Person-Environment Relations

The interaction that occurs between individuals and their environment is central to all work and rehabilitation practice. In the past, rehabilitation has focused more on facilitating personal adaptation and less on understanding the influence of the environment on behavior. Eight person-environment models, developed by other disciplines but of relevance to rehabilitation, are presented and discussed. The way in which each of these models views the person, the environment, the person-environment relationship, and adaptation is compared and contrasted to views inherent in rehabilitation practice. The literature suggests that rehabilitation is gradually moving from an interactive perspective of person-environment fit toward a transaction view that more accurately acknowledges the complexity and the entwined nature of these issues.