What Is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy (OT) is a form of rehabilitation therapy that helps you improve your ability to carry out daily tasks—often known as "occupations." Generally, a healthcare provider can refer you to an occupational therapist to help you better manage certain health conditions and injuries that may be preventing you from completing routine activities at home, in the workplace, at school, or in your community.

It's important to note that occupational therapy may be one part of a more comprehensive treatment plan to manage your condition or injury. Your provider may also suggest medication, lifestyle changes, or surgical procedures in addition to OT—depending on your individual situation. That's why learning about OT and how it may aid your treatment goals can be important.

What It Is and Who It Helps

The purpose of OT is to support people living with certain health conditions or injuries to regain, maintain, or adjust their ability to carry out daily activities. Occupational therapists—health professionals who specialize in OT—will assess your capabilities, learn about any challenges you're facing, and develop intervention plans to help support your physical, emotional, and social needs.

A wide variety of conditions and injuries can benefit from occupational therapy. These may include:

• Broken bones and fractures
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Vision changes
• Birth defects
• Types of arthritis including rheumatoid, psoriatic, and osteoarthritis
• Chronic pain
• Recovering from surgery (e.g., a joint replacement)
• Cerebral palsy
• Sensory processing disorders
• Multiple sclerosis
• Alzheimer's disease
• Severe burns
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Cancer
• Stroke
• Parkinson's disease
• Autism
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Keep in mind: this is not an exhaustive list. The ultimate goal of OT is to help you regain independence in your daily activities as you live with and manage your specific condition. Your healthcare provider may recommend OT for a variety of health conditions and your exact treatment plan will depend on your individual case.

Goals and Skills

Occupational therapists can help you learn a wide range of skills to accomplish your individual goals. They may help you:

• Develop your fine motor skills, such as picking up and holding objects, handwriting, or computer skills 
• Improve your hand-eye coordination 
• Master basic life skills, such as showering, getting dressed, or eating 
• Plan your return to work or school after recovering from an illness or injury
• Identify and reduce fall hazards in your home or adapt your environment to make it more accessible
• Talk to your loved ones and work with them about how to best support you while you manage your condition
• Find and use adaptive equipment like wheelchairs, communication aids, or bathing equipment 
• Sharpen your cognitive functioning such as memory 
• Teach you exercises that can help you regain mobility or flexibility
• Adjust to the decline in your functioning associated with cancer and other medical conditions

The above list is not comprehensive. In fact, occupational therapists tend to be very adaptive in their techniques and can plan for and help you reach several individual goals. That's why they will spend time getting to know you, your lifestyle, and your condition before developing a treatment plan that works best for you.

Who Practices Occupational Therapy?

If your healthcare provider recommends OT for you, there are a few professionals who are able to support your treatment. You will likely work with one or more of the following providers:

• Occupational therapists: Hold a Bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as psychology or health science, and a Master’s degree from a licensed OT program
• Doctors of occupational therapy (OTD): Have a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and a doctorate degree from a licensed OT program
• Occupational therapy assistants: Support an occupational therapist or OTD and receive an Associate’s degree from an occupational therapy program in a community or junior college

Both occupational therapists and OTDs can assess and evaluate you and then develop treatment plans. OTAs can help the primary therapist or OTD deliver your treatment plan but can’t evaluate your condition.

All three types of providers are required to complete supervised fieldwork as part of their training and pass a national exam. All states also require occupational therapy professionals to attain a license and some require providers to complete continuing education requirements throughout their career.

What To Expect

At the beginning of your occupational therapy sessions, your provider will spend some time with you doing an evaluation to better assess your condition and needs. They may ask you about your medical history, any underlying conditions you have, any injuries you have recently experienced, and what you hope to focus on during your sessions. This will help them tailor your treatment plan to your individual goals and interests.

Once your occupational therapy provider learns more about you, they will design your treatment plan. This is often called an intervention plan in OT. As your sessions continue, your provider will reevaluate and adjust your goals periodically to ensure that your needs are being met.

You can expect your sessions to generally last somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes. How often you have a session and how long these sessions last will depend on the severity of your condition. Most people however may attend sessions as many as one to three times a week—especially when they first start OT.

Occupational Therapy for Children

It's common for children to also participate in occupational therapy, as OT has shown evidence in helping youth manage learning disabilities, neurological conditions like autism and ADHD, and sports injuries.

If your child is in occupational therapy, you can expect that their evaluation and treatment process will look similar to that of an adult. However, the primary difference in OT sessions between children and adults is that OT providers will likely include play, toys, and games to keep the child engaged during sessions.

Your child's OT provider may focus on boosting self-esteem, developing or fine-tuning motor skills, helping work through cognitive challenges, and encouraging social interactions with others, among other skill-building techniques.

You may begin to see your child grow and flourish in their development as they continue working with an occupational therapist. As they play and learn new skills from their occupational therapist, they may begin to develop an increase in their self-confidence and improve their school performance. If you think occupational therapy may be helpful for your child, talk to your pediatrician about your options.

The Difference Between Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy

While occupational therapy and physical therapy share some qualities and work to improve your quality of life and ability to carry out daily tasks, there are some distinct differences including:

How To Find Support

If you think you or your child could benefit from occupational therapy, there are a few ways to find care:

• Ask other trusted professionals for a referral, such as your primary healthcare provider or your child’s school nurse or counselor
• Check your insurance plan and nearby hospitals, clinics, or rehabilitation centers to see if they have consultations for occupational therapists available
• Search databases online that list occupational therapy practices in your area

A Quick Review

Occupational therapy is designed to help people carry out their daily tasks, regain independence in their lives, and better manage their health condition or injury. Your healthcare provider can recommend occupational therapy as an overarching part of your treatment plan.

If you meet with a licensed OT provider such as an occupational therapist or OTD, they will work with you to assess your condition, evaluate your needs, and develop interventions that are right for you.