A Definition of Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is a health profession whose goal is to help people achieve independence, meaning and satisfaction in all aspects of their lives.
Occupational therapists:
- Apply their specific knowledge to enable people to engage in activities of daily living that have personal meaning and value.
- Develop, improve, sustain, or restore independence to any person who has an injury, illness, disability or psychological dysfunction.
- Consult with the person and the family or caregivers and, through evaluation and treatment, promote the client's capacity to participate in satisfying daily activities.
- Address by intervention the person's capacity to perform, the activity being performed, or the environment in which it is performed.
The occupational therapist's goal is to provide the client with skills for the job of living - those necessary to function in the community or in the client's chosen environment.
