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Occupational Therapy, often abbreviated as “OT“, is an applied science and health profession that provides skilled treatment to help individuals achieve and maintain independence in all facets of their lives. OT gives people the “skills for the job of living” necessary for independent and satisfying lives.

People who work in the Occupational Therapy field can be credentialed as Occupational Therapists or as Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTA).

The World Federation of Occupational Therapists provides the following definition of Occupational Therapy:

“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.”

What does it take to be an OT or COTA?

An occupational therapist completes a 5 or 6-year post-baccalaureate occupational therapy degree. An occupational therapy assistant completes a 2-year associate degree program. Both must complete a supervised fieldwork program during their studies and pass a national certification exam (NBCOT).

Many states require continuing education courses to be taken to maintain licensing (state-specific requirements).

What kind of problems can OT treat?

Occupational therapy can treat any physical, emotional, or mental problem that interferes with a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living.

Occupational therapy can be provided for anyone from babies to older adults.

Some typical injuries or illnesses that occupational therapy can treat include paralysis, hand injuries, joint disease, limited movement, cognitive impairments, inability to perform personal care tasks and other activities of daily living (ADL), and many more.

What are the areas of practice for OTs in physical health?

• Pediatric – schools, community, hospitals, outpatient clinics.
• Acute care hospitals
• Inpatient rehabilitation
• Rehabilitation centers – treating stroke (CVA), spinal cord injuries, head injuries
• Skilled nursing facilities
• Home health
• Outpatient clinics
• Specialist assessment centers
• Assisted living facilities
• Productive aging
• Mental health

What is the Occupational Therapy process?

• Referral
• Information gathering
• Initial assessment
• Needs identification/problem formation
• Goal setting
• Action planning
• Action
• Ongoing assessment and revision of action
• Outcome and outcome measurement
• End of intervention or discharge
• Review

What are the goals of Occupational Therapy?

The goal is to increase function and independence in regards to physical disability and limitations in order to enable a person to perform the activities alone, with limited help, or with the use of devices. With occupational therapy treatment, a person can become more independent.

What kind of treatments are used in OT?

There are many ways to provide occupational therapy. Depending on the cause of the problem, each person is evaluated and a treatment plan is specifically designed to fit his/her needs. The first step in treatment is an evaluation process by the therapist. This helps the therapist determine the best treatment plan and frequency of treatments.

Does insurance cover Occupational Therapy?

Most health insurance policies will cover occupational therapy.

Some insurance companies might have limits to the number of covered treatments in 1 calendar year. It is best to consult with your insurance carrier for further information.

Job Outlook for Occupational Therapists

Employment is expected to grow much faster than average. Occupational Therapy Job opportunities should be good especially for occupational therapists treating the elderly. [Source: bls.gov]

See Also

Wikipedia – Occupational Therapy
Wikipedia – Occupational Therapist
Occupational Outlook Handbook (Occupational Therapists)

(Last updated on April 16th, 2020)

Occupational therapy is a profession that deals with health and rehabilitation. These therapists work with a wide range of different people and assist in helping them achieve independence and boost productivity. Occupational therapists work with people of all ages to help with their physical, emotional, and social problems. The “occupation” used by these therapists include work and play, as well as self-care, to aid their clients.

Occupational therapy will help those struggling to achieve their goals of independence, prevent disability, and enhance their overall development and well-being. Needless to say, occupational therapy is a widely popular and important skill. If you’ve always wished to help those around you and are interested in new techniques in assisting others, occupational therapy may be for you.

Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy

Many people may be confused as to the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy. The requirements needed in order to obtain a degree in occupational therapy are different than those needed for physical therapy. However, both professions use similar therapy techniques on occasion but their goals are quite different.

There are many differences between the 2 professions.

Physical therapy is essentially all about helping someone regain physical mobility, including strength, balance and flexibility to name a few. Physical therapists work with people to improve their posture, regain strength after an accident or surgery, as well as help those who may have been born with a defect.

Occupational therapists help those with illness or a disability to learn how to take care of themselves and participate in meaningful activities. These activities may be driving, eating by themselves and even working. In addition to helping their clients re-engage in meaningful activities, occupational therapists work with the environment around their clients to ensure the person can have an easier time performing tasks that are important to them. One big difference between physical therapists and occupational therapists is that occupational therapy requires training with people who have mental or emotional disorders and illnesses.

Occupational Therapy as a Career

Occupational therapists work within a wide variety of settings and areas. These locations may include, but not be limited to, hospitals, schools, industry, community or private agencies, within homes, workplaces and outpatient clinics. As more people realize the profound benefits of occupational therapy, the locations in which it can be practiced grow.

The job outlook and salary is very decent for occupational therapists. Even after the job market contraction, occupational therapy is still booming. According to studies the need for occupational therapists isn’t going to die down anytime in the near future. Salaries for occupational therapy have risen as well. The median annual salary for an Occupational Therapist is $80,150 per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (as of May 2015). Naturally regional differences and setting differences will affect your salary. Additional information regarding OT salary ranges and salary outlook can be found here and here.

Becoming an Occupational Therapist

It is important to note the requirements you need to be a certified occupational therapist. Understanding the job duties and specific qualifications is vital in ensuring occupational therapy is the right career for you.

Career Requirements

Occupational therapists work with people who have been injured or disabled in some way that hinders their ability to live independently. These might be elderly people that want to be more active and independent or children who are struggling in school. Due to the nature of their work, occupational therapists work in a wide range of different areas.

In terms of educational requirements, occupational therapists must have at least a master’s degree. Their degree field must be in occupational therapy and they will need a state license to practice. Other important training to have includes CPR and BCLS. Personal skills to have includes excellence in communication and interactions with others and compassion as well as patience. Other useful skills include such things as writing.

Three Steps to Occupational Therapy Certification

Earning Your Bachelor’s Degree

Your first step in becoming certified to practice Occupational Therapy is to get your Bachelor’s degree. There are a few different choices for majors that will assist in becoming a certified occupational therapist. Some of these choices include anthropology, sociology, and psychology. You can choose a school that offers accelerated programs or even dual-degrees if possible. If you chose the right path you could obtain both your bachelor’s and master’s within only 5 years.

Earning Your Master’s

It takes roughly two years for a student to complete their Master’s degree after obtaining their Bachelor’s. Generally, potential occupational therapists will spend their year earning their Master’s degree learning about anatomy, patient care, and assistive technology in their field and social/medical conditions. During this time fieldwork is essential. This fieldwork can take place in nursing homes, rehab centers, schools or even private practices. It usually takes about 24 weeks on average to complete these field experiences.

Getting Your License

After receiving your degrees it’s time for the final third step in becoming certified to practice occupational therapy: becoming licensed in your state. These state licenses are a strict requirement. In order to receive this license you must have:

•   Graduated from an accredited occupational therapy program
•   Have complete necessary fieldwork
•   Passed the NBCOT exam

After all of these requirements have been documented and passed you will be granted the OTR or Occupational Therapist Registered Credential. The OTR is mandatory to receive your license but voluntary thereafter. Many therapists choose to maintain this certificate actively by continuing their education.

You should check your local state requirements before applying to an OT program. Your state might have specific requirements that you should complete prior to becoming an OT. Additional state license information can be found here.

W Sitting is a sitting position where the child sits on her bottom with both knees bent, and her feet pointing outwards. If viewed from above, you will notice her legs and body look like the letter “W”.

It is one of many sitting positions that most children move into and out of while playing.

Why Do Children Sit in the “W” Position?

As a child, you have more hip rotation, making it easier to move into a W sitting position. Children with weak core muscles sometimes find W sitting more comfortable, as it adds stability.

The W sitting position lets kids play in an upright position, without worrying about falling over or needing to balance as much.

At what age is a child most likely to sit in a W position?

Usually between 4 to 6, but you may also see it at different ages.

Femoral anteversion, inward twisting of the thigh bone that causes the child’s knees and feet to turn inward, or have what is also known as a “pigeon-toed” appearance, tends to decrease after age 8. This reduces the likelihood a child will go into W sitting.

Why is it problematic for kids?

W-Sitting could lead to future orthopedic problems.

Crossed legs sitting, side-sitting, or sitting with your legs stretched out in front of you engages core strength. W-Sitting does not challenge the muscles in your back and abdomen. These muscles are important for the development of fine and gross motor skills, as well as maintaining balance and keeping an upright posture.

In a W-Sit, a child does not achieve appropriate active trunk rotation and it restricts developing adequate balance because the child is not able to shift weight and rotate. This could result in delayed bilateral coordination skills.

When playing in other sitting postures, children develop the trunk control and rotation necessary for midline crossing (ability to reach across the midline of her body by her arms and legs crossing over to the opposite side) and the efficient use of both sides of the body. These skills are needed for a child to develop refined motor skills and hand dominance.

What type of issues could show up?

When W-sitting becomes a habit and is done for continuous, prolonged periods, it can have long-ranging, negative health effects:

• Negatively impacting coordination, balance, and gross motor skills
• May lead to affecting the ability to perform table-top activities, such as writing
• Create difficulties in the development of hand preference
• Make it hard to shift weight from side to side
• Poor trunk rotation skills because in a W-sitting position, the trunk muscles are not used as much to keep the body upright
• Limited core strength because W-sitting position provides a wider base of support for the child which may be used to compensate for weak postural muscles

How to prevent W-sitting and What can you do?

Prevent it from becoming a habit. Be consistent and ask the child to change the sitting position. Praise the child’s posture when they are sitting in a different position.

Ask the child to sit in the “criss-cross applesauce” position.

If a child is unable to sit alone in any position other than a W, talk with a therapist about supportive seating or alternative positions, such as prone and sidelying.

(Last updated on April 16th, 2020)

A child may demonstrate a few of the following behaviors without cause of concern. They may be suggestive of difficulty with sensory integration when they occur in meaningful clusters and interfere with daily activities and learning. Some of these signs may indicate problems in areas other than sensory integration.

General signs of sensory integration dysfunction:

• Overly sensitive to touch, movement, sights, sounds, smells
• Under-reactive to sensory stimulation
• Activity level that is unusually high or low
• Coordination problems
• Speech, language, motor or academic delays despite normal intelligence
• Poor organization of behavior (impulsive, lack of planning for a task such as a project, dressing, getting ready for dismissal)
• Poor self-esteem (may appear lazy, unmotivated)

Specific signs of sensory integration dysfunction:

Gross Motor

• Muscles feel stiff or floppy
• Poor standing or sitting posture (e.g., rounded shoulders, slumps over tabletop, “melts” into the floor, people or other surfaces)
• Delays in development skills such as one foot balance, jumping, hopping navigating stairs
• Awkward gait; walks on toes, no arm swing
• Clumsiness: falls easily; trips; bumps into things; drops things
• Reluctant to participate in playground activities; difficulty learning new games or figuring out how to move body in relationship to new playground equipment
• Seems weaker than others his/her age; fatigues easily

Fine Motor Difficulties

• Delay in developing a hand preference
• Immature, clumsy, or improper crayon grasp
• Drops crayons and small pieces frequently
• Difficulty coloring
• Difficulty manipulating a scissors
• Difficulty picking up small objects such as beads and pegs
• May avoid difficult activities

Behavior Interfering With Function

• Distractible
• Short attention span
• Restless
• Impulsive
• Accident prone
• Hyperactive
• Extremely slow worker
• Forgetful
• Difficulty following directions
• Easily frustrated
• Unable to cope with changes in routine
• Frequent or unexplained outbursts or tantrums

Reacts to Tactile Input Differently (i.e., over or under responsive)

• Tends to touch everything; craves self-initiated hugging and touching
• Avoids touch from others, especially when unexpected (standing on line or near cubby, jostling in playground, circle time)
• Dislikes water play, sand play, pasting, play dough or finger-painting
• Tends to overdress (e.g., will not allow shirtsleeves pulled up)
• Avoids crowds (e.g., story time, placement in the middle of a line, birthday party, unfamiliar multi-class activity)
• Strong food preferences; avoids certain textures of food

Reacts to Vestibular (Movement) Input Differently

• Craves movement activities such as swings and seesaws
• Rocks back and forth more than other children, when seated
• Jumps frequently; runs rather than walking calmly
• May move around aimlessly
• Difficulty staying seated at a table; constantly repositioning himself (falls off chair)
• Fidgets constantly
• Rejects movement activities; seems fearful of playground equipment
• Fearful if feet are not on the ground

Reacts to Auditory Input Differently

• Responds negatively to unexpected or loud noises (fire drill)
• Difficulty paying attention when there is other noise; cannot ignore it
• Fails to hear certain sounds
• Hums constantly
• Puts hands over ears, or asks you to do it for him/her