By: Seth Bidlack
Occupational Therapy is a growing profession that practices across the lifespan in the areas of pediatrics, health and wellness, mental health, geriatrics, rehabilitation and disability, industrial settings, and community based practice. Occupational therapist focus on what matters to the person instead of what is the matter with them. They concentrate on helping people participate or engage in things that they want and need to do through a therapeutic use of everyday activities or what they call occupations. Unlike other professions, occupational therapy help people in their own environment such as their home, work, school or community. Occupational therapist help address the person’s physical, psychological and cognitive aspects of their well-being through participation in occupations. Occupational therapist help customize intervention programs to improve a person’s ability to perform daily occupations or activities, participate in home and job evaluations with adaptation recommendations, observe performance skills and implement treatment, recommend adaptive equipment (walker, sock-aid, button aid, eating utensils, etc.), and provide guidance to family members and caregivers. Some interventions may include helping children with disabilities participate fully in school, helping people recover from injuries to return to work or regain life skills, and helping older adults who are experiencing physical and cognitive changes.
Occupational therapy is a science driven profession that applies practice with up to date research. Evidence supports the effectiveness of adding occupational therapy practice to patients treatment plan. Evidence shows that occupational therapy interventions help to improve patient outcomes. These interventions help to improve patients performance skills (motor skills, process skills, and social interaction), activity demands (physical and social demands), performance patterns (habits, routines, rituals, and roles) and context (cultural, temporal, virtual, and personal) and environment (social and physical). Its occupational therapist goal to advocate for each client to make sure they are getting the proper treatment they need to succeed in their occupations they desire.
Occupational therapy is a profession that is client-centered and provides a holistic approach for each individual person. Each person that an occupational therapist works with is different and will have different occupations or activities they wish to engage in. For more information about what an occupational therapist does and how to pursue this profession visit https://www.aota.org/.
References: (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2017, from https://www.aota.org
