(c) 2010, Sandra Bostwick, MA-OTR/L
What is Occupational Therapy?
Let’s start with something of an official definition. In her 2007, Penelope A. Moyers described a Centennial Vision in her Presidential Address. Here is what she said:
We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society’s occupational needs.
WOW! That is a pretty expansive definition! But what does that mean to the individual looking for services? Let’s break it down:
Powerful: Occupational therapy changes lives on countless levels. Think of any small change that is made to improve the way something works. It just goes on and on, doesn’t it?
The intervention might address a memory strategy, posture or pencil grip, a visual perceptual skill, or the way a ball is thrown. Like a stone tossed into water, there is a ripple effect that spreads in all directions. By the same token, an area of weakness that is not addressed will have a negative ripple effect.
As an occupational therapist, I have seen this power over and over again as students or clients grow and improve. This is the power of occupational therapy, and I think it is pretty exciting!
Widely Recognized: Word gets around quickly, doesn’t it? Occupational therapy works, and people talk about that.
Science-driven: Occupational therapy is now an masters degree entry level because they could not pack all that science into four years! We study neuroscience, kinesiology, chemistry, biology, anatomy, development, psychology, statistics, research…and that is just a start! An OT needs to learn how to combine all this in treatment. Each time we see an individual with a new challenge, we hit the books to make sure we understand all there is to know about the problem AND the solutions. After a while, a good OT will be able to make sharp clinical decisions by comparing conditions, ruling out what does not apply, and drawing from past learning to target that “just right” intervention.
This is where experience is important. You remember the story about the expert mechanic who was called in to fix the machine? The machine’s owner had tinkered for hours with no luck. With one tap of the expert mechanic’s hammer, the machine running like new again. The secret was in knowing where to hit!
This is what a good science base does for the experienced occupational therapist. When it comes to life function, there is no time to tinker.
Evidence-based: There are some brilliant occupational therapists out there evaluating how our interventions work and giving advice about how to improve what we do. The results of their work is available in journals. OTs who respond to the call for evidence based practice keep a close eye on these research studies to make sure they are bringing the most up-to-date best practice techniques to their sessions. Some (like me) decide that sorting through all this evidence is not easy to do, and return to doctoral studies. This helps to figure out how to organize the research and translate that into the OT session.
Globally Connected: With the growth of the internet, OTs can connect with other OTs anyplace in the world! Why does this matter to you? Because the globally connected OT has the opportunity to network with OTs from all over the world. We are talking about a world-wide knowledge base for diagnosis, treatment intervention, and skilled practice. We can ask questions, share resources, and problem solve with experts across the globe to sharpen our skills or figure out the best way to help a unique problem. An OT who takes advantage of this draws from a world of knowledge and experience…LITERALLY!
Diverse Workforce: Occupational therapy spans all ages, all places, and pretty much all areas of concern. This is why there are specializations, such as pediatrics, hands, or mental health.
Meeting Society’s Occupational Needs: This is the passion of the occupational therapist. We help, and we are very good at that.
I hope this helped you to understand what Occupational Therapy is. The important question, though, concerns what Occupational Therapy might be able to do for YOU!
Please contact me to find out more.
Sandra Bostwick MA-OTR/L, OTDS
Creative Learning Studios, LLC
1299 Littleton Road
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
973-290-9008
Moyers, P.A. (2007) A legacy of Leadership: Achieving Our Centennial Vision. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(6), 622-628.
(C) Sandra Bostwick 2010
