What Is Occupational Therapy?

An occupational therapist focuses on developing and maintaining people's skills to carry out their everyday occupations such as work/school, self care, leisure and play.

Occupational therapists work with clients who may have temporary or permanent disruption to their lives caused through illness or disability. They are also involved in health promotion. Therapists work with clients, families and carers and are a key member of health care teams.

Occupational therapists work with people of all ages from infants to the aged. They work in community centres, pre-schools, schools, charitable organisations, industry, hospitals, rehabilitation centres, private practice, universities and pharmacies.

Some of the core service provided by occupational therapists include:

• Retraining and functional activities to address factors such as cognitive and perceptual disabilities; enhance upper limb use
• Home assessment to enhance safety
• Therapy to adapting, designing and prescribing specialised equipment and seating
• Task simplification
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Stress management and relaxation
• Social skills training
• Assessment of early development in children
• Therapy to enhance development and participation in school activities
• Driving assessment, retraining and modification to vehicles
• Promotion of health lifestyles
• Pain management
• Consultancy to Industry
• Collaboration in policy development in health and other related areas

Areas of Practice

Access
Provision of services to evaluate the way people can enter, exit and move around in buildings or public/private areas. Provision of advice to improve accessibility for people with physical or sensory disabilities.

Aged care
Service to enhance the older population to maintain independence in completing daily tasks in a safe manner. Enhancement methods include the provision of adaptive equipment, home modifications and community supports.

Brain Injury
Specialised services for people with acquired brain injury which aim to maximise the performance of self maintenance tasks, leisure activities and work/school tasks through cognitive and perceptual retaining or remediation, and teaching of compensatory techniques in the home, school or work environments.

Chronic Pain Management
Provision of bio-mechanical techniques, cognitive behavioural therapy and relaxation therapy for people with chronic pain.

Driving
Therapists who have certification to assess an individual's ability to drive following an illness or injury

Hand Therapy
Provision of advice, thermoplastic splints, soft splints, mobilisation exercises and functional information to individuals with hand problems or following hand surgery.

Medico Legal
The provision of a comprehensive report following the assessment of an individual outlining an opinion on the future needs of the individual in the areas of care, equipment, employment/education, professional services and accommodation. The report is usually used as evidence in settlement of court proceedings.

Mental Health and/or Counselling
Therapeutic interventions for individuals with psycho social and psychiatric difficulties.

Musculo-Skeletal
Provision of equipment, advice, home modifications and community supports for individuals with musculo skeletal problems.

Occupational Health and Safety
Assessment and remediation of the work environment and procedures to ensure physical and emotional well being for the worker. Usually in a preventative context.

Occupational Rehabilitation
Provision of assessment and intervention to enable an injured worker to return to occupational tasks in an appropriate work setting.

Paediatrics
Specialised services for children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years. Provision of assessment and intervention to maximise performance of self care, leisure and school activities.

Seating
Provision of advice and modification of seating equipment for use in wheelchairs, commodes or other adaptive seating options.

Spinal Injury
Provision of services to maximise self care, work and leisure activities for people with neurological loss following a spinal injury. Maximisation includes the prescription of adaptive equipment, home/work modifications, technique training and service referral.

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What services do occupational therapists provide?
Occupational therapists provide a variety of services to maximize a client's level of independence, including:

• Assessment/rehabilitation of skills in self care, home duties, performance at work or school, driving and leisure
• Physical rehabilitation to improve co-ordination, strength and movement
• Hand therapy and splinting
• Cognitive (thinking) and memory assessment and retraining
• Ergonomic assessment and modification
• Training in work simplification and energy conservation
• Home assessment and modification
• Prescription of, and education in use of, adapted equipment
• Counseling and education
• Stress management and relaxation

How can Occupational Therapists help you?   
An occupational therapist can help by working with the person to:

• Achieve personal goals
• Understand their illness
• Manage activities of daily living both safely and independently
• Maintain/increase muscle strength, joint mobility and physical endurance
• Compensate for the loss of sensation or function
• Return to work following injury or illness
• Develop self-confidence and increase self-esteem
• Identify and use appropriate community resources
• Adjust to physical dysfunction
• Manage stress

OT and Children

Occupational therapists who work with children look at the relationship between the child, their occupational roles (this includes the tasks they need to perform in self-care, play and at school) and an array of external or environmental factors.

Occupational therapists work with children with any condition, disability or impairment that affects their ability to perform everyday activities. This includes:

• Neurological impairments (e.g. cerebral palsy)
• Acute medical, surgical and orthopedic conditions (e.g. upper limb fractures, burns)
• Physical disabilities (e.g. spina bifida)
• Developmental delay and disabilities
• Learning disabilities
• Psychosocial problems (e.g. behavioral, chronic illness, psychiatric disorders)

Occupational therapists work in partnership with the child, their parents and other important people in the child's life such as their doctor, teacher and other health professionals.

What services do occupational therapists provide?

Occupational therapy services can be broken up into three categories:

1. Assessment
This involves an evaluation of developmental and performance skills and how these relate to home, school and play environments reviewing progress.
2. Treatment
Providing therapy and home programs to maximize the child's skills center or home visits and discussions with care givers/parents
3. Consultation
This may involve the provision of written information (reports, programs), or collaborating with schools and other health professionals. Specific occupational therapy assistance may include physical rehabilitation, activity programs, use of adapted techniques, provision of aids and assistive devices, developing learning strategies and counseling.

How can Occupational Therapy help your child?

An occupational therapist can help a child, their care givers/parents and other people in the child's life to:

• Gain a better understanding of the child's illness, disability or difficulties
• Learn ways to maximize the child's performance in everyday living
• Promote and nurture the child’s strengths and self-esteem
• Occupational therapy services are provided in a variety of settings including hospitals, community centres, private facilities and some educational facilities (e.g. schools and special units).

OT for Independent Living Skills
Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession which offers skills and advice aiming to increase a person's independence in all areas of daily living, including work, self care, meal preparation, recreation, social interaction, transportation and mobility.

All Occupational Therapists complete a university degree, learning many skills, which facilitate a person's independence. These include:

• Assessing the person's areas of strengths and limitations
• Evaluating the degree of assistance required
• Providing practical skills training and independence aids
• Providing information on how to maintain independence

To assist with the acquisition of a person's independence in daily living skills, occupational therapists work in partnership with the client and significant people (for example, doctors, other health professionals, family and friends) to better achieve desired goals and outcomes.

What services do occupational therapists provide?
Occupational therapists provide a range of services:

• Assessment of capabilities in self-care, home duties, performance at work or school, driving ability and social skills
• Training in self-care and home management skills to increase independence
• Assessment and modification of the home environment to improve safety and independence
• Prescription of, and education in the use of, adapted equipment to assist function
• Adaptation or design of special equipment
• Provision of work-site visits for ergonomic assessments
• Teaching work simplification techniques to maintain independence
• Advising carers/family on lifting and transferring techniques

How can Occupational Therapy help you?
An occupational therapist can help you to:

• Maximise independence in personal care (e.g. bathing, grooming)
• Dress independently using modified clothing, assistive devices and alternate techniques.
• Perform household and other tasks more independently and safely
• Increase independence in community skills, (e.g. budgeting, shopping, and using public transport).
• Maximise independence in meal preparation and self-feeding using specialised cutlery and adapted food preparation tools
• Achieve a safer, more accessible home environment
• Learn to conserve energy, and simplify daily tasks
• Optimise function through correct seating and posture
• Mobilise safely using appropriate mobility aids
• Provide safer and easier assistance to others
• Look after your back and prevent injuries

OT and Older People
Occupational therapy is a health profession, which helps individuals gain, or regain, skills, which are essential for that person's happy, safe and meaningful existence.  Occupational therapists are skilled in functional assessment and rehabilitation, promoting independence in tasks at home, work and in the community.

During university studies occupational therapists learn many skills, which may be used to facilitate a person's independence. These include:

• Assessing the person's areas of strengths and limitations
• Evaluating the degree of assistance required
• Providing practical skills training and independence aids

What services do occupational therapists provide?
Occupational therapists work with clients and their carers to provide a range of services:

• Assessment of capabilities in self care, home duties, driving and social skills
• Training in self-care and home management skills to increase independence
• Assessment and modification of the home to improve safety and independence
• Prescription and education in the use of adapted equipment to assist function
• Adaptation or design of special equipment
• Teaching work simplification techniques to maintain independence
• Advice to carers/family on lifting and transferring techniques
• Teaching ways to adapt to, and compensate for, age related changes

How can occupational therapy help you?
Occupational therapists can help older people to maintain their independence in the manner in which they choose. An occupational therapist can help you to:

• Achieve a safer, more accessible home environment
• Prevent accident and injury
• Plan for your retirement needs
• Maximize independence in personal care tasks
• Perform household and domestic tasks
• Increase independence in community skills such as budgeting, shopping, and use of public  transport
• Participate in social and leisure activities
• Learn to conserve energy and simplify daily tasks
• Mobilize safely using appropriate assistive devices