Brief Definition of MOHO model

Long definition: MOHO provides a framework (or model) for occupational therapist to
understand how to use daily activities therapeutically to support people’s health. It seeks
to explain how meaningful daily activities are motivated, patterned, and performed.
First motivation….MOHO supports an understanding of how people are motivated and
make choices for doing the activities that fill their lives. To explain human motives for
daily activities, MOHO answers critical questions e.g., what accounts for the individual
differences in what people want and choose to do?, why is one bored by an activity that
another enjoys?, why does one person find valuable what another considers a waste of
time?
Secondly, MOHO supports an understanding of why everyday life is made up of
recurrent patterns of behaviour in familiar physical and social environments. People
behave in similar ways over and over again, they follow similar patterns of time use, and
they do things in pretty much the same way they did them before. A great deal of human
life simply follows a routine pattern of daily activities. These routine patterns support the
fulfilment of role responsibilities….being mothers, friends, workers, sons….…giving us
a sense of who we are.
Finally, MOHO supports an understanding of how people perform daily activities.
Whether it is lifting food to one's mouth or playing first violin in an orchestra, humans
demonstrate fine and coordinated movements when they do things. When performing
daily activities, people also anticipate, plan, observe what happens, make adjustments and
decide what to do next. Whether it is getting one's clothes washed, folded, and stored
away in the closet or designing & assembling a car, people show an uncanny ability to
figure out how to get something done. People also participate and communicate with
others. From simple conversation to participation in a scientific discussion - the ability to
coordinate action and share information is part of engaging in everyday activity.
MOHO, therefore, explains how daily activity is motivated, organized into everyday life
patterns, and performed in the context of the environment.
MOHO also provides support for occupational therapist to use this theory in practice.
There are assessments (which support therapists to ask questions to understand people’s
lack of engagement in daily activity) & intervention protocols (which support therapist,
use daily activities therapeutically to impact health).
Hope this is helpful,
Warm wishes,
Prof Forsyth
October 19, 2010
Leena, this is what I use.