What is OT?

The amount I get this question has decreased tenfold in the past decade, but I still get the occassional puzzled look when I introduced myself. This is because occupational therapy is one of the easiest professions to misunderstand. It can be defined as using purposeful activities to help people achieve independence after an illness or injury. That seems simple enough, but people rarely understand the definition of an occupation. An occupation is any activity that a person engages in.

Occupations are generally regarded as a person’s job or vocation. A person’s job is an occupation, but so are a great many things. Brushing your teeth, mowing your lawn, and even paying your bills are all occupations. The role of the occupational therapist is to use self-care, work, and play activities to increase independent function, enhance development, and prevent disability.

Now when you speak of occupational therapy in pediatrics, the ballgame changes. Young children do not possess skills they need to relearn. Therefore, there is no 'rehabilitation' for them after an illness or injury. Therapy with young children is considered to be 'habilitation', because they are continually learning new skills despite an illness, injury, or congenital problem.