Final answer:
The first action an Occupational Therapist should take when a client turns restless and yells during therapy is to ask about the client's feelings to assess and address the cause of distress.
Step-by-step explanation:
When observing a client becoming increasingly restless and yelling during therapy, the first action an Occupational Therapist (OT) should take is to ask the client about their feelings. This approach allows for an immediate assessment of what might be driving the client's distress while demonstrating empathy and maintaining a therapeutic alliance. An OT needs to gauge the client's emotional state, which can provide insight into whether the behavior is a communication of unmet needs, a response to an overwhelming situation, or perhaps an indication of something else that might require a different intervention.
If talking to the client about their feelings does not help, or the situation escalates, additional steps may be taken, such as introducing a calming activity or calling for assistance from colleagues. However, ending the session immediately might not always be necessary or conducive to the therapeutic process, and should typically be a last resort.