Occupational therapy often gets confused with physical therapy, speech and language therapy, or with social work. While there are similarities between these professions, occupational therapy is its own unique profession and I would like to provide you with insight on what the scope of occupational therapy is.
Occupational therapy is a wonderful practice, that is more than just playing games, getting people dressed, or using adaptive technology. Occupational therapists are trained and licensed clinicians who look at their clients holistically. Their training consists of course work that is based off evidence and theory in addition to having clinical fieldwork training. Occupational therapists work with people across the life span with a variety of diagnoses and disabilities (mental, social, cognitive and physical) such as major depressive disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, arthritis, and many more.
Occupational therapists assist people in having a high quality of life and well-being by enabling them to engage in meaningful activities that occupy their time- known as occupations. These occupations can range from getting dressed independently, regaining hand mobility so one can still play the guitar, or learning how to cook safely. Each client works collaboratively with their OT to identify and set meaningful goals they have chosen they want to work on. For me personally, my life wouldn’t be the same if I was unable to participate or engage in my passions, which is why for me occupational therapy is really “occu-passional” therapy. For these reasons I decided to enter the world of occupational therapy, because I will be able to work with clients to find their passions and create ways together for them to engage in their “occu-passions.”
To learn more about the role and impact occupational therapists can have please watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwwOXlLYQ4Q
