Functional cognition: Practical strategies for occupational therapy in community-based care (September 1, 2026)

Presented by: Lauren Espinoza

Cognitive challenges arise from a number of different origins, including but not limited to trauma, acquired brain injury (A/TBI), serious mental illness (SMI), substance use, stress, or sleep deprivation. Cognitive impairments can significantly impact a person’s occupational performance and participation, as well as independence. Occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to support clients with cognitive impairments participate in occupations at the lowest level of support and maximal independence by assessing need and providing interventions that provide just-right remediation or compensatory supports. In this webinar, occupational therapy professionals will gain insight into how cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, problem-solving, and executive functioning influence a client's independence and quality of life. This webinar will explore various practical, evidence-based interventions to improve client outcomes, including development of routines and habits, task or environmental modification, and use of visual and auditory cues. These strategies help clients overcome barriers such as memory difficulties, disorganization, and poor task follow-through, while fostering problem-solving and promoting overall engagement. Evidence-based assessments for evaluating functional cognition will also be highlighted, including tools like the Allen Cognitive Level Screen (ACLS-5; Earhart et al., 2022).

After taking part in this webinar, participants will be able to: 

1. Identify practical, evidence-based interventions to improve client outcomes and address cognitive barriers.
2. Recognize and select appropriate evidence-based assessments for evaluating functional cognition.
3. Describe the multiple factors that impact cognitive abilities and how this affects client independence, overall quality of life, and occupational participation.

Level  Beginner (0-2 years of experience in this specific practice area)

Area of practice Cognition and functional cognition, Mental health, Occupational therapist assistants, Poverty/Homelessness, Substance use/Addictions, Trauma 

Client age group Adults (20-64 years old), Older adults (65+ years old)