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.
Below is a list of some of the various types of allied health careers / professions: