What Is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy ( often abbreviated as ‘OT’) is a rehabilitation science that promotes health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities to achieve and maintain independence in all facets of their lives. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilising treatments that develop, recover, or maintain their ability to participate in every day activities of daily living.  Occupational therapists help clients not only to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function. The ultimate goal of occupational therapy is to help clients have independent, productive, and satisfying lives.

An occupational therapist can identify strengths and difficulties you may have in everyday life, such as dressing or getting to the shops, and will help you work out practical solutions. They can work with you to identify goals that can help you maintain, regain, or improve your independence by using different techniques, changing your environment, and using new equipment. Furthermore, occupational therapists are becoming increasingly involved in addressing the impact of social, political and environmental factors that contribute to exclusion and occupational deprivation.

Occupational therapists work with people of all ages and can look at all aspects of daily life, from the home to the school or workplace.