Occupational therapists

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Occupational therapists help people improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments. They work with individuals who have mental, physical, developmental or emotionally disabling conditions. They 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 perform activities ranging from using a computer to dressing, cooking and eating. Physical exercises may be used to increase strength and dexterity, while paper and pencil exercises may improve visual acuity and the ability to discern patterns. 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.

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.

Occupational therapists may work exclusively with individuals in a particular age group or with particular disabilities. 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. 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 health-care may spend time driving from appointment to appointment..

Training and qualifications

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.

Occupational therapy coursework includes physical, biological and behavioral sciences and the application of occupational therapy theory and skills. Completion of six months of supervised fieldwork is required.

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.

Job outlook

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. But 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.

Hospitals will continue to employ a large number of occupational therapists to provide therapy services to outpatients and acutely ill inpatients.

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.

Earnings

Occupational therapists held about 78,000 jobs in 2000. About one in six occupational therapists held more than one job in 2000. The largest number of jobs was in hospitals, including many in rehabilitation and psychiatric hospitals.

Median annual earnings of occupational therapists were $49,450 in 2000. 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
Hospitals 50,430
Offices of other health practitioners 49,520
Elementary and secondary schools 45,340

Related links

For more information on occupational therapy as a career and a list of education programs, send a self-addressed label and $5.00 to:

The American Occupational Therapy Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220.

Adapted from the Labor Department's Occupational Outlook Handbook.