Why OT?
“An occupational therapist? So what, you do like, physical therapy?”
“Oh, you help people get jobs.”
These are just a couple typical responses to what the OT profession actually does. Within the profession occupation is defined as anything that provides meaning in a person’s life. Occupations relating to children include participating in school, play, and self-care activities. Occupational therapists working in pediatrics focus on helping children engage in those occupations and fostering independence when disabilities, chronic conditions, or life events prevent them from doing so at a successful and fulfilling level.
Through providing meaningful activities occupational therapists address deficits in fine-motor, visual perception, cognition, and sensory-processing skills. These are the foundational skills necessary for successful participation in higher level tasks that comprise the occupations of play, school, and self-care.
“Oh, you help people get jobs.”
These are just a couple typical responses to what the OT profession actually does. Within the profession occupation is defined as anything that provides meaning in a person’s life. Occupations relating to children include participating in school, play, and self-care activities. Occupational therapists working in pediatrics focus on helping children engage in those occupations and fostering independence when disabilities, chronic conditions, or life events prevent them from doing so at a successful and fulfilling level.
Through providing meaningful activities occupational therapists address deficits in fine-motor, visual perception, cognition, and sensory-processing skills. These are the foundational skills necessary for successful participation in higher level tasks that comprise the occupations of play, school, and self-care.