Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy treatment concentrates on helping people with a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. In addition occupational therapy can help kids with various needs improve their cognitive, physical, sensory, and motor skills and improve their self-esteem and sense of achievement.
Occupational therapists can evaluate kids’ skills for playing, school performance, and daily activities and compare them with what is developmentally appropriate for their specific age group.
According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), in addition to dealing with an someone’s physical well-being, OT practitioners address psychological, social, and environmental factors that can affect functioning in different ways. This approach makes OT a vital part of health care for some kids.
Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants assist people from all walks of life participate in the things they need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to recuperate skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes. Occupational therapy services typically include:
- A personalized evaluation, during which the patient and occupational therapist determine the person’s goals.
- Customized intervention to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach their goals.
- An outcome evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the involvement plan.
Occupational therapy practitioners have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment to fit the person, and the person in addition to the therapist is an essential part of the therapy team.
