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Career Paper: Occupational Therapy

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Career Paper: Occupational Therapy
CAREER PAPER

Getting America Back to Work

Becoming an Occupational Therapist

Becoming an Occupational Therapist involves a lot of time and dedication.

Occupational therapy has a simple definition – helping challenged patients perform everyday tasks. Technically Occupational Therapists are defined as healthcare professionals who work under the supervision of a Physiatrist who help people with physical, developmental, mental, or emotional disabilities to overcome, correct or adjust to their particular problems. In practice, however, occupational therapy encompasses a wide range of environments and duties. An Occupational Therapist might work with infants, children, adults, or the elderly. Or, they might aid a patient recovering from an injury or when living with a permanent health condition. The patient’s challenges may be completely physical or primarily mental. The setting could be an office, a hospital, a school or the patient’s own home. Areas of practice in occupational therapy
When working with children and youth your duties would be promoting a wellness program in schools to prevent childhood obesity. Or facilitating hand writing development in school-aged children. Another duty OT’s have is promoting functional skills for children with developmental disabilities. OT’s also provide individualized treatment for children with sensory processing difficulties and addressing psychosocial needs of a child and teaching effective coping strategies Health and wellness prevention and promotion are key factors including prevention of disease and injury and other secondary conditions. Promotion of the well-being of those with chronic illnesses and the reduction of health care disparities all are enhancement factors that impact quality of life .Also promotion of healthy living practices, social participation, and occupational justice. Mental health is of utmost importance. Which is what makes Occupational Therapy

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