Career
Center Resources
Nature of the Work | Working
Conditions | Employment
| Training, Other Qualifications,
and Advancement | Job Outlook
| Earnings | Related
Occupations | Sources of
Additional Information Significant Points Occupational therapists (OTs) help people improve their ability
to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments.
They work with individuals who have conditions that are mentally,
physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling. They also
help them to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work
skills. Occupational therapists not only help clients improve basic
motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also compensate for
permanent loss of function. Their goal is to help clients have independent,
productive, and satisfying lives. Occupational therapists assist clients in performing activities
of all types, ranging from using a computer, to caring for daily
needs such as dressing, cooking, and eating. Physical exercises
may be used to increase strength and dexterity, while paper and
pencil exercises may be chosen to improve visual acuity and the
ability to discern patterns. A client with short-term memory loss,
for instance, might be encouraged to make lists to aid recall. A
person with coordination problems might be assigned exercises to
improve hand-eye coordination. Occupational therapists also use
computer programs to help clients improve decision making, abstract
reasoning, problem solving, and perceptual skills, as well as memory,
sequencing, and coordination-all of which are important for independent
living. For those with permanent functional disabilities, such as spinal
cord injuries, cerebral palsy, or muscular dystrophy, therapists
instruct in the use of adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs, splints,
and aids for eating and dressing. They also design or make special
equipment needed at home or at work. Therapists develop computer-aided
adaptive equipment and teach clients with severe limitations how
to use it. This equipment enables clients to communicate better
and to control other aspects of their environment. Some occupational therapists, called industrial therapists, treat
individuals whose ability to function in a work environment has
been impaired. They arrange employment, plan work activities, and
evaluate the client's progress. Occupational therapists may work exclusively with individuals in
a particular age group, or with particular disabilities. In schools,
for example, they evaluate children's abilities, recommend and provide
therapy, modify classroom equipment, and in general, help children
participate as fully as possible in school programs and activities.
Occupational therapy is also beneficial to the elderly population.
Therapists help senior citizens lead more productive, active and
independent lives through a variety of methods, including the use
of adaptive equipment. Occupational therapists in mental health settings treat individuals
who are mentally ill, mentally retarded, or emotionally disturbed.
To treat these problems, therapists choose activities that help
people learn to cope with daily life. Activities include time management
skills, budgeting, shopping, homemaking, and use of public transportation.
They may also work with individuals who are dealing with alcoholism,
drug abuse, depression, eating disorders, or stress related disorders. Recording a client's activities and progress is an important part
of an occupational therapist's job. Accurate records are essential
for evaluating clients, billing, and reporting to physicians and
others. Occupational therapists in hospitals and other health care and
community settings usually work a 40-hour week. Those in schools
may also participate in meetings and other activities, during and
after the school day. More than one-third of occupational therapists
work part time. In large rehabilitation centers, therapists may work in spacious
rooms equipped with machines, tools, and other devices generating
noise. The job can be tiring, because therapists are on their feet
much of the time. Those providing home healthcare may spend time
driving from appointment to appointment. Therapists also face hazards
such as back strain from lifting and moving clients and equipment. Therapists are increasingly taking on supervisory roles. Due to
rising healthcare costs, third party payers are beginning to encourage
occupational therapist assistants and aides to take more hands-on
responsibility. By having assistants and aides work more closely
with clients under the guidance of a therapist, the cost of therapy
should be more modest. Occupational therapists held about 78,000 jobs in 2000. About 1
in 6 occupational therapists held more than one job in 2000. The
largest number of jobs was in hospitals, including many in rehabilitation
and psychiatric hospitals. Other major employers include offices
and clinics of occupational therapists and other health practitioners,
school systems, home health agencies, nursing homes, community mental
health centers, adult daycare programs, job training services, and
residential care facilities. Some occupational therapists are self-employed in private practice.
They see clients referred by physicians or other health professionals,
or provide contract or consulting services to nursing homes, schools,
adult daycare programs, and home health agencies. A bachelor's degree in occupational therapy is
the minimum requirement for entry into this field. All States, Puerto
Rico , and the District of Columbia regulate occupational therapy.
To obtain a license, applicants must graduate from an accredited
educational program, and pass a national certification examination.
Those who pass the test are awarded the title of registered occupational
therapist. In 1999, entry-level education was offered in 88 bachelor's degree
programs; 11 postbachelor's certificate programs for students with
a degree other than occupational therapy; and 53 entry-level master's
degree programs. Nineteen programs offered a combined bachelor's
and master's degree and 2 offered an entry-level doctoral degree.
Most schools have full-time programs, although a growing number
also offer weekend or part-time programs. Occupational therapy coursework includes physical, biological,
and behavioral sciences, and the application of occupational therapy
theory and skills. Completion of 6 months of supervised fieldwork
also is required. Persons considering this profession should take high school courses
in biology, chemistry, physics, health, art, and the social sciences.
College admissions offices also look favorably at paid or volunteer
experience in the healthcare field. Occupational therapists need patience and strong interpersonal
skills to inspire trust and respect in their clients. Ingenuity
and imagination in adapting activities to individual needs are assets.
Those working in home health care must be able to successfully adapt
to a variety of settings. Employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase faster
than the average for all occupations through 2010. Federal legislation
imposing limits on reimbursement for therapy services may adversely
affect the job market for occupational therapists in the near term.
However, over the long run, the demand for occupational therapists
should continue to rise as a result of growth in the number of individuals
with disabilities or limited function requiring therapy services.
The baby-boom generation's movement into middle age, a period when
the incidence of heart attack and stroke increases, will increase
the demand for therapeutic services. The rapidly growing population
75 years of age and above (an age that suffers from a high incidence
of disabling conditions), also will demand additional services.
Medical advances now enable more patients with critical problems
to survive. These patients may need extensive therapy. Hospitals will continue to employ a large number of occupational
therapists to provide therapy services to acutely ill inpatients.
Hospitals will also need occupational therapists to staff their
outpatient rehabilitation programs. Employment growth in schools will result from expansion of the
school-age population and extended services for disabled students.
Therapists will be needed to help children with disabilities prepare
to enter special education programs. Median annual earnings of occupational therapists were $49,450
in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $40,460 and $57,890.
The lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,040, and the highest
10 percent earned more than $70,810. Median annual earnings in the
industries employing the largest numbers of occupational therapists
in 2000 were as follows: Nursing and personal care facilities $51,220 Occupational therapists use specialized knowledge to help individuals
perform daily living skills and achieve maximum independence. Other
workers performing similar duties include chiropractors, physical
therapists, recreational therapists, rehabilitation counselors,
respiratory therapists, and speech-language pathologists and audiologists. For more information on occupational therapy as a career, contact: The American Occupational Therapy AssociationOccupational Therapists
Nature of the Work
Working Conditions
Employment
Training, Other Qualifications,
and Advancement
Job Outlook
Earnings
Hospitals 50,430
Offices of other health practitioners 49,520
Elementary and secondary schools 45,340 Related Occupations
Sources of Additional Information
4720 Montgomery Lane., P.O. Box 31220 , Bethesda , MD 20824-1220
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Internet: http://www.aota.org/
