Occupation: the keystone of a curriculum for a self-defined profession.

The idea of occupation is proposed as the basis for constructing a curricular renaissance for occupational therapy in preparation for a new millennium. Implementing an occupation-centered curriculum could create a more integrated profession in which practice, ideas, scholarship, and education nurture and support one another, increasing the autonomy of both the occupational therapy profession and recipients of its services. A practice-oriented rationale for curricular design includes explication of the idea of occupation, a view of the person as an occupational being embedded in that concept, and the thought process of occupational therapy. Recommendations are provided to create an integrated curriculum that will contribute to future-oriented practice and a self-defined profession.