What Is Occupational Therapy?

People usually use the word "occupation" to refer to a job or work environment. That being said, occupational therapy is often mistaken for someone who counsels on things like job growth or the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, occupational therapy services are unrelated to your profession. Instead, occupational therapy is a rehabilitation approach that has many similarities to physical therapy (PT). Developed by the American Occupational Therapy Association, American occupational therapy’s goal is to allow the client to accomplish daily tasks and other skills they need to do to take care of themself. Read on to learn what is occupational therapy, about the many different types of occupational therapy and how they might benefit you.

Occupational therapy

For example, you may need to be able to drive and go to the grocery store to maintain independence. If you're currently unable to do so, occupational therapists can help you learn or relearn those skills so you can live independently. Alternatively, a geriatric client in a nursing home might only need support learning to do simpler tasks, such as grooming, socializing, and walking without losing balance. Some occupational therapists support individuals in fun daily activities, whereas others may support their clients’ health. Occupational therapists may also help with caregiver training, informing caretakers or family members how to help the patient. 

Daily activities

To understand occupational therapy, we need to look at the phrase "activities of daily living." Activities of Daily Living (ADL) is a specific list of tasks that the client needs to do to be able to manage their daily life. Items on the list might include:

• Eating
• Bathing
• Using the restroom
• Transferring (being able to move in and out of bed or a chair without help)
• Maintaining continence (having control of your bladder and bowels)

In addition, your occupational therapy program might include other activities, which often fall under the category of Instrumental Daily Activities:

• Community mobility
• Safety procedures

Finally, other tasks may be considered important enough to be routinely included in occupational therapy, including:

• Education
• Leisure activities
• Work
• Play
• Social interaction

What is occupational therapy vs. physical therapy?

Occupational therapy and physical therapy share many of the same goals and attributes. Both are led by educators and trainers, and both help the client master skills and perform daily tasks and living functions. In addition, both may help them heal from and then avoid injuries. However, each approach has its focus and methods.

The differences between occupational therapy and physical therapy are sometimes subtle and sometimes obvious. Most importantly, they each have different goals. Physical therapy aims to strengthen the muscles, while occupational therapy makes it possible to take care of yourself, whether that's physically, mentally, socially, or in another practical way. One of the basic tenets of occupational therapy is to help these individuals participate in the important activities of their life in a meaningful way. Of course, it's easier to complete the daily tasks when your muscles work as effectively as possible. Therefore, the two types of therapy are often used for the same client during a rehabilitation period.

What happens during a session?

Occupational therapy sessions consist of their education and training, which is usually related to mental tasks or physical strength, coordination, and balance.

The occupational therapist may also teach them about how to interact socially and help them practice communication skills. Whether they're working on a simple task like bathing or a complex task like driving, the therapist explains what they need to know given their physical and/or mental condition. Eventually, they'll practice that skill until it becomes easier, or the therapist will find a different way to solve their ADL challenge.

Occupational therapists

Occupational therapists work with occupational therapy assistants to provide treatment. The client can be anyone of any age who has physical, mental, or social limitations that stop them from accomplishing their tasks of daily living satisfactorily.

When to seek occupational therapy

According to the National Library of Medicine, someone may need occupational therapy at any time in their life. If they're a child, they might go to occupational therapy when a doctor, therapist, or social worker determines that they have a mental or physical condition that will limit their functioning. If, on the other hand, the client becomes disabled, their doctor might recommend occupational therapy at some point. Later in life, the client's gerontologist might send them to occupational therapy if their mental or physical capabilities are beginning to diminish because of their age or age-related conditions.

Finding occupational therapists

Occupational therapy programs can be found in hospitals, psychiatric facilities, schools, workplaces, clients' homes, health care clinics, a personal practice, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, independent facilities, and other locations that work with mental health and healthcare. 

Assessments: Daily living activities

The first occupational therapy session is typically an assessment where the occupational therapist goes through the client's medical history and the list of Activities of Daily Living or ADL. They'll ask the client about any problems they have with their ADL and may request specifics about how they do them. For instance, they might ask the client if they have any problems eating. If they respond "no" because they're able to put food in their mouth and swallow, the occupational therapist may ask more specific questions, such as:

• Do you cook your meals?
• Do you buy your groceries?
• Do you have someone who does these things for you?

Another part of the occupational therapy assessment will gauge their motivation and find out what the client would like to be able to do. They might not be physically and/or mentally fit enough to do everything they'd like, or their abilities may be uncertain. 

Finally, the therapist might also request that they perform certain everyday activities during the assessment. For example, they might ask the client to get up and down from a chair or bed, so they can observe any difficulties they might have. After the assessment, they'll write up their findings and create a treatment plan. 

Occupational therapy activities

Occupational therapy activities led by an occupational therapist can be interesting, but if you don't know why you're doing them, it may be difficult to stay motivated. The therapist can tell you the therapeutic use of each exercise or activity to help motivate you; in fact, they'll probably tell you before you ask. Even better, most of the activities have an element of fun.

Some of the activities require special equipment, but most of it is fairly inexpensive. Still, the more someone can accomplish in their sessions, the less they may have to buy later on when they're continuing to practice by themself.

Occupational therapy services

Because occupational therapy is used for people of all ages and circumstances, therapists can choose from any of a large number of specialties, some of which are listed below.

Pediatric

You might be wondering why children might need occupational therapy, but you should know that it's often helpful for children or young people who have or have experienced one of the following conditions:

• Child development disabilities
• Neurodivergence such as ADHD
• Learning disabilities
• Mental disorders such as depression or schizophrenia
• Physical disabilities such as low vision or poor hearing
• Injury, abuse, or neglect

If you or a loved one is experiencing abuse, contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Support is available 24/7.

Early intervention programs led by therapists often include occupational therapy as one of their modalities. Children as young as 2-years-old can benefit from occupational therapy if they need it. Regardless of the challenges they face, a therapist can help them succeed.

Autism

Occupational therapy for autism is a specialty where therapists may work with children, adolescents, and adults to help them manage social and communication difficulties as well as participate in their ADL.

Sessions may take place in a school or daycare if the client is a child. For adults on the autism spectrum with high-support needs, the sessions may take place in an adult care facility.

Geriatric

Geriatric occupational therapy is usually focused on the most basic Activities of Daily Living. As people age, they may lose their ability to do everyday tasks that many of us take for granted. Chewing and swallowing, bathing, toileting, getting in and out of bed, and controlling our bladder and bowels may slowly become more and more difficult. Others may need to relearn many skills after they're temporarily or partially disabled following a stroke. 

Occupational therapy can help older people stay independent in their own homes for longer, by promoting physical activity and implementing modifications where needed. Furthermore, it can help them deal with Alzheimer's or dementia, arthritis, or any of the other chronic conditions older adults commonly face.

Mental health

Occupational therapy for mental health is a growing field. People with mental disorders such as anxiety/panic attacks, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses are sometimes referred to occupational therapy or take classes in a hospital setting. In the case of mental illness, occupational therapy helps them learn better self-care and prevent relapse of symptoms.

Physical rehabilitation

Occupational therapy practitioners who specialize in physical rehabilitation usually work with clients with injuries or permanent disabilities. People who have been seriously injured usually need occupational therapy for some time before they can resume their normal activities.

In addition, people who have always been disabled or who become disabled later in life can also benefit from occupational therapy, but they may need to do things differently than most people. The goal is to help them learn to complete their ADLs in the way that's best suited to their condition and situation. Occupational therapy specialty is not PT, but it's usually used in conjunction with PT as part of patients treatment plans.

Driving and community mobility

For many people, driving is such a crucial skill that it's hard to survive without it in some locations. A driving and community mobility occupational therapist may teach disabled clients how to drive and/or use adaptive equipment. As part of this, they may assess whether the client is even able to drive and, if so, advocate for them in court cases intended to take away their license. If the client is not able to drive, the therapist focuses on other means of community mobility, such as riding the bus or taking a taxi.

Environmental modification

How limited the clients are by a disability often has a lot to do with their environment; if their home isn't well-suited to their condition, they can feel helpless. Occupational therapists who specialize in environmental modification may look at their home, school, and/or workplace to determine if any modifications are needed to support the client in living, studying, or working there.

Once they see what they're dealing with, they can create a plan for the modifications. They can also work with a landlord, principal, or home improvement company to ensure the modifications are installed correctly. Typical accommodations include:

• Bathroom grab bars
• Ramps
• Wider doors
• Special hardware such as flat door handles
• Lower or higher kitchen counters according to need

Feeding, eating, and swallowing

Feeding, eating, and swallowing specialists help them work on these basic survival needs. Because of certain medical conditions, like multiple sclerosis, or due to age, swallowing can become so difficult that people have to relearn how to do it. Therapy, therefore, involves the physical skills of feeding, eating, and swallowing, along with the social and cultural aspects of eating.

Low vision

Low vision specialists in the occupational therapy field treat people who have low vision due to eye disease, injury, or brain injury. They help their clients procure adaptive equipment and teach them how to use it. They also work with optometrists, ophthalmologists, and other vision specialists.

Occupational therapy tools

The online resources available for occupational therapy have increased tremendously in recent years, especially for children. Clients can find games, exercises, puzzles, charts, books, equipment, and suggestions with only a few clicks. Here are some resources that might interest an occupational therapy client:

• Tools For Children
• OT Tools For Autism

Occupational therapist evaluations

After the client has been in occupational therapy for a specified period, the therapist will evaluate to find out how far they've progressed. These patient evaluations are similar to the assessments completed during the first session. After the therapist completes the evaluation, they can then adjust the treatment plan or create a new one based on the client's progress. This ensures that they stay with the tasks they haven't conquered yet and also advance when they're ready. Their occupational therapy program might change, but the goal is still to promote health and help them do their daily activities.

Mental health support

If you've been referred to an occupational therapist or have already started sessions, you might want to talk to someone about the reasons you need occupational therapy in the first place. Perhaps you're struggling with the limitations following a traumatic brain injury, or you're in pain or discomfort due to chronic diseases. Alternatively, you might be experiencing depression or anxiety.

Whatever the reason, BetterHelp's licensed therapists are well-qualified to help you overcome emotional obstacles, so you can achieve independence and happiness. Everybody needs well-rounded support at one time or another, and BetterHelp can be a part of the solution.

Occupational therapists online

Overall, online therapy is just as effective as in-person sessions. According to recent research, many mental health professionals were able to find little measurable difference between the progress of in-person sessions and virtual sessions, with many having positive opinions about the future of online interventions. One study found that people who used BetterHelp experienced a significant decrease in the severity of depression symptoms.

The online nature of BetterHelp enables it to be highly convenient; sessions can be held anytime, anywhere – even in the comfort of your home! Additionally, sessions are tailored to your circumstances and needs, able to be conducted via phone call, video chat, live voice recording, or instant messaging/texting.