Ethics Guides › Occupational Therapy › AOTA-P1
AOTA-P1 — Principle 1: Beneficence
What does AOTA-P1 say?
Occupational therapy personnel shall demonstrate a concern for the well-being and safety of persons. The Principle of Beneficence includes all forms of action intended to benefit other persons. Beneficence requires taking action to benefit others—to promote good, to prevent harm, and to remove harm. Examples include protecting and defending the rights of others, preventing harm from occurring to others, removing conditions that will cause harm to others, offering services that benefit persons with disabilities, and acting to protect and remove persons from dangerous situations.
Official source: read the full text in the AOTA Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (2025) (official document).
Related sections
AOTA-COMMON-ETHICAL-ISSUES — AOTA Advisory: Common Ethical Issues in Occupational Therapy PracticeAOTA-CORE — AOTA 2025 Core ValuesAOTA-DOCUMENTATION-BILLING — AOTA Advisory: Ethical Documentation and Billing PracticesAOTA-ENFORCEMENT — AOTA Enforcement Procedures for the Code of Ethics (2021)AOTA-EQUITY-ACCESS — AOTA Advisory: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in OT EthicsAOTA-ETHICS-COMMISSION — AOTA Ethics Commission: Role and ResourcesAOTA-P2 — Principle 2: NonmaleficenceAOTA-P3 — Principle 3: Autonomy
Have a specific ethics question?
Ask Ethyl gives instant, cited answers from the official BACB, ASHA, and AOTA codes — trained only on evidence-based, official sources.
Ask Ethyl now