Occupational Therapy

What is

Occupational

Therapy?

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Occupational therapy practitioners are skilled professionals who use research and scientific evidence to ensure their interventions help children achieve their goals. Occupational therapists within the pediatric population aim to help infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents participate in their daily occupations. These occupations include play, school, sleep, self-care activities, social interaction, going out into the community, and other daily activities.

Occupational therapy practitioners play a critical role in the foster care system as they can support the physical and mental health needs of children and adolescents within this population. They have the appropriate skills to work with children in the foster care system, as well as have the opportunity to ease the transition for those who “age out” or become ineligible for state or federal assistance. Occupational therapists can help adolescents in managing finances, maintaining health, establishing and managing a home, preparing a meal, shopping, pursuing education, as well as develop work skills to increase the ability to find a job.

The

Process

1. Referral

OTs cannot evaluate or treat a client without a referral. Referrals may be made by doctors, parents, Head Start programs, Schools, and Human Services. Once a referral is made, the OT will screen the client and obtain preliminary information to determine if an evaluation is needed.

2. Evaluation

The OT will build an occupational profile and select standardized and/or non-standardized assessments to observe the client's current level of performance. The observations will guide the OT in addressing areas of deficit, choosing interventions, and creating goals for the treatment plan.

3. Intervention

The OT will develop a treatment plan which includes objective and measurable goals and related time frames. This is followed by determining and implementing interventions which may include therapeutic use of activities (i.e. play for children), preparatory tasks (prone/crawling activities), and education (handouts for caregivers). The OT will monitor the client's progress and determine the need for modifications in the treatment plan, reevaluation, and continuation or discontinuation of therapy services.

4. Discharge

Before discharging the client from services, the OT will compare the progress made toward goals to the outcomes that were established during the intervention process. Clients will be discharged when he or she achieves all set goals, moves out of facility, refuses to continue therapy, or achieves maximum benefit from occupational therapy services. The OT should provide patient and caregiver training or education, recommendations or home exercise programs for carryover once discharged, and/or any necessary referrals.