Occupational therapy (OT) officially got its start only a little over a century ago, but it’s nonetheless shown to have a transformative impact on healthcare.¹ Today, roughly six million occupational therapy sessions are conducted per year—all with the aim of helping people gain increased independence.^2,3

If you’re exploring a career in this rewarding field, chances are you have dozens of questions, like what does occupational therapy do, exactly? How does working with a client typically look? And what sort of clients do occupational therapists see on a regular basis?

Keep reading as we review the basics of occupational therapy, from the range of settings they work into the diverse populations they serve.

What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?

Occupational therapists (OTs) are highly trained healthcare professionals whose primary goal is to help people of all ages achieve the autonomy they need to perform life’s daily tasks. These may include basic duties, such as bathing and dressing, and meaningful daily activities, like hobbies and socializing.

As you might imagine, this covers a lot of ground. On any given workday, an occupational therapist may assist a child with a developmental delay, show an injured adult how to be able to perform a preferred activity, and end it all by accompanying a senior to the grocery store.⁴

To phrase it differently, occupational therapists work with a wide variety of physical, cognitive, and mental health challenges, such as:⁵

• Chronic illnesses, including cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), carpal tunnel syndrome, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, arthritis, diabetes, and Parkinson’s Disease
• Injuries such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), burns, strokes, bone fractures, and spinal cord injuries
• Neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Mental health conditions, i.e., depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Cognitive complications, including Down’s Syndrome and autism

Accordingly, occupational therapists offer their services in an equally wide variety of settings. These include (but certainly aren’t limited to) nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, community shelters, free clinics, primary care offices, schools, and their clients’ homes.

The Process of Occupational Therapy

Given the sheer number of conditions and individuals an occupational therapist may see, the process of working with a patient may differ radically.

That said, in an effort to help clients safely and confidently navigate their every day or return to work, school, or life as they once knew it, an occupational therapist may offer education, guidance, and support in ways such as:

• Assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) – Occupational therapists frequently work with individuals who have faced a life-changing event—such as a stroke or an amputation—and need help with regaining their ability to complete tasks ranging from showering to eating with or without assistance.⁶
• Support with adaptive equipment – Clients who have endured an injury, surgery, or more may need to adopt adaptive equipment like a wheelchair or crutches. Occupational therapists can help these individuals familiarize themselves with these tools and maximize their benefits.
• Help with technology integration – Technology can help children, adults, and seniors who are navigating life with a limitation or encountering a “new normal” after an injury or diagnosis. An occupational therapist may show them how to use any number of devices, whether it’s a robotic rehabilitative product or a fitness tracking app.⁷

Let’s examine how occupational therapists arrive at these therapeutic approaches and what usually follows.

Initial Patient Assessment

The beginning of an occupational therapist’s work with a patient starts with an assessment of their medical history, occupational profile, and an evaluation of their challenges.  

There are several assessments an occupational therapist can use in this preliminary stage, such as the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). An OT may also call on their powers of observation in a client’s home, work, or school and conduct personal interviews.

From there, they’ll take note of what the client wants and needs, and, in some cases, those of their caretaker’s. This may address a patient’s (and their loved ones’) performance patterns, interests, and values. For instance, an occupational therapist may design a treatment plan for an injured basketball player whose primary goal is to get back on the court.

Developing a Treatment Plan

The next step in the process involves consulting with a patient’s healthcare team to draw up a treatment plan. A patient’s loved ones—or those closest to them—may also be consulted.

Treatment plans vary wildly according to the individual. However, it might involve:

• Providing clients with exercises that will reduce their aches and pains
• Educating loved ones on how best to deal with an Alzheimer’s patient’s difficulty with walking, eating, or toileting
• Helping people manage their medications
• Rearranging a home to promote safety and efficiency, like offering recommendations on implementing handrails or installing visual cues
• Helping children with developmental delays (and other challenges) learn “prerequisite activities,” such as motor control, body awareness, sensory management, and hand-eye coordination.

Implementing and Adjusting Interventions

After implementing therapeutic interventions according to a patient’s customized treatment plan, an occupational therapist may continually monitor their client’s progress and make modifications as needed.

Generally speaking, this entails:

• Analyzing a client’s occupational performance (such as their ability to move with ease in their wheelchair)
• Revisit targeted outcomes
• Map out the next steps to continue or conclude occupational therapy services

And if all is moving forward as the OT and their patient planned, both may reap the benefits of occupational therapy (a topic we’ll turn to next).

The Impact of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy has become a cornerstone of modern healthcare.

A recent study conducted by Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that occupational therapy may reduce hospital readmission rates for three specific health conditions: pneumonia, heart failure, and acute myocardial infarction.⁸ Other experts indicate that school-based occupational therapy may enrich the entire student body.⁹

On a more individual level, In addition to helping people accomplish a new or renewed level of autonomy, occupational therapy may enable them to return to the activities they love—or welcome them into their lives for the first time.¹⁰

For example, an occupational therapist may:

• Offer mental health support – Occupational therapy practitioners might not immediately spring to mind when you think of a person with anxiety, depression, or PTSD. And yet, OT can be a blessing for those with these (and other) mental health conditions. An occupational therapist may provide various forms of support and symptom management, such as:
  • Developing smart coping strategies
  • Practicing mindfulness
  • Establishing healthy boundaries
  • Identifying mood-boosting activities
• Increase a child’s school performance – It’s certainly no secret that a child with a physical disability or learning challenges may struggle at school. A school-based occupational therapist may help such children with several daily tasks, like improving their handwriting with the assistance of specialized grips, packing a backpack on their own, and learning healthy skills to manage social anxiety and sensory issues.
• Provide specialized skills for chronic conditions – A number of chronic conditions can dramatically affect an individual’s ability to perform everyday tasks that many of us take for granted. A child with cerebral palsy, for example, might wrestle with dressing themselves or experience difficulties with fine motor skills. An occupational therapist may work toward helping them simplify their life, such as recommending Velcro closures for their clothes. Adaptations abound for many with chronic conditions, and an occupational therapist can direct clients and their loved ones, toward them.
• Enable seniors to live in their homes longer – Approximately 1 in 6 U.S. residents are 65 or older.¹¹ Occupational therapists may help seniors like these remain in their homes for as long as possible through an assortment of interventions.¹² Installing a raised toilet seat, teaching them exercises to enrich their strength and dexterity, helping them manage finances, and teaching them new ways of cooking may all make “aging in place” a possibility for seniors.

The Range of Occupational Therapy

The examples laid out above are just three from a pool of many. In fact, the discipline of occupational therapy has a handful of specialties ripe for exploration.¹³ (A quick note: Many require additional certification.) These include:

• Assistive technology professional (ATP)
• Neurodevelopmental treatment
• Autism
• Brain injuries
• Diabetes
• Hand therapy
• Lymphedema
• Psychiatry
• Driving rehabilitation 
• Pediatrics
• Gerontology
• Feeding, Eating, and Swallowing
• Low vision

Intrigued by the possibilities? You may want to explore specialty certifications in occupational therapy to see how you can refine your expertise.

Embracing the Role of an Occupational Therapist

Asking “What does an occupational therapist do?” is critical to understanding if the profession is right for you. As we’ve learned, the role encompasses everything from helping people feel comfortable in social situations to implementing safety features in an elderly client’s home.

Wondering how to get an occupational therapy license? Pursuing your education, completing supervised fieldwork, and passing the national board exam will be among your initial steps.

Occupational therapy offers the opportunity to make a lasting, meaningful difference in a person’s world and give them the skills and confidence they need to navigate life.

Alliant International University can help you gain a more comprehensive understanding of what a career in occupational therapy involves. And if you decide that it aligns with your educational and professional goals, the Master of Occupational Therapy program provides students with the in-depth knowledge they need to implement an array of therapeutic approaches with their own skill and confidence.

Jumpstart your healthcare career by requesting more information today.  

Sources:

1. Moninger, Michel. “A Brief History of Occupational Therapy.” myotspot.com, May 13, 2023. https://www.myotspot.com/history-of-occupational-therapy/. Accessed September 16, 2024.
2. Aota.org. https://www.aota.org/about/what-is-ot. Accessed August 24. 2024. 
    Seladi-Schulman, Jill. “Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy: How Do They Differ?”
3. Healthline, March 11, 2020. https://www.healthline.com/health/occupational-therapy-vs-physical-therapy#about-occupational-therapy. Accessed August 24. 2024. 
4. Verma, Sahil. “What Are Some Examples of Occupational Therapy?” Wooster Community Hospital, October 11, 2023. https://www.woosterhospital.org/what-are-some-examples-of-occupational-therapy/. Accessed September 16, 2024.
5. “Working with Specific Conditions.” Working with specific conditions – The OT Practice. Accessed September 16, 2024. https://www.theotpractice.co.uk/how-we-help/conditions. Accessed September 16, 2024. 
6. Activities of Daily Living (adls). https://www.aota.org/advocacy/advocacy-news/coding/~/media/391EBF0C2F39446E908A525CA22272B0.ashx. Accessed September 17, 2024. 
7. 11 convincing reasons to become an occupational therapist | indeed.com. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/reasons-to-become-occupational-therapist. Accessed September 17, 2024. 
8. Health policy researchers find occupational therapy is … https://www.aota.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/Advocacy/Health-Care-Reform/OT-Prevents-Readmissions.pdf. Accessed September 17, 2024. 
9. Sarah Lyon, and Name. “Occupational Therapy in Schools (GUIDE + Directory) • OT Potential.” OT Potential • Occupational Therapy Continuing Education, August 22, 2024. https://otpotential.com/blog/occupational-therapy-in-schools. Accessed September 17, 2024.
10.  “Occupational Therapy Goals & Examples (Adults and Children).” Mentalyc. https://www.mentalyc.com/blog/occupational-therapy-goals. Accessed September 17, 2024. 
11.  Caplan, Zoe. “U.S. Older Population Grew from 2010 to 2020 at Fastest Rate since 1880 to 1890.” Census.gov, May 25, 2023. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/05/2020-census-united-states-older-population-grew.html. Accessed August 24. 2024. 
12. “How Occupational Therapy Can Support Aging in Place – Always Best Care.” Always Best Care Senior Services, April 14, 2023. https://alwaysbestcare.com/resources/how-occupational-therapy-can-support-aging-in-place/. Accessed September 17, 2024.
13. Sarah Lyon, Jeanette Runningssays:, Sarah Lyon, Viviana Morenosays:, Meghann Ehlingsays:, Karen Speicher, Karensays:, et al. “30+ OT Certifications and Specialties • OT Potential.” OT Potential • Occupational Therapy 
14. Continuing Education, February 8, 2024. https://otpotential.com/blog/where-to-go-ot-degree. Accessed September 17, 2024.

The content of this page is only for informational purposes and is not intended, expressly or by implication, as a guarantee of employment or salary, which vary based on many factors including but not limited to education, credentials, and experience. Alliant International University explicitly makes no representations or guarantees about the accuracy of the information provided by any prospective employer or any other website. Salary information available on the internet may not reflect the typical experience of Alliant graduates. Alliant does not guarantee that any graduate will be placed with a particular employer or in any specific employment position.