I am an occupational therapist (OT) and I am passionate about what I do. However, I’m aware that a lot of people don’t know exactly WHAT it is I do. I spent a good deal of graduate school explaining to my loved ones “no, I am not a physical therapist, no, I don’t just help kids find jobs, no, I won’t look at your arthritis in your hands, and no I am not just the handwriting lady”. But it isn’t their fault that they have trouble keeping it straight. OT is an incredibly broad field that works with a multitude of populations and settings. In addition, the definition of occupation according to Oxford language dictionary, is “a job or profession”. It’s not as descriptive a name as say a firefighter or, yes, a physical therapist.
So what is OT? The key to this question lies in the more niche definition of occupation, defined by the field of OT as “Everyday personalized activities that people do to occupy time and bring meaning and purpose to life” (AOTA, 2020). While occupations, according to OT, do include work or job tasks, they also include brushing your teeth, reading a book, and driving a car. Occupational therapists then help people do these meaningful activities, or occupations, when challenges or barriers prevent their completion, for example, in the presence of disability.
For example, I work in the school system with kids who have trouble with one or more “occupations” during their school day including but not limited to handwritten homework, ordering lunch, and playing on the playground. This usually requires me to do a task analysis to decide what the barriers are to the activity and whether we can modify or change the environment, the task itself, or a person factor to overcome that barrier.
So yes, an OT may work with a transition age student to find a job placement in the community. Yes, an OT might co-treat with a physical therapist or treat arthritis if motor difficulties are impacting everyday activities. And yes, an OT may work on handwriting because it impacts a child’s participation in the classroom. If you want more information, make sure and ask your friendly neighborhood OT or check out the resources below! We know it can be confusing, trust me, you will not be the first one to ask.
Pictured above are five frosted cookies in a circle decorated with a brain, a rainbow infinity sign, a wheelchair symbol with a heart instead of a wheel, plants, and adaptive equipment. In the middle is a 6th cookie that says OT. Cookies made and photo taken by me, Mackenzie Jaekel (baking is one of my favorite occupations).
