Occupational therapy (Counselling) 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.
Individuals who experience life-changing injuries or chronic conditions often
benefit from working with a
Rehabilitation Psychologist. They help manage behavioral and psychological
difficulties while promoting emotional strength and daily functioning
recovery.
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.