Occupational Therapists
WHAT DO THEY DO?
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants help people participate in their desired occupations with the therapeutic use of everyday activities, based on the client’s personal interests and needs.
Occupational therapy (OT) considers the complex relationship between the client, the activity, and the environment in which the activity takes place. Examples of OT interventions include:
helping a child with a disability to participate fully in school and social situations,
assisting an injured worker to regain skills they need to function in their job, or
providing supports to older adults experiencing cognitive or physical changes (AOTA, 2023).
What do occupational therapy services include?
Services focus on the client’s goals and typically include:
- an individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person’s goals,
- customized interventions to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals, and
- an outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan.
OT services may also include comprehensive evaluations of the client’s home and other environments (e.g., workplace, school), recommendations for adaptive equipment and training in its use, and guidance and education for family members and caregivers (AOTA, 2023).
What is occupation?
Occupations are the activities people of all ages need and want to do—things like making meals, dressing, managing medications, driving, going to school or work, playing, or caring for family members (AOTA, 2023).
- "Occupational therapy practitioners ask, What matters to you? not, What's the matter with you?" - Virginia "Ginny" Stoffel, AOTA President 2013–2016
Want to learn more?
Visit the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) for more information, education and resources:
Are you an Occupational Therapist? Check out the links below for therapy resources for planners, skills packets, treatment ideas and more!
Planners & Organizers for School based therapists
We offer many different designs for planners and organizers! Check them out using the link below!
Therapy intervention & Treatment activities!
Social emotional learning, scissor skills, pre-writing, writing prompts, handwriting , fine motor skills, memory games and more!!!!
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living skills packets!
Who has the time? It can be hard to create your own executive functioning activities. Now you don’t have to! Check out our packet for tons of ideas and handouts!