Occupational Therapy

The dreaded question: "What do you study?"

Anyone who's studied OT will be familiar with telling people they study occupational therapy and the typical responses of; "Cool", the blank glazed over look, or "Oh, so you get people jobs".

Then trying to explain..

So what is occupational therapy?


World Federation of Occupational Therapy (2004) defintion:

"Occupational therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the 

activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by enabling people to do things that will enhance their ability to participate or by modifying the environment to better 

support participation. 

 

http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ecb9d3ce38e70110VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCRD&vgnextchannel=aba462221d948010VgnVCM1000000e2015acRCRD

Occupational therapy is practiced in a wide range of settings, including hospitals, health centres, homes, workplaces, schools, reform institutions and housing for seniors. Clients are actively 

involved in the therapeutic process, and outcomes of occupational therapy are diverse, client-driven and measured in terms of participation or satisfaction derived from participation. "

http://occupationaltherapystories.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/boy_wheelchair.jpg&imgrefurl=http://occupationaltherapystories.wordpress.com/about/


"Occupational Therapy: Enabling people to participate in meaningful occupation."


Townsend, E.A., & Polatajko, H . J. (2007). Enabling occupation II: Advancing an occupational therapy vision for health, well-being, & justice through occupation. Ottawa, Ontario: CAOT Publications ACE.