What is Occupational Therapy?
Disabilities, injuries, or illness can sometimes present obstacles to participation in daily activities. Occupational therapists help their patients adapt and improve useful skills, so that they can succeed at living the life they want. Typically, occupational therapists address problem areas using a three-pronged approach, to see where adaptations or therapy might be needed. First, they look at the task the patient is attempting. Second, they look at the patient's ability to perform that task. Finally, they look at the environment in which the task is being performed. Any one or all three of those areas may need adjusting to make the task more manageable. Occupational therapists work with patients of all ages, from babies to senior citizens. They also address all kinds of illness, injury, and disability. Because the scope of their practice is so broad, the therapies they use are widely different for every patient. Some of the therapies they might use include:- Advising a company on how to make an office wheelchair-accessible
- Setting goals for rehabilitation
- Creating exercise or treatment plans to increase strength or range of motion
- Contacting support services within the patient's community
- Creating adaptations for the home, school, or workplace
- Identifying coping strategies for pain or stress
- Educating families about a diagnosis
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