The primary role for occupational therapists is to assist patients in maximizing their independence by improving their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), such as grooming, bathing, eating, and dressing. They also help patients learn to function in their work environments. O.T.s work with patients who have disabling conditions. This can include mental, physical, emotional, or developmental disabilities. The disabilities can be temporary, in which case the O.T. will work with the patients to improve or return to their prior level of function and/or reasoning. If the disability is permanent, the O.T. will educate the patient and family members in adapting to the changes in their functional or cognitive abilities.

Duties, Activities, and Scope of Practice

O.T.s help patients maximize their independence by instructing them in exercises to improve function or reasoning, or in the use of adaptive equipment, splints and braces, or wheelchairs. The focus of the O.T. differs from that of a P.T., although there can be some overlap. O.T.s generally deal with activities of daily living such as eating, grooming, bathing, toileting, and dressing. They instruct patients in energy conservation and efficiency techniques in performing tasks.

Some O.T.s work with patients whose abilities to perform in their job may have been altered by an illness or injury. In these situations, the O.T., patient, and employer work together to make necessary adjustments in the work area to ensure that the patient can continue to be a productive employee. These might include ergonomic changes in the workstation, or installing ramps or grab bars to facilitate mobility.

When working in schools, the O.T. works with the student/patient as well as the school staff to ensure that the student can participate as fully as possible.

Education and Training

A bachelor's degree in occupational therapy is the minimum requirement for licensure at the present; however, by 2007, a master's degree will become the minimum requirement. The degree must be from an accredited school in order for the student to sit for the national certification examination.

O.T. programs include biological, physical, social, and behavioral sciences, as well as occupational therapy theory and skills. A minimum of six months of supervised clinical practice is required.

Applicants to O.T. programs should have some experience working or volunteering in the health care field.

Licensure/Certification

Graduates of an accredited program are eligible to sit for the national certification exam. Upon passing they are awarded the title of O.T.R. (occupational therapist registered). All fifty states and the District of Columbia regulate the practice of O.T.s.

Work Settings and Salaries

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there were 92,000 jobs for occupational therapists in 2004. Of that number, one O.T. in ten held more than one job, and 25 percent work part time. The vast majority of O.T.s work in hospitals. Other employers include home health care services, outpatient care centers, public schools and private educational institutions, and skilled-nursing facilities.

The median salary reported for 2004 was $54,660, in a salary range from $37,430 to $81,600.

Career Potential and Additional Information

Federal legislation may impose limits on reimbursement of therapy and this will cause a temporary decline in the need for O.T.s. However, the aging population coupled with an increased need for O.T.s to help mainstream children with disabilities into public schools will provide reason for employment opportunities for O.T.s to grow faster than for the average of all professions through 2014.

For further information on careers in occupational therapy, contact the American Occupational Therapy Association. Their Web site is www.aota.org. Their address is 4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220.