Occupational Therapy Essays

Occupational Therapy Career Essay
In order to experience and get more exposure of an Occupational Therapy career, I have
volunteered and worked in a variety of health care facilities. I have shadowed professionals and
volunteered at a hand therapy specialty center and at an inpatient rehabilitation center. Additionally, I
work as a therapy aide at an outpatient rehabilitation center. I have been exposed to different aspects
of the profession by seeking out multiple rehabilitation settings. I have realized that a benefit of this
profession is that there are many different employment options and a variety of settings for
Occupational Therapists to work. My experiences have allowed me to learn about the industry and
about the profession. I have learned about the variety of therapy techniques, equipment, and practices
used. I have been able to experience the different techniques that therapists use to communicate,
motivate, and interact with a diverse population. These experiences have allowed me to gain
knowledge that I will be able to use in my career. Additionally, seeing clients connect with their
therapists, set goals, and build their self–confidence to improve as they progress with therapy has
been motivating for me....show more content...
My first hand experience and positive interactions with Occupational Therapists and healthcare
workers in a variety of rehabilitation facilities has been influential for me to know that I want to
become an Occupational Therapist. This is a profession that will expose my strengths that I have
developed throughout my life so far and is a profession that will challenge me and allow me to
learn more about myself and about others. I am excited to become an Occupational Therapist
because it is a career that is unique, challenging, and secure. I have worked hard in my journey to
become an Occupational Therapist thus far and I am excited to keep moving
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Define Occupational Therapy Essay
Defining Occupational Therapy to a friend Occupational Therapy is a profession in the healthcare
that focus on people of all ages from birth to adulthood. It is a profession that is set for individuals
to improve their quality of life through the use of play and meaningful activities that allows them to
achieve their goals and independence. For example, if you are a tennis player and you hurt your
shoulder, you are less likely to perform that activity which you enjoy the most. Occupational Therapy
can work on goal oriented tasks that are specifically designed for that individual to regain the level
of independence that they lost. All the activities that are designed and performed should increase the
performance level of the person's broken shoulder.
Defining Occupational Therapy to a family member Occupational Therapy is a treatment that is
practiced on everyone with a disability that permits the person from doing what they enjoy the
most. It refers to occupations or everyday activities that a person engages in, to occupy time and
bring purpose to life. As simple as cooking, driving, doing laundry, shopping, or gardening,
occupational therapy can help those who are not capable of...show more content...
It is a career that is designed for all the individuals that wants to make a change in a person's life.
While working with your client in achieving their independence, it's important to treat the diagnosis
and not the person. Occupational Therapy is the door that gives an opportunity for everyone to
collaborate and discover the importance of hope for those who believes that their world has come
to an end due to health problems or a disability. Being in this field allows you to learn something
new every day as you communicate and performs therapeutic activity with your

Occupational Therapy Essay
Occupational Therapy Definition. Occupational therapists work with clients within a variety of
environments and contexts that influence participation in purposeful activities. According to the
American Occupational Therapy Association (2016a), the practice of OT can be defined as "the
therapeutic use of purposeful and meaningful occupations (goal–directed activities) to evaluate and
treat individuals who have a disease or disorder, impairment, activity limitation, or participation
restriction that interferes with their ability to function independently in daily life roles and to
promote health and wellness" (p. 608). Unlike other professions, OTs use occupations in helping
people across the entire lifespan by promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors...show more content...
When working with clients in a built environment, the focus is on adapting the environment to fit the
client. Person–Environment–Occupation Model. Occupational therapists use multiple frames of
reference, theories, and models to guide their practice. The Person–Environment–Occupation (PEO)
Model was developed to be used as a framework for guiding clinical reasoning in the analysis and
understanding of the interaction between a client and their environment (Law et al., 1996).
Occupational therapists are interested in the transactional relationship between the person,
environment, and occupation, and pay particular attention to the interplay between these elements
(Law et al., 1996). The person assumes dynamic roles in everyday life, which can vary across the
lifespan as the person ages, acquires disability, or moves in and out of different contexts (Law et
al., 1996). The skills or attributes of a person can influence the type of occupations that individual
may participate in. For example, a blind person may choose to listen to an audiobook about nature
instead of going for a walk in the woods. The environment also influences the way in

The History Of Occupational Therapy
Through the almost 100 years of occupational therapy as a profession, occupational therapy have
gone from a profession focused only on the mentally ill patient to a profession that is targeting a
broad range of population ranging from the special needs population, to veterans, and people with
different diseases and physical disabilities or injuries. It is inspirational to know that this profession
started based on the ideology that "even the most challenged are entitled to consideration and human
compassion" (O'Brien, 2012). Likewise, it is fascinating that occupational therapy played such an
important role in both of the world war as reconstruction aides focusing on rehabbing the soldiers
and helping veterans recover during post–war period

An occupational therapist is a trained and licensed health care professional who can make a
complete evaluation of the impact of disease on the activities of the patient at home and in work
situations. Hobbies and recreational activities are considered when an assessment is made. The most
generally accepted definition of occupational therapy is that it is an activity, physical or mental, that
aids in a patient's recovery from disease or injury.
The Occupational therapist takes a history from the patient by conducting a thorough interview.
Questions are asked about hygiene, eating, dressing, getting in and out of bed, driving, cleaning,
working and the patients sex life. A physical examination is conducted...show more content...
As technical writers, we will use evaluation reports, daily progress notes, summary reports and
discharge plans. Accuracy and attention to detail in the content of these reports is essential in
treating and determining the progress of our patients.
Documentation is the means by which we communicate our treatment to other health professionals
and third party payers. In most cases, it is necessary to communicate effectively to others, orally and
in writing the status of the patient. In addition, documentation is an important aspect of our field
because it conveys the status and condition of the patient and our plan and evaluation of said
condition to other caregivers. Medical records will be read by the doctors, nurses and in some cases
by those submitting payment to the insurance companies. It is important that as occupational therapy
students we develop documentation skills early and continue to refine these skills throughout our
careers.
In order to implement the guidelines for excellent technical communication, we need to remember
the three major reasons to be honest as a communicator. First, we must keep in mind that technical
communication is not about using words and pictures to mislead or lie to people. It is about
helping people understand how to make wise choices. "If you lie or mislead, people can be hurt"
(Markell 12). Secondly, a patient can worsen in condition if

Essay On Occupational Therapist
Entering the page O*NET, I discovered so many diverse careers, being so many options I decided
to take the advantage of researching some of them, the three careers that I researched were; Medical
Assisting, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy Assisting (OTA). These careers are all in the
medical field and are all in collation.
`The first career that was chosen was Medical Assistance, Medical Assistance consists of; recording
patients' medical history, vital statistics, interviewing patients, preparing for physicians (or the
patients physician) and measuring a patients vital signs (such as weight, blood flow, eye sight,
overall health/wellness). Their knowledge would also consist of knowing everything and anything
about the human body (human anatomy), mathematics (due to the medicine/ doses/giving shots),
administration and management, different languages (while dealing with each patient) and lastly,
computer and technology (for data and recording patients' health ratings). Being a Medical Asst., you
can get paid up to $19.62 an hour....show more content...
Physical Therapists are known for; performing, documenting and evaluating data, identifying
problems to determine diagnosis (patients' injury), evaluating effects, anticipations goals and goals
/ plans for the rehabilitation progress of patients, and lastly, they record the progression in patients on
their patients chart. Being a phys. therapist, you should know your human anatomy, signs and
symptoms for any injury or upcoming injury, how to prevent injury and how to properly plan
modalities and proper rehabilitation techniques to help better the patient in whatever state it is that
they are in. They also get paid around $73,000 – $100,000 a year depending on the years they have
had doing their job. Some starters who are barely entering the career usually get paid around
$50,000 – $60,000 a

Occupational therapy (OT) treatment focuses on helping people with a sensory, physical, or
cognitive disability be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. OT can help kids with
various needs improve their cognitive, physical, sensory, and motor skills and enhance their
self–esteem and sense of accomplishment. Some people may think that occupational therapy is only
for adults as kids, after all, do not have occupations; but a child's main job is playing and learning.
Occupational therapists who have specialized in pediatric care can evaluate kids' skills for playing,
school performance, and daily activities and compare them with what is developmentally appropriate.
According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), in...show more content...
No matter the place of work, each OT must have basic skills, transferable skills and workplace
skills be successful. Basic skills are skills that allow you to learn other things: they're the building
blocks to the skills that will help you succeed in any career. Examples of basic skills include
being able to follow written directions (reading comprehension) and being able to understand
what others are saying and ask questions when necessary (active listening). Transferable skills are
skills that you use in one career that can transfer to another related career. Examples of
transferable skills used as an OT include giving health care instructions, planning health care
treatments and working as a member of a health services team. Workplace skills are general skills
that will contribute to your success in the workplace. Examples of workplace skills include
managing time, identifying and solving complex problems and providing instruction. Workplace
skills can often be used in different types of careers, as they help you do all kinds of work

OT And Collaboration Case Study
OT and COTA collaboration: Both the registered occupational therapist (OT) and the certified
occupational therapy assistant (COTA), should collaborate over the course of the client's evaluation,
treatment, and discharge. There is a hierarchy of supervision regarding an OT and a COTA, but
nevertheless, both clinicians should have a professional team approach and partnership with the
common core of serving the client. The team approach relationship should have sound partnership
factors such as communication, trust, knowledge, and respect. Both clinicians would communicate
clearly to one another of any client concerns, integration of activities within the intervention process,
positive treatment outcomes, etc. Referrals: A referral for psychological

Physical Therapy Vs Occupational Therapy Essay
When people come upon a difficulty in life, they search for somewhere to turn to. More
specifically, when their body doesn't work quite the way that it should, it is likely that their doctor
will refer them to a physical or occupation therapist. Both physical therapy and occupational therapy
can help individuals regain strength and skills and drastically improve their quality of life, while
physical therapy deals with larger movements and range of motion, and occupational therapy focuses
more on fine motor skills.
A person might go to a physical therapist for multiple reasons. Anyone of any age group could go to
physical therapy, from a child to a senior. While older people often go when they age to help with
things like weakness and muscle loss, a younger person might go because of an orthopedic injury.
Then there are patients with more tragic stories, like perhaps they were involved in a car accident.
At a physical therapy session, you could find anyone from someone with an amputated limb to
someone recovering from a surgery, and each patient has their own story to tell. Depending on their
condition, the treatment they would receive in a physical therapy session would differ.
One of the main goals of a physical therapist is to help their patients recover. To do this, they have to
pay close attention...show more content...
Physical therapy focuses in more on larger movement, increasing mobility and strength, and
physically preparing a patient as best as they can to move around in the world. While an
occupational therapist also helps a patient dealing with movement, occupational therapy focuses
more on fine motor skills and teaching a patient skills necessary for increased independence so they
don't have to rely on others as

Occupational Therapy Vs Occupational Science
1. What are the similarities and differences between the study of occupational therapy and
occupational science? Occupational Therapy and occupational science both incorporate the use of
human occupation and are responsive to social movements (Pierce, 2003, p. 7)" Differences,
however, derive in regards to the way the two fields operate, as either a basic or applied science. On
the one hand, occupational science is an academic discipline that generates "knowledge about the
form, function, and meaning of human occupations (Pierce, 2003, p. 6)." Occupational Therapy, on
the other hand, uses the basic knowledge derived from occupational science to implement the
occupations and activities in client–centered therapeutic treatments.
2. Pierce

Occupational Therapy
There is a relationship between research, practice and academics because each one are interrelated
with the other one to develop advanced professional practice. There is a growing body of research,
and evidence based findings inside and outside from our profession that needs to be scattered.
Academics are responsible to teach to the new professionals the resources and evidence–based
knowledge available to develop Occupational Therapy practitioner's vanguard of new professional
advances. The profession is active performing studies and developing new evidence to based our
therapy interventions. We are seeking to obtain new knowledge to maximize our interventions and to
deliver responsible and quality services. It's necessary developing partnerships

Occupational Therapy Career Options Essay
In occupational therapy there are three options from which to choose. One can be an occupational
therapist, an occupational therapist assistant, or an occupational therapist aide. In this health
profession they are responsible for helping patients in their ability to perform daily living activities
like speech, physical, and mental activities. His or her patients have generally lost these abilities
because of mental, physical, or developmentally or emotionally disabling conditions. This profession
takes place in hospitals, offices of other health profession, and nursing care facilities.
First in the career ladder is the Occupational therapist aide. They prepare the equipment and materials
for therapists and assistants to use to help...show more content...
An assistant median annual salary is $52,040 with a median hourly rate of $25.02.
Third of all, an assistant going forward of the career ladder can become an occupational therapist.
The occupational therapist assists clients in performing daily basic activities. An occupational
therapist is one member of a rehabilitation team that may also include physical therapist, speech
therapist, psychologist, and social work. Occupational therapists also work with particular children
or the elderly, or they may work in specialized settings including mental health. The education
requirement is a master degree. The occupational therapist must be licensed in order to practice. To
obtain the licenses one must graduate from an accredited educational program and pass a national
certification examination. The median annual salary is $73,820 and a median hourly rate of $35.49.
Furthermore, in this profession there are three professional organizations. Which are the
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), National Board for
Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), and World Federation of Occupational Therapists
(WFOT). Each of these organizations has a mission and vision for this career. For example, the
ACOTE vision is to evaluate standards of excellence in occupational therapy education and their
mission is to foster the

Occupational Therapy Concepts
1)Why do you think, key concepts associated with OT have persisted throughout its history? To
answer this question, you should be able to identify a concept and why it persists. Also consider
concepts that have not persisted and why.
Throughout the history of occupational therapy, many concepts and approaches had been
considered. Within these concepts, some of them become key concepts for the field and others did
not. One of the key concepts that persisted is the focus improve patient's abilities to perform
occupation in the daily leaving. Throughout the history of the occupational therapy, the values on
rehabilitation and occupational on daily activities are very highlighted. Kielhofner (2009) describes
the various ways that occupational

Occupational Therapy: A Case Study
This assignment focus on how occupational therapy student use and underpin occupation by
applying the occupational therapy process. Through interviewing people who experiences
Fibromyalgia, the occupational story and therapeutic value of meaningful occupation which is
effects of occupations on health and wellbeing can be identified. Observation of activity analysis of
the person engaged in dish washing was used using Crepeau, Boyt Schell, Gillen, & Scaffa, (2014)
template. Hence, grading and adapting techniques will enable her to overcome activity limitations.
In addition, occupational engagement and performance of the person can be improved by
implementing CMOP–E and potentially occupational therapy treatment plan. Throughout the process,

Without occupational therapists, millions of people would struggle to live their everyday lives.
Occupational therapists give specialized assistance to people with physical, developmental, social
or emotional problems. This assistance is used to live productive and independent or semi
independent lives. Occupational therapists can be used, and is effective for people of all ages.
Many people have not heard of occupational therapy and are not aware of the positive impact it has
on members of our society. With this paper I want to spread the knowledge that I have on
occupational therapy. Many people that could benefit from occupational therapy do not even know
that it exists. This career is difficult for everyone involved, but the impact it has...show more
content...
In this class you work with special education students and learn about different disabilities. In this
class, you also get to learn about different careers where you could work with people that have
these disabilities. One job we learned about was occupational therapy, and my teacher brought in a
occupational therapist to talk to us and give us more information about her job. As soon as the
occupational therapist started sharing about her job and experiences, it caught my attention. I love
working with people and always want to do whatever I can to help others. In this job you get the
opportunity to work with people of all ages that have different disabilities and struggles that they face
going through their everyday lives.
Prior to researching occupational therapy for this class, I only knew what I could remember from
HSE. I knew that occupational therapists use techniques to help people get through the struggles of
their everyday lives, caused by their disability. I also knew that this degree was some work to get,
but there are many college options for this degree. This information was learned from the
occupational therapist that I met, and the special education teacher– Mrs. Adkins. I am sure it is true
because they have a lot of knowledge on the subject and are passionate about teaching students about

Occupational therapy can help kids with different needs to improve cognitive, physical, sensory, and
motor skills in order to enhance their self–esteem and sense of accomplishments. It also focuses on
helping people with a physical, sensory or cognitive disability be as independent as possible in all
areas of his or her life. The body and mind are not separate functions; therefore, motor development
activities are important for young children. Young children learn through sensory–motor functions
and will impact their social, emotional, and cognitive development. Children have many significant
occupations, which form a significant foundation for the roles they will take on as adults. These
include: player; self–career includes the activities...show more content...
In the preschool setting there are many kinds of occupational therapy interventions that can be made
in the classroom. Examples of occupational therapy interventions in school settings can include:
classroom consultation, creating learning environments that eliminate visual distractions,
preferential seating, positional adaptations such as adapted seating or cushions that enable children
to move while seated, individualized or small–group therapy to improve visual–motor skills, writing
alternatives, such as one–handed typing, for students with disabilities , and adaptations such as a
pencil grip or weighted spoon to improve fine motor control . These interventions are done by the
early interventionist, speech therapist, and the occupational therapist. (Khol 1984) The amount of
time the occupational therapist spends with a child depends on the need of the child. A lot 3 and
four year old receives occupational therapy one time a week for 30 minutes. It is an IEP team
decision when deciding times for any type of therapy. Parent, teacher, and service providers will look
at the deficits and then decide the amount of time that would be beneficial to meeting the student's

Occupational Therapy Paper
Therapy is given on a pyschological and phycical level. Help is not directly offered from the
faciltity but from outside sources. Therapy is believed to a great way for clients to deal with issues.
They vary from helping them adapt to this new lifestyle, they suggest ways to adjust from
independent to partial assistance with ADLs. Occupational therapy is used for clients who may have
trouble with swallowing, chewing and coughing. A common sign of aging is problems with
unsteady feet which is why residents may need some physical therapy. Physical therapy assists
residents who have trouble with walking, balance, and standing.
Assisted living communities are a becoming a more fiable choice among seniors and the aging
population. Many senior

Occupational Therapy (OT)
Occupational therapy (OT) promotes health and well being by offering people the opportunity to
perform meaningful and purposeful activities. OT's work with various individuals who may be
limited by physical injury or illness, psychosocial dysfunction, developmental or learning disabilities,
cultural or poverty differences or the ageing process.The role of the OT in such cases serves the
purpose of maximising independence, preventing disability and maintaining health (Turner A, Foster
M, Johnson S E 1996). OT interventions cover key elements such as occupational performance,
occupational choice and occupational identity. Identity is key to human functioning in that it is how
a people identify themselves, their future aspirations, their roles...show more content...
This assignment has described and explored the role of the occupational therapist and how they view
occupation. It has also explored the impact of the interventions to human functioning and
wellbeing. Occupational Therapy is a profession guided by models and theories in order to make
interventions effective and tailored to individual needs. Models of practice provide a language to
help individual occupational therapist articulate to others the perspective that is unique to the
profession. Models make explicit the concepts upon which the profession is based and how these
are grouped or organized together. Thus, theories and models are important for strengthening the
professional identities of OT's by providing a language with which to express to others their
habitual ways of making sense of the world as well as the value of their professional perspective
(Turpin & Iwama

Occupational Therapy Career Essay
1.Describe the occupational therapy profession.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients
develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working." OT Career Path.com
also states that, "occupational therapy assistants assist with the rehabilitation and care of patients
with mental, developmental, physical, social, and emotional disabilities" Occupational therapist may
provide many different forms of service from setting up materials, moving a patient, explaining
exercises, preparing reports and implementing treatment plan as prescribed by the Occupational
Therapist. An OTA's duties vary greatly an example of their duties include helping patients acquire
fine...show more content...
From that experience I went on to shadow OTA's at Plant City Rehabilitation Center and at
Hillsborough County Public Schools to further explore my interest. While shadowing I was also
allowed to participate in working with the patients and discuss the role of an OTA in detail with the
staff. Through these experiences and observations my interest has led to a desire to become an OTA.
3.Identify an area of practice or patient population that you are interested in treating and why.
I am interested in working with the pediatric population between the ages of 3–8 years old. The first
reason for this is my love for children and my goal to stay with my current employer upon
graduation which is Hillsborough County Public School District. The second reason is I have had
firsthand opportunity to work with special needs children both at work and at home whose needs
included multiple tiered services such as occupational, physical, and speech therapy. While working
with these children I found great satisfaction and a sense of purpose in helping them obtain life

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