I n addition to teaching physical activities, occupational therapists design treatment plans to help patients improve decision making, problem solving, perceptual skills, and memory functioning. Occupational therapy practitioners are skilled professionals whose education includes the study of human growth and development with specific emphasis on the social, emotional, and physiological effects of illness and injury. OT students must complete supervised clinical internships in a variety of health care settings, and pass a national examination. Most states also regulate occupational therapy practice. Some of the most common disabilities treated by occupational therapists are stroke, arthritis, developmental disabilities, hand injuries, depression, and schizophrenia.
Occupational therapists work with patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly.
Th ey use a variety of activities as treatment, such as playing with children, cooking with a homemaker, or using a computer with an office worker. Occupational therapy is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country. The need for occupational therapists far exceeds the supply, and that need is sure to increase as the elderly population increases and advances in medicine prolong life, thus requiring greater rehabilitative services. Thirty-two percent of occupational therapists work in general, psychiatric or pediatric hospitals. Nineteen percent work in public or private schools, while another twelve percent work in rehabilitation hospitals or centers.