Occupational therapy is a health and rehabilitation profession concerned with improving a person's occupational performance. It is designed to help people regain and build skills that are important for health, well-being, security and happiness. Occupational therapists work with people of all ages who, because of physical illness or injury, developmental, social or emotional deficits, need specialized assistance in learning skills to enable them to lead independent, productive and satisfying lives. Occupational therapy is a career where you can have many options.
Therapists can work in clinical practice, administration, education, research, or private practice.
Many O.T.s find satisfaction in the variety, independence, creativity and caring opportunities available to them. Occupational therapists obtain a four-year college degree which starts with liberal arts and continues in specialized training with a strong biological and behavioral sciences base. College graduates with a degree in another field may choose an entry level masters program. After finishing the college based course work, student therapists are required to complete supervised clinical internships of six to nine months before taking a national certification exam. Individuals who prefer an associate degree or two year technical preparation may choose to become an occupational therapy assistant whose role is to help occupational therapists administer treatment programs.