Occupational therapist
Encyclopedia
An occupational therapist (OT) is trained in the practice of occupational therapy
. The role of an occupational therapist is to work with a client
to help them achieve a fulfilled and satisfied state in life
through the use of "purposeful activity or interventions designed to achieve functional outcomes which promote health
, prevent injury
or disability
and which develop, improve, sustain or restore the highest possible level of independence
."
A practical definition for OT can also be illustrated with the use of models such as the Occupational Performance Model (Australia
), known as the OPM(A). At the core of this approach is the ideology that occupational therapists are concerned with the occupations of people and how these contribute to health
. Specifically it is a person’s occupational performance that influences their health and personal satisfaction of their individual needs. The OPM(A) is constructed on the following definition of Occupational Performance:
It can be seen that occupational performance, the roles it creates for a client, and the areas it can encompass are so far-reaching that an occupational therapist can work with a wide range of clients of various limitations who are being cared for in an array of settings. Occupational therapy is about helping people do the day-to-day tasks that “occupy” their time, sustain themselves, and enable them to contribute to the wider community
. It is these opportunities to “do” that occupational therapy provides that prove important and meaningful to the health
of people.
to caring for daily needs such as dressing, cooking
, and eating. Physical exercises
may be used to increase strength
and dexterity, while other activities may be chosen to improve visual acuity
and the ability to discern patterns. For example, a client
with short-term memory loss might be encouraged to make lists to aid recall, and a person with coordination
problems might be assigned exercises
to improve hand-eye coordination. Occupational therapists also use computer programs to help clients improve decision-making, abstract-reasoning, problem solving
, and perceptual skills, as well as memory
, sequencing, and coordination —- all of which are important for independent living
. Occupational therapists are often skilled in psychological strategies such as cognitive behavioural therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
, and may use cognitive therapy
especially when introducing people to new strategies for carrying out daily activities such as activity pacing or using effective communication strategies.
, or muscular dystrophy
, in the use of adaptive equipment, including wheelchairs, orthotics
, and aids for eating and dressing. They also design or make special equipment needed at home or at work. Therapists develop computer-aided adaptive equipment and teach clients with severe limitations how to use that equipment in order to communicate better and control various aspects of their environment.
, evaluate the work environment, plan work activities, and assess the client’s progress. Therapists also may collaborate with the client and the employer to modify the work environment so that the work can be successfully completed.
s and toddler
s who have, or are at the risk of having, developmental delays. Specific therapies may include facilitating the use of the hands, promoting skills for listening and following directions, fostering social skills
, or teaching dressing and grooming skills.
problems and learning disabilities. In this work, therapists choose activities that help people learn to engage in and cope with daily life. Activities include time management skills, budgeting, shopping, homemaking, and the use of public transportation. Occupational therapists also may work with individuals who are dealing with alcoholism
, drug abuse
, depression, eating disorder
s, or stress
-related disorders. The ultimate aim would be to help people to engage in a personally satisfying and socially adaptive range of occupations.
ing, and for reporting to physicians and other health care provider
s.
Thorough and accurate assessment ensures that Occupational Therapists select appropriate and effective interventions for their clients. Assessment in Occupational Therapy is complex and multifaceted, and is an essential component of the Occupational Therapy Process. Assessment occurs at the beginning of the Process (providing the foundation for effective treatment), at the end (evaluation). Reassessment also occurs throughout intervention..
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...
. The role of an occupational therapist is to work with a client
Client
Client may refer to:* Customer, someone who purchases or hires something from someone else* Client , software that accesses a remote service on another computer* The client who received patronage in ancient Rome...
to help them achieve a fulfilled and satisfied state in life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
through the use of "purposeful activity or interventions designed to achieve functional outcomes which promote health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, prevent injury
Injury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...
or disability
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
and which develop, improve, sustain or restore the highest possible level of independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
."
A practical definition for OT can also be illustrated with the use of models such as the Occupational Performance Model (Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), known as the OPM(A). At the core of this approach is the ideology that occupational therapists are concerned with the occupations of people and how these contribute to health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
. Specifically it is a person’s occupational performance that influences their health and personal satisfaction of their individual needs. The OPM(A) is constructed on the following definition of Occupational Performance:
- "The ability to perceive, desire, recall, plan and carry out roles, routines, tasks and sub-tasks for the purpose of self-maintenance, productivity, leisureLeisureLeisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It is also the periods of time before or after necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education....
and rest in response to demands of the internal and/or external environment."
It can be seen that occupational performance, the roles it creates for a client, and the areas it can encompass are so far-reaching that an occupational therapist can work with a wide range of clients of various limitations who are being cared for in an array of settings. Occupational therapy is about helping people do the day-to-day tasks that “occupy” their time, sustain themselves, and enable them to contribute to the wider community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
. It is these opportunities to “do” that occupational therapy provides that prove important and meaningful to the health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
of people.
Role
Occupational therapists (OTs) help people of all ages to improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments. They work with individuals who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, socially or emotionally disabling. They also help them to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. Occupational therapists help clients not only to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function. Occupational therapists assist clients in performing activities of all types, ranging from using a computerComputer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
to caring for daily needs such as dressing, cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
, and eating. Physical exercises
Exercises
- 30th Anniversary Bonus Tracks:-Band members:*Dan McCafferty - vocals*Darrell Sweet - drums, backing vocals*Pete Agnew - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals*Manny Charlton - guitar, 12-string guitar, backing vocals-Additional musicians:...
may be used to increase strength
Strength
- Physical ability :*Physical strength, as in people or animals*Superhuman strength, as in fictional characters*A common character attribute in role-playing gamesConflict between persons or groups:*Virtue and moral uprightness...
and dexterity, while other activities may be chosen to improve visual acuity
Visual acuity
Visual acuity is acuteness or clearness of vision, which is dependent on the sharpness of the retinal focus within the eye and the sensitivity of the interpretative faculty of the brain....
and the ability to discern patterns. For example, a client
Client
Client may refer to:* Customer, someone who purchases or hires something from someone else* Client , software that accesses a remote service on another computer* The client who received patronage in ancient Rome...
with short-term memory loss might be encouraged to make lists to aid recall, and a person with coordination
Motor coordination
thumb|right|Motor coordination is shown in this animated sequence by [[Eadweard Muybridge]] of himself throwing a diskMotor coordination is the combination of body movements created with the kinematic and kinetic parameters that result in intended actions. Such movements usually smoothly and...
problems might be assigned exercises
Exercises
- 30th Anniversary Bonus Tracks:-Band members:*Dan McCafferty - vocals*Darrell Sweet - drums, backing vocals*Pete Agnew - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals*Manny Charlton - guitar, 12-string guitar, backing vocals-Additional musicians:...
to improve hand-eye coordination. Occupational therapists also use computer programs to help clients improve decision-making, abstract-reasoning, problem solving
Problem solving
Problem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Consideredthe most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of...
, and perceptual skills, as well as memory
Memory
In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
, sequencing, and coordination —- all of which are important for independent living
Independent living
Independent living, as seen by its advocates, is a philosophy, a way of looking at disability and society, and a worldwide movement of people with disabilities working for self-determination, self-respect and equal opportunities...
. Occupational therapists are often skilled in psychological strategies such as cognitive behavioural therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy or ACT is a cognitive–behavioral model of psychotherapy. It is an empirically-based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies mixed in different ways with commitment and behavior-change strategies, to increase psychological...
, and may use cognitive therapy
Cognitive therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach: a talking therapy. CBT aims to solve problems concerning dysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognitions through a goal-oriented, systematic procedure in the present...
especially when introducing people to new strategies for carrying out daily activities such as activity pacing or using effective communication strategies.
Clients with permanent disabilities
Therapists instruct those with permanent disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsyCerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
, or muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...
, in the use of adaptive equipment, including wheelchairs, orthotics
Orthotics
Orthotics is a specialty within the medical field concerned with the design, manufacture and application of orthoses. An orthosis is an orthopedic device that supports or corrects the function of a limb or the torso...
, and aids for eating and dressing. They also design or make special equipment needed at home or at work. Therapists develop computer-aided adaptive equipment and teach clients with severe limitations how to use that equipment in order to communicate better and control various aspects of their environment.
Work-related therapy
Some occupational therapists treat individuals whose ability to function in a work environment has been impaired. These practitioners arrange employmentEmployment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
, evaluate the work environment, plan work activities, and assess the client’s progress. Therapists also may collaborate with the client and the employer to modify the work environment so that the work can be successfully completed.
With children
Occupational therapists may work exclusively with individuals in a particular age group or with particular disabilities. In schools, for example, they evaluate children’s abilities, recommend and provide therapy, modify classroom equipment, and help children participate as fully as possible in school programs and activities. A therapist may work with children individually, lead small groups in the classroom, consult with a teacher, or serve on a curriculum or other administrative committee. Early intervention therapy services are provided to infantInfant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
s and toddler
Toddler
A toddler is a young child, usually defined as being between the ages of one and three. Registered nurse, midwife and author, Robin Barker, states 'Any time from eight months onwards your baby will begin to realise he is a separate person from you...
s who have, or are at the risk of having, developmental delays. Specific therapies may include facilitating the use of the hands, promoting skills for listening and following directions, fostering social skills
Social skills
A social skill is any skill facilitating interaction and communication with others. Social rules and relations are created, communicated, and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways. The process of learning such skills is called socialization...
, or teaching dressing and grooming skills.
With the elderly
Occupational therapy is very beneficial to the elderly population. Therapists help the elderly lead more productive, active, and independent lives through a variety of methods, including the use of adaptive equipment. Occupational therapists work with the elderly in many varied environments, such as in their homes in the community, in hospital, and in residential care facilities to name a few. In the home environment, occupational therapists may work with the client to assess for hazards and to identify environmental factors that contribute to falls. Occupational therapists are often instrumental in assessing for appropriate wheelchairs for the elderly. In addition, therapists with specialized training in driver rehabilitation assess an individual’s ability to drive using both clinical and on-the-road tests. The evaluations allow the therapist to make recommendations for adaptive equipment, training to prolong driving independence, and alternative transportation options.Mental health
Occupational therapists also work with people who have mental healthMental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
problems and learning disabilities. In this work, therapists choose activities that help people learn to engage in and cope with daily life. Activities include time management skills, budgeting, shopping, homemaking, and the use of public transportation. Occupational therapists also may work with individuals who are dealing with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
, depression, eating disorder
Eating disorder
Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...
s, or stress
Stress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
-related disorders. The ultimate aim would be to help people to engage in a personally satisfying and socially adaptive range of occupations.
With Terminally Ill Patient
Occupational therapists works with patients with terminal illness like cancer, Muscular dystrophy,etc. All performance areas including, work play and leisure are widely affected in these sets of patients. An occupational therapist provides various means to these patients to restore or maintain their deteriorating performance components by using their residual capacities and capabilities to give them a sense of importance.With People with Chronic Pain
Occupational therapists often work within interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary teams (aka, professionals such as nurses, Doctors, etc.) to help individuals with chronic pain develop active self management strategies. An area of specific concern to occupational therapists is the use of time but it is also common for occupational therapists to help people return to work, and to return to leisure and family activities. Occupational therapists may use a variety of interventions including biofeedback, relaxation, goal setting, problem solving, planning, and carry this out within both group and individual settings. Therapists may work within a clinic setting, or in the community including the workplace, school, home and health care centres. Occupational therapists may assess occupational performance before and after intervention, as a measure of effectiveness and reduction in disability.Assessment
Assessing and recording a client’s activities and progress is an important part of an occupational therapist’s job. Accurate records are essential for evaluating clients, for billBill (payment)
A bill or invoice is a document requesting payment for an order previously supplied. Presentation of a bill is common practice on the part of credit card companies, utilities, and other service providers...
ing, and for reporting to physicians and other health care provider
Health care provider
A health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
s.
Thorough and accurate assessment ensures that Occupational Therapists select appropriate and effective interventions for their clients. Assessment in Occupational Therapy is complex and multifaceted, and is an essential component of the Occupational Therapy Process. Assessment occurs at the beginning of the Process (providing the foundation for effective treatment), at the end (evaluation). Reassessment also occurs throughout intervention..
See also
- Activities of daily livingActivities of daily livingActivities of Daily Living is a term used in healthcare to refer to daily self-care activities within an individual's place of residence, in outdoor environments, or both...
- Allied health professional
- Occupational therapyOccupational therapyOccupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...
- Nonviolent communicationNonviolent communicationNonviolent Communication is a communication process developed by Marshall Rosenberg beginning in the 1960s. NVC often functions as a conflict resolution process...
- Psychotherapist
- Mental health counselorMental Health CounselorMental health counselors practice mental health counseling which is a dynamic, holistic, strengths-based and psychoeducational discipline born in the late 1970s when several mental health professionals realized that the master’s degree level counselors working in community settings lacked a...
- Social worker
- PsychologistPsychologistPsychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
- PsychiatristPsychiatristA psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
- Doctor of Osteopathy
- Doctor of MedicineDoctor of MedicineDoctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
- Recreational therapist
- Child life specialistChild life specialistChild life specialists are pediatric health care professionals who work with patients, their family and others involved in the child’s care in order to help them manage stress and understand medical and various procedures...
- Occupational therapy in the United KingdomOccupational therapy in the United Kingdom-Occupational therapy education in the UK:Every year around 1,500 new students embark on training to become registered occupational therapists. To qualify as an occupational therapist one is required undertake an approved programme of study at one of the 31 UK universities offering occupational...
- Occupational scienceOccupational scienceOccupational science is an interdisciplinary field in the social and behavioral sciences dedicated to the study of humans as "occupational beings". As used here, the term "occupation" refers to the goal-directed activities that characterize daily human life as well as the characteristics and...
External links
- What is Occupational Therapy? PowerPoint presentation