What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?

Occupational therapy, or OT for short, can be provided by occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs). This article covers the many dimensions of our wonderful profession. When a health condition makes life difficult, OT is here to help. In occupational therapy, we help clients change their habits to change their health—collaborating with them to set goals, problem-solve, and take action. OT is safe, cost-effective, and backed by scientific research.

What do occupational therapists do?

As occupational therapists, we believe YOU have the power to influence your own health. And, one of the most powerful ways to do so is by addressing your day-to-day habits. This mantra is at the heart of occupational therapy: "When you change your habits, you change your health."

So, perhaps the simplest way to explain OT is: We help our clients do the hard work of changing how they do things on a daily basis—with the ultimate goal of improving their health. Ideally, we partner with clients as soon as a health problem arises, so we can reduce the risk of further complications.

Why is occupational therapy important?

There have been incredible advances in healthcare when it comes to surgery, medication, and technology. And yet, the most powerful influencer over your health is still YOU. In our complex healthcare system, you are your own best advocate. Occupational therapy is an important type of therapy, because OT empowers you to improve your health by changing your own habits.

Our approach as OTs is unique, because we take the time to understand your health holistically—and figure out what matters to you in your daily life. We call these your “valued occupations.” These daily occupations are at the center of your therapy goals, and you’ll spend a lot of time practicing them during your OT sessions.

How does OT work?

In our approach, consider three areas for change, in order to meet the health goals that are meaningful to you!

1. Your surroundings
2. Your habits
3. YOU! (Your body structures and function)

In some cases, a life-changing event (like a stroke or a car accident) forces a client to do things differently. We can work alongside them to build meaningful new habits that will speed their recovery and enable them to participate in life as fully as possible with their new circumstances. We also help clients with chronic conditions build habits to manage their condition—and, when possible, prevent the condition from progressing.

What areas can OT help with?

In collaboration with you, we’ll look closely at the daily habits and routines related to, and affected by, your health condition. In OT, we call these “activities of daily living” or “ADLs.” Here is the list of ADLs an OT can help with, as outlined by our official practice framework:

• Bathing
• Care of Others
• Communication
• Dressing
• Community Mobility
• Eating
• Education
• Financial Management
• Functional Mobility
• Health Management
• Home Maintenance
• Leisure
• Meal Preparation
• Personal Device Care
• Personal Hygiene
• Play
• Spiritual Activities
• Sleep
• Safety Procedures
• Sexual Activity
• Shopping
• Social Participation
• Toileting and Toilet Hygiene
• Work

Areas of OT specialization

The scope of occupational therapy is broad. For this reason, many practitioners choose to specialize in a particular focus area. Below is a list of common focus areas:

• Aging in Place
• ADHD
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Aquatic Therapy
• Assistive Technology
• Autism
• Burns
• Cancer
• Cerebral Palsy
• Chronic Conditions
• Chronic Pain
• Cognitive Rehabilitation
• Dementia
• Drivers Rehabilitation
• Dystonia
• Ergonomics
• Fitness
• Hand Therapy
• Health Promotion
• Hippotherapy
• Home Modifications