What is occupational therapy? Understanding the profession
What is occupational therapy (OT)?
There is often confusion about the scope of this healthcare profession.
Jackie Bosch, assistant dean of the Occupational Therapy Program in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at McMaster University, says the term “occupational” can be misleading, as it is commonly associated with work.
However, in OT, “occupation” refers to a much broader concept, encompassing all meaningful activities in a person’s daily life.
Bosch says function is at the core of occupational therapy – how people do the things they need to do on a daily basis.
“That sounds broad. It is broad. That’s what’s exciting about occupational therapy as a profession,” adds Bosch.
An occupational therapist can work with different age groups and within different settings, including in homes, the community, workplaces, schools and traditional healthcare settings.
Bosch adds that within the last ten years, occupational therapists have recognized day-to-day function depends on where someone is in the world, their culture and their beliefs.
October is occupational therapy month – a time to celebrate and raise awareness about this important profession.
In this video, Bosch shares what occupational therapists do and how they help improve the health and well-being of people around the world.
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