Occupational Therapy Overview

By Sue Antinoro PhysicalTherapistSource.com

When people ask me how my step daughter is doing I tell them she has recently graduated from college with a degree in Occupational Therapy. Of course, I get some nods along with confused looks and I must admit, although I'd heard of the field before, it took me a while before I truly understood what this field of work involves. So what is my step daughter doing in her new role as an Occupational Therapist?

She finally explained the details of her new career choice so I could better explain it to others. An easy way for me to offer an explanation is thinking about the word "occupy", i.e. how one occupies their time, either by taking care of oneself (such as sleeping, eating, etc.), working or doing something one enjoys during leisure time. So basically any task or ways we choose to spend our time falls into one of these three categories. We are occupying our time alone or with others, functioning and interacting with the world to the best of our ability.

Now, if, at any point in our lives, an injury, illness, or disability occurs which prevents us from functioning in one or more "occupational" areas of our life, then this is where an Occupational Therapist, or OT can help. Their role assists the patient in helping to regain that level of function or make accommodations for any deficits to ensure they are living their life in the most successful, functional and independent way.

Often when I explain my step daughter's chosen career path, I'll get a comment such as "Oh, is that like Physical Therapy?" Apparently, there are some aspects of Occupational Therapy that overlap with Physical Therapy, since OT clients often have several conditions to be addressed which are best treated through a team approach. While Physical Therapists do exercises purely for exercise's sake to increase range of motion and/or muscle strength, Occupational Therapists will take the therapy a step further by determining how working with a particular issue will best benefit the client in their lifestyle. For example, while a Physical Therapist may have the client do repetitions of certain arm exercises, the OT may have them trying to increase their strength by practicing "bowling" if they determine the client enjoys that activity in their spare time.

Of course, there is a wide variety Occupational Therapy roles in healthcare ranging from working with the elderly, children who need assistance with manual dexterity, someone recovering from a brain injury, or a client with mental illness who may need help with day to day tasks. The list of possibilities for assisting people goes on.

Perhaps you or someone you know has also recently graduated with a similar degree and are looking forward to starting your new career. Here at www.PhysicalTherapySource.com is a great place to start, and by providing your information on our Rapid Apply Form your profile will be instantly be available to our database of healthcare employers.