Occupational
Therapy
Work Tasks, Settings, Tools, and Materials
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS help people improve their
ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments.
They work with individuals who have conditions that are physically,
mentally, developmentally, or emotionally disabling. They also help
these individuals to develop, recover, or maintain daily living
and work skills. Occupational therapists not only help clients improve
basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also compensate
for permanent loss of function. Their goal is to help clients have
independent, productive, and satisfying lives.
Occupational therapists help clients in performing
activities of all kinds, ranging from using a computer to caring
for daily needs, such as dressing, cooking, and eating. Physical
exercises may be used to increase strength, while paper and pencil
exercises may be chosen to improve visual acuity and the ability
to make out patterns. For example, a client with short-term memory
loss might be encouraged to make lists to help them remember, and
a person with coordination problems might be given exercises to
improve hand-eye coordination. Occupational therapists also use
computer programs to help clients improve decision-making, abstract-reasoning,
problem-solving, and other skills. They instruct clients in the
use of adaptive equipment including wheelchairs, splints, and aids
for eating and dressing, to those with permanent functional disabilities,
such as spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, or muscular dystrophy.
Occupational therapists also design or make special equipment needed
for the home or work. They develop computer-aided adaptive equipment
and teach clients with severe limitations how to use that equipment
in order to communicate better and control various aspects of their
environment.
Some occupational therapists treat people whose
ability to work has been impaired. They arrange employment, plan
work activities, and evaluate the client's progress. Occupational
therapists may work only with people in a certain age group or with
certain kinds of disabilities. In schools, for example, they evaluate
children's abilities, and, in general, help children take part as
fully as possible in school programs and activities. Occupational
therapists also help senior citizens lead more productive lives
through a variety of methods, including the use of adaptive equipment.
Occupational therapists in mental health settings
treat people who are mentally ill, mentally retarded, or emotionally
disturbed. They help these people to learn to cope with daily life
through activities such as time management, budgeting, shopping,
homemaking, and use of public transportation. Occupational therapists
may also work with people who are dealing with alcoholism, drug
abuse, depression, eating disorders, or stress-related disorders.
They also keep records of a patient's activities and progress. Accurate
records are essential for evaluating patients, billing, and reporting
to physicians.
Most OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS work for hospitals,
including rehabilitation and psychiatric hospitals. Others work
for::
• school systems
• community mental health centers
• nursing homes
• adult day care programs
• residential care facilities
• job training services
• home health agencies
• offices and clinics of occupational therapists and other
health practitioners
• themselves, in private practice
• colleges and universities
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS may work with:
• splints and other devices
• wheelchairs
• hand and power tools
• craft supplies and equipment
• computer-aided adaptive equipment
• computers and other business machines
• personnel records and schedules
• medical records and reports
• treatment plans
Related Civilian and Military Occupations
Manual Arts Therapists instruct patients in prescribed manual arts
activities, such as woodworking, photography, or graphic arts, to
prevent anatomical and physiological deconditioning and to assist
in maintaining, improving, or developing work skills.
Orientation and Mobility Therapists train blind and visually impaired
clients in the techniques of daily living to maximize independence
and personal adjustment.
Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides assist occupational therapists
in administering medically oriented occupational programs to assist
in rehabilitating patients in hospitals and similar institutions.
Other Related Occupations:
• Coordinator of Rehabilitation Services
• Physical Therapist
• Recreational Therapist
• Horticultural Therapist
• Art Therapist
• Music Therapist
• Dance Therapist
• Industrial Therapist
• Physical-Integration Practitioner
• Corrective Therapist
Military occupational clusters related to Occupational Therapist:
• Physical & Occupational Therapist
The military specific occupations related to Occupational Therapist:
ARMY
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
NAVY
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist
Training, Related Majors, and Advancement
A master's degree in occupational therapy is the minimum requirement
for entry into an OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST position.
Occupational therapy coursework includes physical, biological, and
behavioral sciences, and the application of occupational therapy
theory and skills. Completion of six months of supervised fieldwork
is also required. Bachelor's degree programs in occupational therapy
are no longer offered since the minimum requirement is now a master's
degree or higher. In addition, post baccalaureate certificate programs
for students with a degree other than occupational therapy are no
longer offered.
High school students considering this profession should take courses
in biology, chemistry, physics, health, art, and the social sciences.
College admission offices look favorably at paid volunteer experience
in the health care field. Relevant undergraduate majors include
biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, liberal arts, and
anatomy.
All states regulate the practice of occupational therapy. To obtain
a license, applicants must graduate from an accredited educational
program and pass a national certification examination. Those who
pass the examination are awarded the title Occupational Therapist
Registered (OTR). Some states have additional requirements for therapists
who work in schools or early intervention programs. These requirements
may include education-related classes, an education practice certificate,
or early intervention certification requirements.
The following majors could help you prepare for this occupation:
• Occupational Therapy
• Occupational Therapy Assisting
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS with advanced education may specialize and
help individuals with certain disorders, teach in occupational therapy
training programs, or conduct research. Occupational therapists
are increasingly taking on supervisory roles.
Desirable Personal Qualities
Helpful qualities for OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS include:
• a desire to help others
• ingenuity and imagination in adapting activities to individual
needs
• strong interpersonal skills
• an ability to work with people of all kinds and all ages
• warmth and patience to inspire trust and respect
• skill and resourcefulness
• an ability to adapt to a variety of settings (home health
care)
Many skills that are useful to a successful Occupational Therapist
can be learned in school, such as:
ENGLISH SKILLS
• Explain complex activities or ideas to others using concise,
well-organized, and focused thoughts.
• Organize paragraphs in a logical order with introductory
and summary paragraphs.
• Use sophisticated vocabulary correctly.
• Write reports or documents that use sophisticated language
to concisely explain ideas.
MATHEMATICS SKILLS
• Use statistical formulas for summarizing data and understand
the meaning of the results.
• Determine the probability that an event will occur.
• Understand the meaning of the slope of a straight line on
a graph.
• Use percentages to compute discounts, rankings, portions,
or other values.
• Use arithmetic to solve problems, which may contain fractions,
decimals, negative numbers, etc.
• Use scientific notation in writing numbers.
READING SKILLS
• Learn new concepts through reading highly technical or sophisticated
literature.
• Locate answers to questions by reading multiple complex
articles or books.
• Identify the implied relationships in complex written information,
even if the relationships are not clearly stated.
• Draw conclusions about people, ideas, things, or tasks by
synthesizing complex written information.
• Read and interpret sophisticated or technical reports, articles,
and books.
SCIENCE SKILLS
• Estimate a value for an event that falls outside of the
values provided on a graph or in a table.
• Understand and use scientific terminology related to an
area of expertise.
• Find an alternate way to test a theory or hypothesis.
• When using a model or theory, explain why new data fits
the model or indicates a problem.
• Compare or combine data from different sources, such as
different graphs or tables.
• Compare complex theories or models and decide which one
best explains observed events.
The average WorkKeys skill levels needed for an Occupational Therapist
are:
• READING FOR INFORMATION (level 6)
Read and understand complicated procedures, difficult concepts,
or detailed information and apply to new situations.
• APPLIED MATHEMATICS (level 4)
Set up and perform two-step mathematical operations on whole numbers,
fractions, decimals, or percentages.
• LISTENING (level 3)
Correctly write down most of the primary information from a message.
• WRITING (level 4)
Write clear messages that contain few minor mechanical errors.
• LOCATING INFORMATION (level 4)
Use straightforward graphics such as basic line graphs, tables,
maps, and diagrams to find or compare several pieces of information.
• TEAMWORK (level 6)
Recognize restructuring, integrating, and negotiating skills and
behaviors needed to achieve conflicting team goals with very limited
resources.
• APPLIED TECHNOLOGY (level 4)
Apply physical principles to solve moderately complex problems,
such as heat transfer or the flow of fluids through pipes.
• OBSERVATION (level 5)
Focus attention on and recall sometimes subtle relevant details
of tasks with a number of steps, ignoring irrelevant background
information.
Salary & Outlook
Estimated Salary:
• Economic Research Institute (survey of salaries in 2007):
National Kansas
Per year Per hour Per year Per hour
Starting salary $41,000 $19.75 $38,500 $18.50
Average salary $56,500 $27.25 $54,000 $26.00
Salary with experience $66,000 $31.75 $63,500 $30.50
National average for all occupations included in this survey: $45,000/year
or $21.75/hour
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (survey of salaries in 2006):
National Kansas
Per year Per hour Per year Per hour
Average salary $39,500 $19.00 $40,500 $19.50
National average for all occupations included in this survey: $36,500/year
or $17.50/hour
• Other Information:
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers,
average salaries offered a beginning OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST with
a bachelor's degree were $45,500 per year ($22.00/hour) in 2006-07.
Those employed in nursing care facilities generally have higher
earnings.
Estimated Outlook (from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics):
• Number of Workers (surveyed in 2006)*
National Kansas
Number in this category 113,100 1,220
Average size of occupational categories 50,000 2,000
*Occupational Therapist is included in the category: Occupational
Therapists, and Assistants and Aides
• Employment Outlook (economic projections made in 2004)*
Projected growth per year 3.33%
Average growth for all occupations 1.3%
Number of new jobs per year 3,800
This category is:
• Medium (25,000 to 149,999)
• Expected to Grow Rapidly (2.5% or higher growth)
Employment growth will continue to rise due to the increasing number
of individuals with disabilities or limited function, a growing
active elderly population, and baby-boomers moving into middle age,
all who require therapy services.
What Workers Say They Like and Dislike
Some OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS may like:
• the satisfaction from helping others to become self-sufficient
• working with people
• working as part of a healthcare team
Some OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS may dislike:
• the slow progress of some patients
• working under stress
• possible back strain from lifting and moving patients and
equipment
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Information taken from Discover!
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