Occupational Therapist Careers
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What
Occupational Therapists do:
Occupational therapists work with patients with
mental or physical disabilities. Occupational
Therapy involves helping individuals perform
daily tasks in their home or work environment
e.g. using a computer, cooking, dressing and
eating. Patients of an Occupational Therapist
may suffer from, short term memory loss,
coordination problems, spinal cord injuries,
muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy. The main
aim of an occupational therapist is to give as
much independence back to their client as
possible.
The main duties of an Occupational
Therapist include:
- Treating individuals with mental, physical or
developmental disabilities
- Assisting clients with their basic motor
functions and reasoning abilities
- Helping individuals become independent through
exercise
- Educating clients on using equipment to aid
daily and work related tasks
- Modifying a client’s work place to suit their
disability
Education & Qualifications:
To become an Occupational Therapist you need to
complete a Master’s Degree in Occupational
Therapy. In addition to your Master’s Degree,
you must become licensed to practice. Becoming
licensed involves completing supervised field
work and passing a licensure examination.
Licensed Occupational Therapists become
Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR).
Occupational Therapy programs include subjects
such as physical, biological, and behavioral
sciences and occupational therapy theory and
skills. Some states require Occupational
Therapists to earn continuing education credits
to maintain licensure.
If you are considering a career as an
Occupational Therapist you should take high
school courses in chemistry, physics, biology,
health and the social sciences. Many
Occupational Therapists start by completing an
undergraduate majoring in biology, psychology,
sociology, anthropology, liberal arts, or
anatomy.
Salary & Job Prospects:
Salaries in Occupational Therapy range from
$60,000 to $80,000, depending on qualifications,
position held, skills and location. The increase
of the elderly population is a major factor for
the growth of occupational therapy services. Job
Prospects are excellent and expected to grow
much faster than the average job.
Find an Allied Health School:
Use the red search box above, to find Allied
Health schools and colleges in your area that
offer Occupational Therapist programs.
Below is a list of some of the various types of
allied health careers / professions: |
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