In 2011 as a senior at Kenesaw Public Schools, I, like every other senior, was faced with the question, “What do I want to do for the rest of my life?” Graduation was just around the corner, and I thought I had everything figured out. It wasn’t until three years later that I learned about occupational therapy, and I could truly answer the question, “What do I want to do with the rest of my life?”
What is occupational therapy? Occupational therapy is a form of rehabilitation therapy that addresses meaningful occupations in a person’s life. Occupations are the tasks we do every day, such as getting dressed in the mornings, eating a meal, driving to school or work, or participating in high school sports. Occupational therapy helps an individual
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Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants can work in a wide variety of settings with patients as young as newborns in the NICU to patients nearing the end of life to ensure comfort and quality of their remaining days. Occupational therapy practitioners in the school systems can address developmental needs, sensory issues, handwriting, ADHD/ADD, and a variety of other diagnoses. Occupational therapy practitioners also work in hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient clinics to help patients regain independence and meaning to their lives after an injury or illness. Mental health facilities also utilize occupational therapy to help patients with mental or emotional issues cope with stress, depression, or mental health disorders and learn strategies for a more engaging, purposeful …show more content…
U.S. News recently ranked occupational therapists as #23 in the 2017 list of The Best 100 Jobs as well as occupational therapy assistants being ranked #1 in Best Health Care Support Jobs. Occupational therapy is a very rewarding career that allows therapists to help individuals live a life full of meaning and engagement regardless of their circumstances. There is also a high demand for occupational therapy practitioners, especially in rural areas. This profession is projected to continue to grow and develop into new settings, which increases the need for employment. There are several schools in Nebraska to help those who are looking into a career in occupational therapy. Nebraska Methodist College, Creighton University, and College of Saint Mary, all of Omaha, offer a program for occupational therapist. UNMC in Kearney and Omaha are currently creating an occupational therapist program as well. Central Community College in Grand Island offers Nebraska’s only occupational therapy assistant program for the state. If occupational therapy is a career in which you might be interested, contact any local nursing home, hospital, or even the school’s occupational therapist to ask about job shadowing a therapist for the
crucial part of occupational therapy, as it forms the basis for all other aspects of the occupational therapy process. According to Christiansen and Baum, assessment is “the process of gathering sufficient information about individuals and their environments to make informed decisions about intervention”1. The following reflective paper will examine various aspects of the occupational therapy process in order to determine the importance of accurate assessment in occupational therapy. I will explore
Occupational Therapy as a career has been a dream of mine for a long time. My first experience within the field of occupational therapy was when I was fifteen years old. My grandma, whom I am very close to, experienced a stroke. I made numerous trips to the hospital to visit her and was offered the opportunity to accompany her in many therapy sessions. I eagerly accepted this opportunity to gain an experience in occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy. Following my grandma’s rehabilitation
I. Introduction School-based occupational therapy practitioners seek to improve the function of students in the educational environment by facilitating educational goals and social participation through the promotion of increased independence in all the routines of students. Occupational therapy practitioners have an underutilized skill set within the school-based setting due to the limited understanding of the profession and limitations of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as a
titled: “Moving forward in occupational health physical therapy: the journey toward specialization in the United States.” It was written by Deirdre Daley and Margot Miller and published in the October 2013 Journal of Physical Therapy Reviews. The purpose of the article was to highlight the role and impact physical therapists have in occupational health. The article discussed not only the role physical therapist play but also specialization of Physical Therapist in occupational health. The article describes
Introduction Occupational therapy (OT) theory offers valuable contribution to support professionalization since possessing a unique body of knowledge is essential to define a profession (Cooper, 2012). To utilize theory effectively, it is essential to differentiate between generic and specific theory as knowledge of the core theory helps to form OT identity and action as a practicing practitioner. In this essay, OT theory refers only to philosophy and OT specific models. Frame of references (FOR)
Introduction Consistent with the concept that occupation is the foundation stone of occupational therapy, this research paper makes a case for the importance of acknowledging the central position of occupation in all definitions of occupational therapy. Having a clear and easily recognizable definition of occupational therapy is imperative if the profession is to survive the current challenges, such as competition for limited resources, other professions widening the scope of their practice, and
with different views on their own personal idea of professional identity. Specifically, one branch is occupational therapy, in which the discourse of professional identity strongly influences the care provided to patients. The overall role of an occupational therapist is to assist people in managing their living with primarily long-term health conditions (4) Through the use of assessment, occupational therapists are able to assist in developing patients skills to enable them to perform every day or
Occupations are applied in terms of Occupational Therapy to offer holistic healing and health to clients. Occupational therapy not only focuses on the physical aspects of regaining indecency over occupation but also on the mental and emotional aspects of the need to engage in occupation. In the article by Ann Wilock she discusses how Occupational Therapy focuses on specific occupations and how people do them why they do them and how it gives them
there has been a debate surrounding the importance of Psychology and whether or not it should be considered a field of science. While doubts still remain it is obvious that psychology has become a widespread field across the world. At the College of Charleston, I am pursuing a major in the field of Psychology. A degree in Psychology will allow me to enter a graduate-level study to advance to my specialty in Occupational Therapy. The overall job of an Occupational Therapist as described in Amy Wagenfelds
very hard for us to adapt to it. We can, in turn, agree that change is not easy (Jacobs 2002). Occupational therapy has been thought a lot of changes which give rise to new treatment methods, new approaches and a better to communicate with the patients. Below is an analysis of the changes that have been made in the occupational therapy field and their outcomes. The history of occupational therapy goes way back in the 18th and the 19th with the approach of the moral treatment to treat patient
Running head: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ARTICLE Duck 1 Occupational Therapy Article Review Megan E. Duck Tidewater Community College Occupational Therapy Article Duck 2 Abstract This article gives a good understanding of what it takes to overcome obstacles while carrying out care for a client. In this article, two occupational therapy students were sent out on their very first
Occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistances work with a wide variety of populations throughout their career. Some of these different populations can include different types of backgrounds, genders, ages, economic statuses, ethnicities, and more. While working with these populations, occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistances have to be aware of different types of influences that can not only affect the client, but the client’s occupations as well. In this article
Ashley Opp wrote Occupational Therapy in Early Intervention: Helping Children Succeed. The piece starts off by explaining how the first three years of a child’s life are the most important for development. State, local and federal money funds programs called Early Intervention which serves children ages 0 to 3 who have disabilities through a variety of therapy services. These services work to help children to be successful later in life. Occupational therapy is one of the therapies included in Early
daily living and working. I want to help people to improve their quality of life, mentally and physically, and that what occupational therapists do. I made the choice that I wanted to become an occupational therapist when my roommate had a brain injury and he had to go to a clinic for therapy. That was the first time I have ever heard about a profession called Occupational Therapy. I was amazed how my friend made
the history of the Occupational Therapy profession and the different theories that guide the practises of Occupational Therapists. The essay will then go onto explain certain terms used within the Occupational Therapy profession and how they relate to occupation, health and well-being; as well as the importance of occupation in the occupational therapy profession and how occupation relates to health and well-being. Townsend & Polatajko (2007) state that “Occupational therapy is the art and science