What is Occupational Therapy?
Many people have heard of Occupational Therapy, but often are not sure of exactly what it is. It is important to understand what OT is, who benefits from it, and the history of how it came to be. The first thing to know is that occupational therapy does not have to do with jobs and occupations. Occupation could be better referenced as having to do with meaningful activities rather than any specific profession or job. The activities that are meaningful might be different for each individual, which is why OT is based on individualized treatment and care.
To learn some interesting quick facts about OT, check out the following highlights at-a-glance:
Occupation-Based Intervention is defined as: a client-centered intervention in which the occupational therapy practitioner and the client collaboratively select and design activities that have specific relevance of meaning to the client and support the client’s interests, needs, health, and participation in daily life. In children, this is always some form of play!
Occupational therapy is based on the principle that “participation in occupation contributes to good health.” Helping individuals maximize their engagement in meaningful activities positively impacts their overall health and well-being. This is the cornerstone of occupational therapy; living life to the fullest.
Play takes place within context within the individual’s environments, the activities of play change over time and reflect a child’s development, and modern theories emphasize the value of play in contributing to the child’s development.
The child’s natural environment is best for promotion of play since it includes:
“Familiar peers, toys, and other materials
Freedom of choice
Adults who are non intrusive or directive
Safe and comfortable atmosphere
Scheduling that avoided times of fatigue, hunger or stress. These elements appear to facilitate playfulness (the expression of interracial motivation to explore or pretend.”
This is the cornerstone to the mission behind Tilton’s Therapy for Tots providing therapy in the natural setting; to best promote functional outcomes in fostering the child’s development by maximizing on their natural motivation and environment.
Did you know, occupational therapy practitioners work with people of all ages?! The OT scope of practice ranges from NICU to geriatrics and everyone in between!
OT is not physical therapy - OT helps to treat a wide variety of things, physical, social, emotional, or developmental.
Various workplaces use OT: schools, hospitals, homes, skilled nursing facilities, prisons, substance abuse treatment facilities, doctor’s offices, rehab facilities, daycares, acute care, academia, and neonatal intensive care.
Occupational therapy techniques have been used for centuries - used Greek physicians used OT techniques for the treatment of mental illness as early as 100 B.C.
Wounded soldiers returning from World War I and World War II relied heavily on occupational therapy to rehabilitate, which led to standardize training, instruction and certifications for OT professionals.
The American Occupational Therapy Association celebrated their 100 year anniversary in 2017.
Who Benefits from OT?
From the fact sheet, you can gather than many different people and varied industries benefit from occupational therapy. Tilton’s Therapy for Tots focuses mainly on pediatric occupational therapy and early intervention. Particularly for children with autism (or ASD - Autism Spectrum Disorder), OT can help them learn important communication tools and skills that will greatly affect their quality of life. Many children with ASD are non-verbal, so recognizing that as early as possible and reaching out for support is key. The goal is to help individuals become more independent and lead more independent lives as they get older. Sensory issues can play a major role in ASD and recommended treatment plans. Often, OT can aid in implementing programs which enhance children’s skills in play, their ability for self-care, and different strategies or methods of learning.
ASD and OT
Since every treatment plan is individualized and singular, there is no prescribed method to engage in therapy for a child with ASD. Your OT will offer their needs for evaluation to determine the areas of focus for the team - your child, caregivers, parents, and therapists. From there, they will develop a series of structured activities, whether aimed toward social, developmental, physical, play, or adaptive strategies.
History of OT
Occupational therapy has been around since the Greeks as early as 100BC. As a method of treating different mental illnesses with care and compassion. Using things like aromatherapy (baths), massage, conversation, exercise, and similar methods were used to help treat different mental issues. The American Occupational Therapy Association was formed in 1917, with the profession growing immensely over time with the educational guidelines forming in the 1930s. You can learn more about the AOTA and about some of the latest news in OT. Occupational therapists in the US require certification and education at a Master’s degree level. There is also the opportunity for OTs to get a doctoral degree as well.
As the number of children with ASD has grown in recent years (1 in 59 approximately), the need for occupational therapy as a means of early intervention has grown with it. Insurance providers do typically cover necessary care with occupational, physical, or speech therapy for children with ASD. As a parent or caregiver, you may not fully understand the complexities of ASD and how to integrate treatment strategies into your daily routine. Working with an occupational therapist can help you learn different ways of helping your child’s development in everyday tasks like feeding, dressing, using the bathroom, basic grooming, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills. If you or someone you know has a child with ASD, support is available and can really impact the quality of life for the whole family. It is important to reach out to get things started as early as possible.
If you are interested in learning more about how OT could help your child or someone in your family, get started with Tilton’s Therapy for Tots today. Start with a question if you aren’t sure, or fill out the patient registration form to take the first step.
Learn more about our therapists and some helpful resources you can read or participate in to aid in your child’s development.
Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html
https://www.autismspeaks.org/occupational-therapy-ot-0
http://www.ottoolkit.com/blog/10-facts-about-ot/
Willard & Spackman’s Occupational Therapy 11th edition by Elizabeth Blesedell Crepeau, Ellen S. Cohn & Barbara A. Bout Schell
Occupational Therapy for Children 6th edition by Jane Case-Smith & Jane Clifford O’Brien
