They help people of all ages, from children to the elderly. The path to becoming an occupational therapist involves earning an undergraduate and a graduate degree, obtaining a license, and committing to professional continuing education. It can take five to six years to complete the education required to become an occupational therapist:.
Demand Graduates in this field do not face many difficulties in finding a job. The U. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 27 percent job growth for OTs through Salary With high demand comes higher salaries. Occupational therapists are among the most well paid professionals in the U. Work Settings Occupational therapists can choose to work in many different clinical environments, including hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes, and home healthcare settings.
Flexibility and Opportunities for Specialization OTs can choose to work on a full-time or a part-time basis. The can also choose to specialize. Among the options are geriatrics, pediatrics, physical rehabilitation, mental health, vison therapy, and hand therapy. Social Aspect By the nature of their work, occupational therapists meet and work very closely with many different people from many different walks of life.
Risk of Infection Sometimes, the work of an OT is messy. There are times when it is necessary to clean urine, vomit, discharge from infected wounds, and blood. Patient Misbehavior Patients facing the challenges of occupational therapy are going to be in bad moods some days. They may take out their distress and exasperation on their therapist. In these circumstances, OTs have to remain calm and realize that these outbursts are the result of frustrations; they are rarely personal.
Long and Irregular Hours Some situations may call for particularly long days. Weekend and holiday shifts are not uncommon. Emotional Toll While occupational therapists can certainly experience emotional highs in witnessing patient progress and recovery, they also must deal with situations in which their patients fail to improve or die.
This can be stressful and emotionally draining, especially for OTs who are new to the job. Occupational Therapists are also known as: Registered Occupational Therapist. What is an Occupational Therapist? Meanwhile, those who are under-sensitive crave input.
For hyper-sensitive children, OTs may suggest things like special seating and testing in a separate room, which will help avoid sensory overload. To help sensory seekers achieve an optimal level of arousal and regulation, OTs working in sensory gyms provide movement activities like swinging, crashing onto huge bean bags, and jumping on trampolines.
They may also build sensory breaks into the day, allowing the child to walk around, stretch and even do jumping jacks at regular intervals. A wide variety of products including fidgets and chewable pencil tops and jewelry may provide calming input that helps children sit and focus.
I had a child making almost no eye contact who was constantly in motion. I put him on cushions and gave him a good brushing. I got eye contact through the whole session; his parents were gasping. Is he cured? Was it organizing? Another tip for parents, educators and clinicians: If the child does much better in one setting over another, i.
When gross motor skills involving the major muscle groups are at issue, the child will struggle with things like balance, coordination, strength and endurance, all of which will have a direct impact on everything from walking and climbing stairs to hopping, jumping and catching and throwing a ball.
Such deficits can keep kids from participating in recess and sports , which can in turn affect socializing and self-esteem. Throwing and catching balls of various sizes and weights and obstacle courses help with things like balance and coordination, while riding a trike builds strength and endurance.
OTs will often work on gross motor skills in tandem with physical therapists, since some of their goals are so much aligned. Crab walking, curls and rolling and bouncing on a therapy ball help address this deficit. Fine motor skills involve the small hand muscles. Such delays, if not addressed, will make academics—turning pages, writing, using a computer—that much harder. They also come into play with regard to self-help skills including buttoning, zipping and using utensils see below.
OTs employ many fun techniques to help develop fine motor skills. For instance, a dot dot paint activity helps develop control, dexterity and the thumb-and-finger hold, aka the pincer grasp, key to using a pencil or fork. Enlarge Text. Contact Us. For the Public. Funding for Occupational Therapy Services. Understanding consent: Information for patients, clients and caregivers.
Concerns or Complaints About an OT. Report Concerns or File a Complaint. Mandatory Reports. Physical therapy PT helps with: pain strength joint range of motion endurance gross motor skills large-muscle movements made with the arms, legs, feet, or entire body Occupational therapy helps with: fine motor skills small-muscle movements made with the hands, fingers, and toes, such as grasping visual-perceptual skills cognitive thinking skills sensory-processing problems Who Does Occupational Therapy?
The two professional levels of occupational practice are: Occupational therapist OT : An OT has a 4-year bachelor's degree in a related field such as biology, psychology, or health science and a master's degree from an accredited occupational therapy program. They can carry out treatment plans developed by an OT but can't do patient evaluations. Where Do OTs Work? If you think occupational therapy could help your child, you can: Ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist.
Talk to the school nurse or guidance counselor. They might be able to recommend someone based on your child's academic or social needs.
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