Occupational Therapy Profession

Occupational therapists help people of all ages participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Occupational therapy helps people function in all of their environments (e.g., home, work, school, and community) and addresses the physical, psychological, and cognitive aspects of their well-being through engagement in occupation (everyday activities). Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and develop social skills, helping people recovering from injury to regain function through retraining and/or adaptations, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.

Occupational therapy services typically include:

• an individual evaluation, during which the client, family, and occupational therapist determine the person's goals;
• customized intervention to improve the person's ability to perform daily activities and reach their goals; and
• an outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or to modify the intervention plan based on the patient's needs and skills (AOTA, 2019).