This second edition of Perspectives on the Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability (Sherwood, 2024) continues to illustrate the application of the Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability (VdTMoCA) (Van der Reyden et al., 2019) in occupational therapy, extending knowledge on its use in varying fields of practice and contexts.
The first edition chapter on Stroke has undergone major revision to describe and explain the use of the VdTMoCA in the field of neurological rehabilitation. Other additions are on the VdTMoCA applied in psychiatric intensive care, inpatient older people mental health and in a community learning disabilities service. Adding to the first edition chapters which discuss the relevance of the levels of creative ability in non-clinical contexts, there is a new chapter on school readiness.
The first edition chapters remain with relevant updates and revisions. The qualities and benefits of the model are illustrated in detail and through case examples in chapters on dementia care (multi-sensory stimulation programme), low and high secure forensic services, seclusion, rehabilitation for people with complex needs (mental health), and a case example relating sense of self, sensory processing and volition for a person with a traumatic brain injury. There is a chapter on combining sensory integration theory and the theory of creative ability to facilitate growth, and two chapters explore and make the case for understanding and facilitating growth of the spirit component of people, arguing for a change in the conceptualisation of the highest level of creative ability. Bringing the interrelatedness of mind, body, spirit together, a thought-provoking chapter explores the source of human creative ability and the effect pathology, impairments, injury and disorders have on the process of creative ability, with particular reference to schizophrenia, traumatic head injury, learning disabilities, substance abuse and pain.
Several chapters provide detailed accounts of how individual and teams of occupational therapists approached the task of embedding the VdTMoCA to transform and improve their services, providing resources as Appendices for the reader to utilise. In total, there are nine case examples to illustrate VdTMoCA-informed occupational therapy, including how it can guide other disciplines for working therapeutically with individuals. Cases are also drawn upon in a discussion of some of the core philosophical and theoretical assumptions of the VdTMoCA, bringing their inseparable relationship with practice alive to deepen the reader’s understanding of this valuable occupational therapy practice model.
Patient Volition and Action in Occupational Therapy (Vona du Toit) is frequently to by authors of Perspectives on the Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability (Sherwood, 2021, 2024).
This is an invaluable little book, containing original papers and presentations by Vona du Toit. It includes Vona's original paper on initiative which really sets out the philosophical underpinnings of the model, and explains fundamental beliefs about each individual's responsibility for who we become (and recover to be), and the role and responsibilities of the occupational therapist.
The subsequent papers set out Vona's thinking about creative ability, progressing to the 1974 publication of the theory of creative ability. There are conference presentations by Vona du Toit to explain the theory of creative ability, including application to children with cerebral palsy and work capcity.
The book also includes a thought-provoking chapter by Pieta Compaan who provides personal insight into recovery through the levels of creative ability, as drawn upon in the ‘Perspectives….’ book. There is also a WFOT presentation by Dain van der Reyden on the model - including useful diagrams.