Definition
Occupational Therapy (OT) - a science with a touch of art. It is a course in which an individual learns skills to help people such as those with disability in becoming independent. With this simple definition, OT is more clearly understood but one needs to understand that this course should not be taken lightly - it is afterall, a five-year course with a board examination. It includes subjects such as human anatomy and physiology which the individual must master in order to integrate them in the therapy treatments.
An Art and Science
And yes, it is diferrent from physical therapy (PT) but they do adapt PT practices (and various other professional's practices) into the client's treatment.
The American Occupational Therapy Association currently defines Occupational Therapy as "the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (occupations) with individuals or groups for the purpose of participation in roles and situations in home, school, workplace, community, and other settings. Occupational therapy services are provided for the purpose of promoting health and wellness and to those who have or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability, activity limitation, or participation restriction. Occupational therapy addresses the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, sensory, and other aspects of performance in a variety of contexts to support engagement in everyday life activities that affect health, well-being, and quality of life” (AOTA, 2004a).
An Art and Science
Occupational therapy is considered as an "art and science" - one cannot be separated from the other. Both definitions interdependently work in lieu to the principle guidelines of OT. But how exactly does this work for the profession? The "science" in OT is perhaps best defined by the systematic way of applying the treatment. It is the objective part of the profession. First of all, the therapy starts as the therapist asks; the inquiry in itself is considered as a start for a process - the scientific process. Subsequently, the therapy would require a treatment plan and this plan cannot be achieved without proper assessment of the client. This requires extensive knowledge such as human anatomy, physiology and general pathology - all of which are sciences. Continuing the therapy, evaluation the current treatment will require to run the numbers to determine the effectiveness on the clients. On the other hand, "art" in OT pertains to the subjective (and perhaps abstract) factor in the practice. In the course of treatment, the therapist uses various techniques to apply the best therapy for the client. The purposeful activities, for example, are creatively designed by the therapist as to fit the client's interests and well-being (and of course, this is done on the grounds of having properly assessed the client and the client's needs)
Roles of OT
Occupational Therapists have varied roles in different work settings:
- Clinician
- Consultant
- Researcher
- Manager
- Educator
