What is Occupational Therapy?

[JaJa0812]

This forum is dead!! I thought it would be great to just describe what OT for those who are unfamiliar with the profession and bring some light to OT.

OT and PT are two different things. - BY comparision, OT is defined as (from http://health.kosmix.com/topic/Occupational_therapy):
Occupational therapy, often abbreviated OT, is the "use of productive or creative activity in the treatment or rehabilitation of physically or emotionally disabled people" . A more technical definition is that OT is the use of meaningful occupation to assist people who have difficulty in achieving a healthy and balanced lifestyle and to enable an inclusive society so that all people can participate to their potential in daily occupations of life.

PT is defined as: Physical therapy is a healthcare profession concerned with prevention, treatment and management of movement disorders arising from conditions and diseases occurring throughout the lifespan.

OT and PT are interconnected by the fact you need to be move in order to carry out ADL's To become an Occupational Therapist, one needs to have completed the pre-req's required by an OT program, graduate from an OT program with ~6 mths. of fieldwork before taking the NBCOT (nat'l exam).

The common title of an OT is OTR/L (Occupational Therapist Registered and Licensed in the state in which they practice)

Occupational Outlook Handbook Info.: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos078.htm#training

Info. on OT programs: http://www.aota.org/Students/FAQDegrees.aspx

OT programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE): http://www.aota.org/Students/Schools/EntryLevelOT/40572.aspx

Why Become an OT: http://www.aota.org/Students/Prospective/OT/38227.aspx http://www.aota.org/Students/Prospective/OT/38201.aspx
http://www.aota.org/Students/Prospective/OT/38202.aspx

Working in different practice settings:
http://www.aota.org/Students/Prospective/OT/38201.aspx

On top of all this, OT is a guaranteed recession-proof field!
http://www.aota.org/News/Media/PR/2008Releases/BestCareers2009.aspx http://www.aota.org/Students/Prospective/Outlook/OT-Recession-Proof-Jobs.aspx

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[superCOTA]

I thought we just got people jobs?


One could argue recession proof. Medicare has been trying to cap reinbursement services for over 5 years, so there will be less billable hours.

There was a decade that OT was lacking in the mental health field, my impression is that this was because of reimursement issues.

And working in a special populations school, a school district just pulled their clients (kids) out, to take care of them in-house where aides will work on the skills we did. (Almost as good, right?)

So that's three populations right there.

Also PT is attempting to change their leagal scope of practice, by including 'function' every other line, and even ADL's. They have a 5 year lead on a functional doctorate degree (ours is seen more in academia), the overall usefulness of such a thing, arguable.

Just trying to bring your dead thread back to life

 

[caduceus27]

hi
I think this forum is dead since a lot of people that want to become OTs and the OTs themselves do not know that there is an OT forum. In addition, hardly anybody answers threads that individuals post so when people don't find people answering their questions they give up.