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Things about me is that i'm a very caring person. Im 15 years old. And i love helping people accomplish things.

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-Being an occupational therapist
-Helps kids needs improve their cognitive, physical, sensory, and motor skills
-Helps them live an everyday life

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-Founded in March 17, 1917
-Dr. William Rush Dunton Jr.
-There was a high demand for treatment and training of sick and wounded soldiers.

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Animoto turns your photos and video clips into professional video slideshows in minutes. Fast, free and shockingly simple - we make awesome easy.

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My Passion - by: diana rodriguez by diana r | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for for educators, nonprofits, businesses and more

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Occupational therapy (OT) treatment focuses on helping people with a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. OT can help kids with various needs improve their cognitive, physical, sensory, and motor skills and enhance their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.

Some people may think that occupational therapy is only for adults; kids, after all, do not have occupations. But a child's main job is playing and learning, and occupational therapists can evaluate kids' skills for playing, school performance, and daily activities and compare them with what is developmentally appropriate for that age group.

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), in addition to dealing with an someone's physical well-being, OT practitioners address psychological, social, and environmental factors that can affect functioning in different ways. This approach makes OT a vital part of health care for some kids.

Kids Who Might Need Occupational Therapy

According to the AOTA, kids with these medical problems might benefit from OT:

Occupational therapists might:

help kids work on fine motor skills so they can grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting skills

address hand-eye coordination to improve kids' play and school skills (hitting a target, batting a ball, copying from a blackboard, etc.)

help kids with severe developmental delays learn basic tasks (such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, and feeding themselves)

help kids with behavioral disorders maintain positive behaviors in all environments (e.g., instead of hitting others or acting out, using positive ways to deal with anger, such as writing about feelings or participating in a physical activity)

teach kids with physical disabilities the coordination skills needed to feed themselves, use a computer, or increase the speed and legibility of their handwriting

evaluate a child's need for specialized equipment, such as wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, dressing devices, or communication aids

work with kids who have sensory and attentional issues to improve focus and social skills

How Physical Therapy and OT Differ

Although both physical and occupational therapy help improve kids' quality of life, there are differences. Physical therapy (PT) deals with pain, strength, joint range of motion, endurance, and gross motor functioning, whereas OT deals more with fine motor skills, visual-perceptual skills, cognitive skills, and sensory-processing deficits.

Occupational Therapy Practitioners

There are two professional levels of occupational practice - occupational therapist (OT) and occupational therapist assistant (OTA).

Since 2007, an OT must complete a master's degree program (previously, only a bachelor's degree was required). An OTA is only required to complete an associate's degree program and can carry out treatment plans developed by the occupational therapist but can't complete evaluations.

All occupational therapy practitioners must complete supervised fieldwork programs and pass a national certification examination. A license to practice is mandatory in most states, as are continuing education classes to maintain that licensure.

Occupational therapists work in a variety of settings, including:

hospitals

schools

rehabilitation centers

mental health facilities

private practices

children's clinics

nursing homes

Finding Care for Your Child

If you think your child might benefit from occupational therapy, ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist. The school nurse or guidance counselor also might be able to recommend someone based on your child's academic or social performance.

You also can check your local yellow pages, search online, or contact your state's occupational therapy association or a nearby hospital or rehabilitation center for referrals.

However you find an occupational therapist for your child, make sure that your health insurance company covers the program you select./p>

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Occupational therapy (OT) treatment focuses on helping people with a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. OT can help kids with various needs improve their cognitive, physical, sensory, and motor skills and enhance their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.

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TWO YEARS for a student to complete their Master's degree after obtaining their Bachelor's

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OT Articles >> How To Obtain Your Occupational Therapy Degree

Occupational therapy is a profession that deals with health and rehabilitation. These therapists work with a wide range of different people and assist in helping them achieve independence and boost productivity. Occupational therapists work with people of all ages to help with their physical, emotional, and social problems. The "occupation" used by these therapists include work and play, as well as self-care, to aid their clients.

Occupational therapy will help those struggling to achieve their goals of independence, prevent disability, and enhance their overall development and well-being. Needless to say, occupational therapy is a widely popular and important skill. If you've always wished to help those around you and are interested in new techniques in assisting others, occupational therapy may be for you.

Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy

Many people may be confused as to the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy. The requirements needed in order to obtain a degree in occupational therapy are different than those needed for physical therapy. However, both professions use similar therapy techniques on occasion but their goals are quite different.

There are many differences between the 2 professions.

Physical therapy is essentially all about helping someone regain physical mobility, including strength, balance and flexibility to name a few. Physical therapists work with people to improve their posture, regain strength after an accident or surgery, as well as help those who may have been born with a defect.

Occupational therapists help those with illness or a disability to learn how to take care of themselves and participate in meaningful activities. These activities may be driving, eating by themselves and even working. In addition to helping their clients re-engage in meaningful activities, occupational therapists work with the environment around their clients to ensure the person can have an easier time performing tasks that are important to them. One big difference between physical therapists and occupational therapists is that occupational therapy requires training with people who have mental or emotional disorders and illnesses.

Occupational Therapy as a Career

Occupational therapists work within a wide variety of settings and areas. These locations may include, but not be limited to, hospitals, schools, industry, community or private agencies, within homes, workplaces and outpatient clinics. As more people realize the profound benefits of occupational therapy, the locations in which it can be practiced grow.

The job outlook and salary is very decent for occupational therapists. Even after the job market contraction occupational therapy is still booming. According to studies the need for occupational therapists isn't going to die down anytime in the near future. Salaries for occupational therapy have risen as well. The median annual salary for an Occupational Therapist is $80,150 per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (as of May 2015). Naturally regional differences and setting differences will affect your salary. Additional information regarding OT salary ranges and salary outlook can be found here and here.

Becoming an Occupational Therapist

It is important to note the requirements you need to be a certified occupational therapist. Understanding the job duties and specific qualifications is vital in ensuring occupational therapy is the right career for you.

Career Requirements

Occupational therapists work with people who have been injured or disabled in some way that hinders their ability to live independently. These might be elderly people that want to be more active and independent or children who are struggling in school. Due to the nature of their work, occupational therapists work in a wide range of different areas.

In terms of educational requirements, occupational therapists must have at least a master's degree. Their degree field must be in occupational therapy and they will need a state license to practice. Other important training to have includes CPR and BCLS. Personal skills to have includes excellence in communication and interactions with others and compassion as well as patience. Other useful skills include such things as writing.

Three Steps to Occupational Therapy Certification

Earning Your Bachelor's Degree

Your first step in becoming certified to practice Occupational Therapy is to get your Bachelor's degree. There are a few different choices for majors that will assist in becoming a certified occupational therapist. Some of these choices include anthropology, sociology, and psychology. You can choose a school that offers accelerated programs or even dual-degrees if possible. If you chose the right path you could obtain both your bachelor's and master's within only 5 years.

Earning Your Master's

It takes roughly two years for a student to complete their Master's degree after obtaining their Bachelor's. Generally potential occupational therapists will spend their year earning their Master's degree learning about anatomy, patient care, and assistive technology in their field and social/medical conditions. During this time fieldwork is essential. This fieldwork can take place in nursing homes, rehab centers, schools or even private practices. It usually takes about 24 weeks on average to complete these field experiences.

Getting Your License

After receiving your degrees it's time for the final third step in becoming certified to practice occupational therapy: becoming licensed in your state. These state licenses are a strict requirement. In order to receive this license you must have:

* Graduated from an accredited occupational therapy program

* Have complete necessary fieldwork

* Passed the NBCOT exam

After all of these requirements have been documented and passed you will be granted the OTR or Occupational Therapist Registered Credential. The OTR is mandatory to receive your license but voluntary thereafter. Many therapists choose to maintain this certificate actively by continuing their education.

You should check your local state requirements before applying to an OT program. Your state might have specific requirements that you should complete prior to becoming an OT. Additional state license information can be found here.

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How To Obtain Your Occupational Therapy Degree

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OT Articles >> How To Obtain Your Occupational Therapy Degree Occupational therapy is a profession that deals with health and rehabilitation. These therapists work with a wide range of different people and assist in helping them achieve independence and boost productivity.

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-Dorothy Dix
-Phillippe Pinel
-William Tuke

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E leanor Clark Slagle Eleanor Clark Slagle is known as the "mother of Occupational Therapy." With a degree in social work, she went to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD in 1912 and and...

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10: Things You Need To Be An Occupational Therapist 

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10: Things You Need To Be An Occupational Therapist 

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Outstanding Personal Skills
Problem Solving Abilities
Possess a Helpful Nature
Organization Skills
Boast Patience

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Occupational therapy is not just another health profession to treat the patients suffering from disorders, but it is much deeper than that. Professionals of this client-centered practice emphasize on enabling the clients to engage in their routine activities. They don't just focus on the specific problem. Instead, they opt for a holistic approach that concentrates on acclimating the patient's environment, adjusting the tasks, encouraging them to enhance the participation and performance in their daily living. For instance, if a man has his arm injured, a physical therapist will treat his injury with acupuncture or manual therapy whereas an occupational therapist will help the patient to optimize the situation and help him to adapt to the conditions for a quality life in addition to the regular physiotherapy practices. To acquire these techniques, the OT professionals should possess certain extraordinary characteristics and skills. Also, they should know how to accumulate them and use whenever needed.

Before planning to become an occupational therapist , you must be aware of the procedure, occupational therapist duties and necessary skills that are needed to be in this profession. Go through this article to know more about the essential attributes to become a successful occupational therapist.
1. Exceptional Communication Skills
While working with the patients, occupational therapists need to listen and explain them the situations and tasks. If they are working with a child patient, they must be capable of converting the complex terms into simpler ones so that the child can understand it. Besides this, they also need to communicate with other team members and doctors. So, it is necessary for them to be clear, efficient, and confident while listening and speaking at the time of such discussions.
2. Outstanding Personal Skills
These professionals work with the patients of all age groups undergoing any physical, mental or emotional disability. Also, the basic nature of the patients varies a lot. Some may be very calm while others may be rude, frustrated or impatient. Thus, they must know the way to deal with all of them and help them get the desired results faster.

3. Problem Solving Abilities

Problem solving skills play a vital role in the jobs related to occupational therapy. Different clients may have different problems. For the success of the cases, you must make a strategy on how to solve all these distinctive issues effectively, without any major failure.
4. Physical Strength
Physical strength is quite a major requisite for the occupational therapists and related job titles. They have to serve the clients throughout the day, travel from one area to another and stand by the side of the patients irrespective of the time and duration. Thus, if you want to be an OT, you must have a great physical strength to manage such a busy and hectic schedule.
5. Possess a Helpful Nature
An occupational therapist should be very helpful as this is all that they have to show in their profile. It is one of the most important qualities they must possess otherwise they can't give their best to the patients. All day long, they should be ready to assist the clients for every type of help they want. From helping them in moving around to guiding them through some money related problems, an occupational therapist has to be the guardian angel to their client.
6. Organization Skills
For being a proficient occupational therapist, one must be a good organizer. Along with their own schedule, they also need to manage the client's timetable. Also, they have to properly maintain all the documented records, appointments, meetings with other team members and professionals, etc. Only an organized occupational therapist can provide a well-planned treatment and high-quality care to the patients, so its a must that s/he must have management skills.
7. Boast Patience
It is easier to write "Keep Patience" to a patient's ward, but it is not so easy to implement the same. Patience is believed to be the most important attribute that one must have to be in this profession. Sometimes, occupational therapists might have to face rude, impatient, frustrated, depressed or stubborn patients. So, they must keep their patience to tread through these everyday situations. Some clients may achieve success in their condition in a few months or weeks while some may take years. So, you just need to keep hold of the case to be an efficient occupational therapist.

8. Compassion and Empathy

One should opt occupational therapy as a career only if s/he is empathetic and compassionate. Most of the clients of occupational therapy are not only physically disabled but also, mentally and emotionally sensitive. In that phase of life, they need a genuinely warm-hearted and sympathetic occupational therapist who understands them and treats them accordingly.
9. Acquire Creativity
No one can learn to be creative as it is an inherent characteristic of human beings. Being an occupational therapist, many times you have to modify the tasks and schedule of the patients. For example, you can take a desolate kid to have fun at an amusement park, instead of taking him to a general rehabilitation center. Your creative methods can help the clients come out of the dilemma, and it may result into their active participation in the healthcare programs organized by you.
10. Good Writing Skills
Akin to communication skills, writing qualities are also quite important to became a highly efficient occupational therapist. It is because you need to keep the detailed files and records of all the clients in order to assist them, their family, and your team. You should state the exact condition of the patients on the papers so that it is easier for you and the medical staff to understand what you are doing and exactly how you are doing it. Keeping the details documented will not only help you and the healthcare staff but also the caretakers when you are not around.
11. Cheerleading Skills
Being an occupational therapist, your words must have the power to motivate your patients and ignite the passion in them to make their life normal once again. Motivation is very important for such depressed, frustrated and troubled people. An enthusiastic OT with great cheerleading skills can make the patients do the things that seem impossible.
12. A Good Observer
Besides being a good listener, a successful occupational therapist must also be a good observer and analytical. S/he should have the ability to analyze the situation and needs of the patients along with handling their complaints. An OT must observe and evaluate the things and procedures that are suitable for their clients and must act accordingly. For example, if a patient moves abnormally, a good OT would recognize the reason for it and would plan the course of the patient accordingly.
13. Flexible
You never know what kind of client you are going to deal with, as disorders can happen to anyone and they may need your assistance. Thus, being an occupational therapist, you should be flexible enough to work with a wide variety of people. You must have the ability to establish a good inter-relationship bond with them, irrespective of their religion, race or nationality.

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13 Essential Traits to Become a Proficient Occupational Therapist

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Occupational therapy is not just another health profession to treat the patients suffering from disorders, but it is much deeper than that. Professionals of this client-centered practice emphasize on enabling the clients to engage in their routine activities. They don't just focus on the specific problem.