Therapists instruct patients in relearning daily living routines such as dressing, eating, using the telephone, handling money and a variety of homemaking tasks. Therapists direct activities designed to help patients with balance and coordination problems, with injuries, to their nervous systems, or to help children whose nervous systems are not developing normally. These exercises include gross coordination tasks like bike riding or jumping, fine coordination tasks such as cutting or folding paper and exercises in sharpening the senses of touch, smell, sight and sound. Manual skills such as typing or the use of power tools are taught not only to help restore physical mobility, but also to help the patient prepare for future employment or other community roles. Occupational Therapists may supervise other Occupational Therapists, certified occupational assistants, occupational therapy aides or activity leaders.
Some therapists teach in occupational therapy programs in colleges and universities.
They may work in a clinic room with specific therapeutic tools or at the patient's bedside. Therapists in private practice may go to clients' homes. A constant working condition, however, is the therapist's contact with sick or injured people. Therapists in California can belong to the Occupational Therapy Association of California, the local affiliate of the American Occupational Therapy Association. The following information is from the California Projections of Employment published by the Labor Market Information Division.