Occupational therapy is a form of therapy included in the healthcare profession where individuals are helped to overcome or to manage their physical, adaptive, cognitive, and sensory disabilities. It uses certain interventions and assessments to develop a therapeutic environment for the child or the adult.
Occupational therapy is designed in a way where activities are created by keeping in mind their use in real-life settings. It doesn’t work like the other therapies where the therapist and client sit face-to-face and discuss real-life situations. Instead, it takes place in a room that is designed with some equipment that is of use for the therapy, and children or individuals are made to perform the activity by making use of this equipment.
The book by Brown, Stoffel, and Munoz (2019), Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: A Vision for Participation, focuses on the transformative role of occupational therapy in enhancing mental health outcomes. It illustrates how designated interventions support meaningful participation in daily activities, which is essential for improving emotional prosperity, self-esteem, and social integration. By addressing boundaries to engagement and emphasizing on client-focused techniques, the book features the significant effect of occupational therapy in cultivating resilience and recovery for people facing mental health difficulties.
WHO IS AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST?
An occupational therapist (an OT ) is a person who can help to maintain, regain, or improve independence in work and daily activities by using different techniques and equipment. OTs work with people of all ages and social groups. He is a trained professional who received a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy. They can further go for Master s degree where they are specialized in specific areas like pediatrics/injuries/education, etc. After completing their Master’s degree, The All India Occupational Therapists Association in India considers OTists as doctors.
The OT will ask about daily activities and structure therapies in that way so that one can function effectively and confidently. An occupational therapist works systematically with a client through a sequence of actions called the occupational therapy process. All practice frameworks include the components of evaluation (or assessment), intervention, and outcomes. This process provides a framework through which occupational therapists assist and contribute to promoting health and ensures structure and consistency among therapists.
A study was conducted by Ashburner, Ziviani, and Rodger (2010) which states the effectiveness of occupational therapy in assisting children dealing with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) succeed in mainstream educational conditions. Published in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, the study features how occupational treatment tends sensory processing troubles, upgrades emotional and behavioral regulation, and elevates adaptive techniques to enhance performance in academics. By tailoring interventions to individual needs, occupational therapy enables children with ASD to explore the difficulties of mainstream classrooms, encouraging their cooperation, learning, and overall integration in inclusive educational settings.
WHAT DOES OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DO?
Occupational Therapy is done on both children and adults who lack in their occupation, e.g., a kid’s occupation is to study and do his day-to-day activities normally. But, if they lag in these activities, occupational therapy can help.
With OT, individuals can:
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Develop fine motor skills so they can grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting or computer skills.
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Improve eye–hand coordination so they can play and do needed school skills such as batting a ball and copying from a blackboard.
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Master basic life skills such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing teeth, and self-feeding.
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Learn positive behaviors and social skills by practicing how they manage frustration and anger.
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Get special equipment to help build their independence. These include wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, dressing devices, and communication aids.
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OT can help with reducing hyperactivity among kids and also increase their sitting tendency.
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It can help with sensory needs among Autism kids as it also includes sensory integration activities.
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It can help with socializing among individuals who face difficulty mixing with other people.
Occupational Therapy has been seen to work majorly with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder as children get the space to manage their sensory needs and also learn to respond to name-calling and maintain eye contact. OT creates a set-up keeping in mind all that is required for individuals to learn so that they don’t face many difficulties in real-life settings.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHYSIOTHERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?
Both physiotherapists and occupational therapists are allied health professionals. Both of the professions include knowledge and understanding of the muscular-skeletal system and the impact this has on function. However, Physiotherapy is a more medical model, where outcome-based measurements are used to determine the success of treatment. Occupational therapy, on the other hand, focuses on the link between the malfunction of component parts and the effect that has on the whole person. Occupational Therapists have a greater understanding of the link between mind, body, and soul. For example, they understand that although dysfunction of one part of the body may impact a person’s ability to complete everyday activities, it may also impact a person’s role, e.g. their ability to be a wife, mother, employed person, etc. By treating the whole person, OTs seek to improve quality of life and enable people to engage in those meaningful activities (occupations) which are important to them.
For disabilities included in ASD, ADHD, and Developmental delays it is advised to go to occupational therapists as they are better trained in working with problems of daily life. However, where physical delays like balancing, walking, maintaining postures, etc. are the concern, physiotherapists may be more helpful as they are trained in body-movement activities.
WHY IS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IMPORTANT?
Occupational Therapy is beneficial in the following ways:
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It improves an individual’s independence, as it designs activities keeping daily tasks in mind.
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It enhances strength and endurance for functional tasks because it focuses on physical activities and focuses on bodily movements using tools like a balancing board, swings, chairs, tables, etc.
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It can also work on functional cognition and visual deficits by making use of activities where eye-hand coordination and making use of objects is required along with tools that enhance vision.
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Occupational Therapists are great at caregiver training as they are experts in helping individuals and caregivers figure out how to live life after change by making them understand what changes can be done to live better even after injury or any disability.
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They are experts in adaptive equipment and home modifications as they know what tools to be used to make the changes.