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Occupational therapy
Occupational
therapy (OT) is skilled treatment that helps individuals
achieve independence in all facets of their lives. It gives
people the "skills for the job of living" necessary for
independent and satisfying lives.
Services typically
include:
- Customized treatment programs to improve one's ability to
perform daily activities
- Comprehensive
home and job site evaluations with adaptation
recommendations
Performance
skills assessments and treatment
Adaptive
equipment recommendations and usage training
Guidance to
family members and caregivers
About occupational therapy practitioners
Occupational therapy practitioners are skilled professionals
whose education includes the study of human growth and
development with specific emphasis on the physical,
affective, cognitive and environmental components of illness
and injury.
Most registered occupational therapists (OTR) practicing in
the field today possess a Bachelor of Science degree in
occupational therapy. However, in recent years, the entire
profession has advanced its educational standards to
post-professional levels. By 2007, all OTRs will enter the
field with a Masters or Doctoral degree. The Certified
Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) generally earns an
associate degree.
Practitioners must complete supervised clinical internships
in a variety of health care settings, and pass a national
examination. Most U.S. states also regulate occupational
therapy practice.
Who benefits from occupational therapy?
A wide variety of people may benefit from occupational
therapy, these may include people with:
-
work-related injuries including lower
back problems or repetitive strain injuries
-
physical, cognitive or psychological
limitations following a stroke, brain injury or heart attack
-
arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or other
serious chronic conditions
-
birth injuries, learning difficulties, or
developmental disabilities
-
mental health difficulties Alzheimer's,
schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress
-
substance abuse problems or eating disorders
-
obsessive compulsions, or diagnosed
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
-
burns, spinal cord injuries, or amputations
-
fractures or other injuries from falls,
sports injuries, or accidents
-
visual, perceptual or cognitive impairments
Areas of occupational therapy
Occupational therapists work in a vast array of settings,
these include:
-
Physical
Orthopedics (fractures/falls clinics)
Pediatrics
Elderly Rehabilitation
Accident and Emergency
Hand Therapy
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Burns
Road Traffic Accidents
-
Community
Intermediate Care
Day centers
Schools
Child Development centers
-
Neurology
Stroke Rehabilitation
Traumatic brain injuries
-
Mental Health
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Forensic Psychiatry
Prisons/Sections
Mental Health clinics
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs
**
The above Information
was obtained from
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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