Occupational therapy is a much-needed treatment for many children and adults with physical, mental or developmental disabilities. This article will outline what occupational therapy is, what an occupational therapist does with patients, the types of occupational therapy, and what to consider when looking for an occupational therapist.
Identification
Occupational therapy is a treatment for children and adults who suffer from conditions that affect their mental or physical capabilities and/or their development. Occupational therapy can help people perform daily functions, such as dressing themselves or writing, or with problem solving and mental acuity for enhanced brain function. Often, people with injuries need to gain strength in affected muscle groups or even re-learn perform certain activities. Occupational therapy supports in achieving these goals.
Function
An occupational therapist works with patients, such as developmentally delayed children or adults, people with brain injuries, the elderly, and the mentally ill, just to name a few. They use adaptive equipment and specific exercises to aid the patient in the area they need to strengthen. Physical exercises may be used to strengthen certain muscles that are used on a daily basis for certain activities, like buttoning shirts, writing or driving a car. Some exercises may be purely mental, such as memory-aiding or problem-solving exercises. These can be particularly helpful for those suffering from short-term memory loss or brain injury. The occupational therapist offers support to patients that need to re-learn skills or strengthen skills they have that are weak.
Types
There are many types of occupational therapy. Occupational therapy occurs in a school setting, helping developmentally delayed children improve mental and physical weaknesses or sensory issues. Occupational therapy in a rehabilitation center focuses on helping patients with physical or brain injuries become able to do the everyday tasks that they can no longer perform because of their injury. There is also a great deal of occupational therapy in mental health facilities, treating individuals who need assistance learning cope with daily life and engage in healthy interactions. Lastly, nursing homes employ occupational therapists to help the elderly function as well as possible so they can lead healthy, productive lives.
Time Frame
The length of time a patient undergoes occupational therapy varies, depending on the patient and his level of injury or weakness. Some patients may only require a few weeks or months of occupational therapy after a minor injury to regain strength and functionality in a certain area. Developmentally delayed children and adults, as well as the mentally ill, may require years of therapy for continual treatment of their weaknesses.
Considerations
When considering occupational therapy, it is important to find a skilled and trained individual to provide the treatment. Occupational therapists should be licensed by the state and should have completed a master's degree in occupational therapy, six months of supervised field work and have passed national and state certification exams. Those occupational therapists that have passed this exam are considered to be registered occupational therapists and will have "OTR" (occupational therapist registered) after their name.
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