An occupational therapist (OT) is a medical professional who is specially trained to work with patients who have one or multiple conditions that limit their independent function and hinder their ability to complete the most basic daily tasks. The individuals could be from any age group, ranging from toddlers right on up to senior citizens. When it comes to dealing with children the pediatric OT can help with a variety of treatments to help them with their physical and motor skills, social interaction with others, and many basic self care tasks like feeding and bathing. This could take place in the home, school, community, as well as the office. A main goal of any treatment plan will be to help with independence and to improve the child’s self esteem and overall confidence in their everyday activities.
The main perception of occupational therapy is that it will benefit an adult who has either been in an accident, has a debilitating condition, was born with a disability or handicap, or has started to experience the effects of aging on the body. While this is a large part of what a therapist does, pediatrics has grown into a major area of practice in the industry. According to AOTA there are even success stories for helping those children who are on the autism spectrum. A kid’s drive to learn and play with toys can be harnessed by the therapist as they devise the best occupations (or activities) that can help them improve on their weaknesses.
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The occupational therapist (OT) works with patients who can have any combination of mental, developmental, physical, or emotional disabilities. The patient can be permanently or temporarily disabled, suffering from a traumatic injury or being afflicted for their entire life. The goal is to help these individuals develop the necessary skills to lead independent and productive lives. Overall success is achieved using the process of initial screening with multiple parties (including family members), evaluation, development of a treatment plan, and the execution of this plan using a variety of activities or occupations. The patient becomes an active part of the plan to hopefully bring about the desired results.
An occupational therapist is certainly in high demand these days. Their services are required on patients of just about any age for a variety of conditions, sometimes including serious injuries. While rehabilitation is a big part of the treatment program an OT is specially trained to handle many other jobs. These include autism, depression, chronic disease management, Alzheimers, reduced vision, and much more. It is this versatility that leads to a high demand for those therapists who are willing to travel for short to medium term assignments.
If there is one thing that can be certain about society today, it’s that there will always be a need for rehabilitative services for a variety of physical and emotional disorders. A large number of rehabilitation centers exist all over the United States and that number has been steadily increasing over the last two decades. This is mainly due to the favorable legislative conditions in the laws written by the government as well as the great work done by nonprofit agencies that own these centers. While you will see some “for profit” companies operating them, the typical rehab center is not represented by this.
Once you have decided to pursue a career as an occupational therapy assistant then your next step will be to find the right program in the right school for your needs. There are many excellent accredited programs out there in just about every state in the country. It is important to find one that is accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA™) so once you graduate you are eligible to sit for the nationally recognized certification. Accreditation is only awarded to colleges who have completed a number of required steps by AOTA™, and this status is reviewed on a regular basis. You can be certain that any college who has this follows all of the latest standards for education. 
While occupational therapy (OT) is a similar occupation as physical therapy (PT) there are some key differences between the two. Despite these differences, the two healthcare professionals will commonly work together in a cohesive manner to provide the necessary rehabilitation for the patient. However, each one will have a somewhat different focus as well as activities to do on a regular basis. And even though they both strive to help the patient overcome whatever difficulties they may have, their end goals may differ slightly.