You Can Make a Real Positive Difference in This Vitally Needed Service Profession

• A child born with cerebral palsy learns how to walk with crutches so that he can play with other kids.
• A teenager who suffers from a spinal cord injury caused by a car accident relearns the daily living skills that will help her return to school and graduate with her class.
• A woman with depression regains her ability to find meaning in daily activities.
• A factory worker injured on the job is able to return to work after adaptations are made at his plant.
• An elderly stroke victim relearns how to bathe, shave, and dress himself and, in the process, develops a new sense of independence.

These are just a few of the scenarios made possible with the help of a skilled and caring occupational therapist. In this sense, the word "occupational" doesn't mean specifically relating to one's work occupation, but to the tasks or activities with which the therapist "occupies" the time of a client. Occupational therapists (OTs) work with people who have mental, emotional, and/or physical disabilities. OTs use goal-directed activities that are purposeful and meaningful to help their clients develop or regain the skills they need to live as independently as possible. For example, an occupational therapist might work with a premature infant using sensory stimulation to promote the development of the baby's immature nervous system. Or a therapist may work with an adult who has had a spinal cord injury to adapt his home and workplace so he can resume daily activities, or provide an individual with emotional or psychiatric problems with coping strategies to deal with the stresses of daily life.

Occupational therapists also help people with injuries or illnesses to make difficult life transitions, such as returning to school or work. And they assist employers in making adaptations in the workplace so that a disabled employee can return to his job. Occupational therapists have many roles. They often work directly with people who need their services, or they may evaluate clients, plan appropriate treatment and supervise someone else who works directly with the client. Additionally, they may act as consultants, managers, researchers, and educators. Occupational therapists work in many different settings and with persons of all ages. They may work in public and/or private schools with children who are learning disabled, physically challenged, and/or developmentally delayed.

Medical settings (including hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, and nursing homes) are traditional sites where OTs work, usually with clients who have had their lives interrupted by acute and chronic illnesses and conditions such as head injuries, strokes, depression, or arthritis. Less traditional but increasingly common work settings are community environments and clients' homes and workplaces. Occupational therapists use specialized knowledge to help individuals perform daily living skills and achieve maximum independence. Other healthcare specialists performing similar duties include orthotists, prosthetists, physical therapists, chiropractors, speech pathologists, audiologists, rehabilitation counselors, and recreational therapists.