Occupational therapy

Occupational therapy a profession that focusses on providing treatments to relearn physical skills lost as a result of an illness or accident.

What do occupational therapists do?

Occupational therapists treat patients who have injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.

What type of settings do occupational therapists work in?

• About half of occupational therapists work in offices of occupational therapy or in hospitals.
• Others work in schools, nursing homes, and home health services. Therapists may spend a lot of time on their feet while working with patients.

How does one become an occupational therapist?

• Occupational therapists typically need a master’s degree in occupational therapy.
• All states in the United States and most countries require occupational therapists to be licensed.

What are the typical duties of occupational therapists?

• Review patients’ medical history, ask the patients questions, and observe them doing tasks
• Evaluate a patient’s condition and needs
• Develop a treatment plan for patients, identifying specific goals
• Help people with various disabilities perform different tasks
• Demonstrate exercises
• Evaluate a patient’s home or workplace, identify potential improvements
• Educate a patient’s family and employer about how to accommodate and care for the patient
• Recommend special equipment, such as wheelchairs and eating aids
• Patients with permanent disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, often need help performing daily tasks.

Do occupational therapists work with children?

• Some occupational therapists work with children in educational settings.
• Therapists who work with the elderly help their patients lead more independent and active lives
• In some cases, occupational therapists help patients create functional work environments.

Do occupational therapists work with mentally ill?

• Occupational therapists also may work in mental health settings, where they help patients who suffer from developmental disabilities, mental illness, or emotional problems.

Do occupational therapists work in hospitals?

• Some occupational therapists, such as those employed in hospitals, work as part of a healthcare team along with doctors, registered nurses, and other types of therapists.

What type of education do occupational therapists get?

• Most occupational therapists enter the occupation with a master’s degree in occupational therapy.
• Occupational therapy programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, part of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
• Admission to graduate programs in occupational therapy typically requires a bachelor’s degree in healthcare and related fields with coursework in biology, physiology, and other sciences.
• Master’s programs usually take 2 to 3 years to complete; doctoral programs take about 3 and a half years.
• Both master’s and doctoral programs require at least 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork, in which prospective occupational therapists gain clinical work experience. In addition, doctoral programs require a 16-week capstone experience.

Do occupational therapists need to be licensed?

In the United States, all states require occupational therapists to be licensed.

What are the licensing requirements for occupational therapists?

• Licensing requirements vary by state, but all require candidates to pass the national examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
• In order to sit for the NBCOT exam, candidates must have earned a degree from an accredited educational program and completed all fieldwork requirements.

Is there demand for occupational therapists?

• Demand for occupational therapy services also will stem from patients with autism spectrum disorder.
• Therapists will continue to be needed in schools to assist children with autism in improving their social skills and accomplishing a variety of daily tasks.

Occupational therapy Resources
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