Occupational therapy has been an invisible profession, largely because the public has had difficulty grasping the concept of occupation. The emergence of occupational science has the potential of improving this situation. Occupational science is firmly rooted in the founding ideas of occupational therapy. In the future, the nature of human occupation will be illuminated by the development of a basic theory of occupational science. Occupational science, through research and theory development, will guide the practice of occupational therapy. Applications of occupational science to the practice of pediatric occupational therapy are presented. Ultimately, occupational science will prepare pediatric occupational therapists to better meet the needs of parents and their children.
