treatment; and

 (F) adapting environments for the disabled;

 (4) “occupational therapy assistant” means a person who assists in the practice of occupational therapy under the supervision of an occupational therapist;

 (5) “physical therapist” means a person who practices physical therapy;

 (6) “physical therapist assistant” means a person who assists in the practice of physical therapy or an aspect of physical therapy as initiated, supervised, and terminated by a licensed physical therapist; the responsibilities of a physical therapist assistant do not include evaluation.

 (7) “physical therapy” means the examination, treatment and instruction of human beings to detect, assess, prevent, correct, alleviate and limit physical disability, bodily malfunction, pain from injury, disease and other bodily or mental conditions and includes the administration, interpretation and evaluation of tests and measurements of bodily functions and structures; the planning, administration, evaluation and modification of treatment and instruction including the use of physical measures, activities and devices for preventive and therapeutic purposes; the provision of consultative, educational and other advisory services for the purpose of reducing the incidence and severity of physical disability, bodily malfunction and pain; “physical therapy” does not include the use of roentgen rays and radioactive materials for diagnosis and therapeutic purposes, the use of electricity for surgical purposes, and the diagnosis of disease.