Occupational Therapy Papers

The profession of occupational therapy is often mistaken for a job in which the therapist is a career counselor. This is the exactly what my dad had thought when I told him that I wanted to pursue a career in occupational therapy. I explained to him that occupational therapists are not concerned with career counseling; instead, they are focused on daily activities that give meaning to live. The goal of occupational therapy is to help patients regain or develop skills that are necessary for the activities of daily living. Occupational therapists have the option to work in a variety of settings including hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation centers, schools, and with patients in their own homes.

I have a strong academic background with studies in a variety of subjects, such as sciences, the arts, and my B.A. in Intercultural Studies. Over the years I have worked and volunteered with preschoolers, youth groups, the elderly, people of different ethnic backgrounds, and people with disabilities. I've worked hard to get here and with OT, it seems that my skills, experiences, and interests are coming together in a unique way. Going to school and getting the formal education needed to become a licensed therapist is the next step in achieving my goals. I am ready for the challenges of classroom and clinical training, and excited about going in depth with this study. I am eager to work on specialized skills that will help me better understand and assist people. I am looking forward to being part of a recognized profession with specific standards and practices. In the future, I hope to collaborate with clients, other specialists, family and community members, and to promote the profession. I'm enthusiastic about OT not just because I think it's a great career and a good fit for me, but also because it addresses major needs in our society. Everyone deserves the chance to participate in their desired activities and live their desired lifestyles. There is a growing demand for occupational therapy services, and I aspire to help in meeting that

“What if there was a job that allowed someone to have endless flexibility and creativity; a profession that is respected and is in overwhelming demand... Most importantly, wouldn’t it be nice to find a job in which you could make an impact, big or small, on the lives of each individual person you worked with? I found this job and that is why I decided to pursue a degree in occupational therapy" (Springer, J., 2015). This testimonial comes from a practicing occupational therapist who has found value in his life's work. Occupational therapy is not a job where "one size fits all"; there are many different demographics of people who need occupational therapy in different environments. Although, all occupational therapists have the same skills

The occupational therapist, I interviewed was Lorena Ortiz, MS, OTR/L. She is from Columbia, South America and currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina, where she has been a resident for sixteen years. She has three sisters, one brother and a son that is two years old. She attended Brea High School her junior and senior year and later graduate from Mauldin High School. Her favorite subject in School was anatomy because she enjoyed learning about the human body and the way it functions. In her opinion of what an occupational therapist is, she stated, “Helping people become as independent with daily activities as they wish after injury or disease.” The facilities where she works are, Greenville Health System, PRN acute care/In-patient rehab and Greer Memorial Hospital, out-patient rehab fulltime. Other areas she has worked are, subacute, long term acute care orthopedics. She worked as an occupational therapist assistance at St. Francis Hospital for seven years. While she worked at St. Francis Hospital, she later went back to school, for her master’s degree,

Occupational Therapy has played a role in helping those with Mental and physical disabilities in the United States since 1917. Before that time, Occupational Therapy was used solely in mental institutions to help people that were "more normal" and able to function in a social status. These patients enjoyed things like arts and crafts. It seemed that those who engaged in such activities where perceived as "more healthy". These findings lead Drs. to encourage patients to engage is such activity to improve there overall health. (http://quoccupationaltherapy.weebly.com/history-of-occupational-therapy.htmlhistory-of-occupational-therapy.html)

It’s reassuring to the public when they know they have someone to count on for help when it’s needed. In an instant, people go from being completely healthy and independent to vulnerable and sick. So who do people go to whenever their body isn't working physically the way it should? They go to Physical therapist, Occupational therapist and many others; But what I’m interested in pursing as a career is a Occupational therapy assistant.

Occupational therapy is a profession that is currently growing faster than anyone would have expected. Because of the increase in demands for occupational therapy services, therapists are having larger caseloads, needing the help of more occupational therapists. Occupational therapy in the mental health setting is one environment that has grown in popularity over the last decade. Knowing the benefits of occupational therapy in this setting, and the expansion of clients needing occupational therapy services, more funding needs to be established in this setting.

To become an Occupational Therapist a person must attend a University and obtain a Bachelor’s degree of Science and then proceed to obtain a Masters degree. Most Universities require between nineteen and Twenty-one credits of prerequisite coursework, Biology with a lab, Human Physiology with

Being close to her sparked my passion for helping people, especially people with special needs. She taught me that it’s ok to love someone who is “different.” Seeing how much of a difference therapy made in her life, and her family’s life, instilled in me that I want to make a difference in people’s lives. I witnessed first-hand how difficult it was for this family to carry out everyday activities and the profound impact that therapy had on their lives.

Around the 1990s, getting a Master’s degree was now a requirement. In more recent times, in 2012 the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education had credited about 300 occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs in the United States (History of Occupational Therapy, n.d.). Some courses needed to become an Occupational Therapist are biological, physical, and behavioral science. Also needed are the theory and skills of Occupational Therapy. In addition to those courses, a 6 month period of fieldwork supervision is also required.

Dr. Winstein’s lecture really spoke to me, as a physical therapy student. There is so much to consider when choosing this career path, as well as so much to strive for. The lecture started with a thought-provoking question:

Occupational therapy combines my two loves the medical field and working with special needs children. While being employed in the school system as an occupational therapist, I will be interacting and working with many different people on a daily basis. We will all be considered part of the support staff and will work together to help the children achieve their goals. I will also be keeping the parents updated on a weekly basis of their child’s progress, along with attending each child’s IEP (individual education plan) conference. Becoming an occupational therapist is a very long and hard journey. During the process I will be taking many difficult classes, learning about numerous disabilities, taking lots of tests, learning how to use adaptive

On September 8th, 2015, I first began interning for Dr. Dawn Cox and her staff of experienced Physical Therapists at PRANA Functional Manual Therapy in Lancaster, PA as a Physical Therapy Aide. Intermittently, on the first day of my internship, I would ask the therapists “Why choose Physical Therapy as a profession?” One of the Physical Therapists conveyed that aside from the substantial benefits a job provides, it was the intangible materials that gave the profession a meaning. As a student exploring the field of Physical Therapy, I have infallibly witnessed professionalism at PRANA and other Physical Therapy facilities through the therapists’ altruism towards patients -without violating ethical practices as professionals; their apposite use of communication with each individual at the workplace; and their sense of accountability when things go unforeseen.

An occupational therapist is a trained and licensed health care professional who can make a complete evaluation of the impact of disease on the activities of the patient at home and in work situations. Hobbies and recreational activities are considered when an assessment is made. The most generally accepted definition of occupational therapy is that it is an activity, physical or mental, that aids in a patient’s recovery from disease or injury.

This activity was definitely got me start awaking that if i could easily injure myself during the practice after becoming OT, it will hurt my career at any time and I need to start take care of myself. It was very meaningful activity for us, who are future occupational therapist.