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Occupational Therapist |
Career OverviewOccupational therapists use a variety of activities to improve the lives of patients who have mental, emotional, developmental, or physical disabilities. They use educational, vocational, and rehabilitative techniques to improve their patients’ ability to function and carry out daily tasks, as well as to recover and maintain their work skills.
For the most part, they help patients to develop their motor functions and reasoning capacities or they teach patients to compensate for a permanent loss of function. Their treatment goal is to facilitate patient recover to the fullest extent possible so that they can achieve independence, be productive, and enjoy as satisfying a lifestyle as possible.
In their capacity as therapists, occupational therapists use physical exercises to increase strength and manual dexterity. They may also use pencil-and-paper games, list-making games, and eye-hand coordination activities to help various patients gain coordination and memory abilities. They also use computer programs to help various patients improve their decision making, abstract reasoning, and memory, as well as their perceptual, sequencing, and coordination making.
They may also teach a variety of functions those with permanent disabilities, including spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, and cerebral palsy. They may teach those with such disabilities to use wheelchairs, splints, and specialist equipments designed to help them dress and eat.
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Career RequirementsSeveral routes exist for those interested in becoming occupational therapists. There are specialist four-year degree programs that combine two-year liberal arts and science programs with two years of occupational training. There are also four-year undergraduate programs that focus on occupational training. A third possible route is to enroll in a graduate program in occupational therapy.
Curriculums for occupational therapy include courses in anatomy, neuroanatomy, physiology, neurophysiology, kinesiology, psychology, psychobiology, pediatrics, gerontology, and home economics. Many programs also have courses in manual and industrial arts, self-care activities, vocational skills, and rehabilitation skills. Practical experience is also featured in the majority of courses, usually amounting to between six and nine months.
Although it is not a requirement for employment, occupational therapists who graduate from accredited programs can take a certification examination to become registered occupational therapists or OTRs.
More information is available from the following organizations:
The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.,
4720 Montgomery Ln.,
P.O. Box 31220,
Bethesda, MD 20824
www.aota.org
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Job OutlookOccupational therapists are in high demand and can enjoy very favorable employment options because of the current interest in sports and a rapidly aging population.
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Career TrackMost occupational therapists work in hospitals and nursing homes, however, many others work in rehabilitation centers, clinics, retirement communities, senior citizen centers, and special camps.
Opportunities for advancement are earned with experience and education. An occupational therapist can become a senior therapist or specialized therapist. With a master’s degree, they can be promoted to a supervisory or administrative position.
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CompensationStandard compensation for occupational therapists ranges between $40,000 and $65,000 per year depending upon experience and the precise nature of the job. Additional benefits may include paid vacations, medical and dental insurance, and disability insurance.
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