OT
Click here for Occupational Therapy slide show.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy (O.T.) is a health and rehabilitation profession that helps people regain, develop, and build skills that are important for independent functioning, health, well-being, and security. Occupational therapy practitioners work with people of all ages who, because of illness, injury, or developmental or psychological impairment, need specialized assistance in learning skills to enable them to lead independent, productive, and satisfying lives.
Occupational therapy is designed to help people reclaim the important aspects of living that they want and need to attain occupational performance. A focus on promoting productive living and prevention of further complications from disability helps to keep healthcare costs down and maximizes the quality of life for the individual, his or her family, and other caregivers.
What do occupational therapists do?
In addition to dealing with an individual's physical well-being, occupational therapy practitioners address psychological, social, and environmental factors that may impede independent functioning in all aspects of life. This unique perspective makes occupational therapy a critically important part of a healthcare program.
Occupational therapy services significantly improve rehabilitation for people of all ages with impairments due to:
- arthritis, cancer, or other debilitating illnesses
- head or spinal cord injuries
- orthopedic, work, or sports-related injuries
- amputation
- burns
- head trauma
- stroke and other neurological conditions
- mental illness
Services typically include:
- customized treatment programs aimed at improving abilities to carry out the activities of daily living
- comprehensive evaluation of home and job environment and recommendations on necessary adaptation
- assessments and treatment for performance skills
- recommendations and training in the use of adaptive equipment to replace lost function
- guidance to family members and attendants
Where do occupational therapists work?
Occupational therapists serve a wide population in a variety of settings, such as hospitals and clinics, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care facilities, sheltered workshops, schools and camps, private homes, housing projects, correctional institutions, industrial plants, and community agencies and centers.
5th Annual Barbara A. Rider Colloquium Friday, October 24, 2008 Fetzer Center
OT on U.S. News and World Report’s List of “Best Careers 2008”
