15 Ways Occupational Therapy Can Help You
Occupation is more than vocation.
It's true -- occupational therapists help people thrive on the job after an injury or when dealing with a chronic health condition or disability. But OTs work with everyone from infants to seniors, in all sorts of settings, as they strive to master or maintain crucial functions at any stage of life. Here are some familiar and lesser-known ways that OTs can offer assistance.
Baby-healing surroundings
For newborns in a neonatal intensive care unit, the fast-paced, high-tech environment is anything but soothing. Developing normal babyhood skills can take a temporary back seat to intravenous feeding and other lifesaving treatments. Occupational therapists are present in the NICU -- working with premature and fragile infants to accomplish their early tasks such as feeding and bonding with parents and caregivers. OTs work to protect babies from sensory overload due to hospital lighting, noises and treatments. OT professionals help foster neurological and muscular development in these tiniest of patients.
Crawling and walking
Crawling is an important milestone that sets children up for future physical and mental development. Hands-and-knees crawling helps babies build motor skills and neck and upper-body strength while promoting hand-eye coordination, concentration and memory. For children with delays in crawling, rolling or walking, occupational therapists recommend activities and toys that parents can use to boost their development. Supervised tummy time (while awake), balls, wooden blocks and crawling tunnels are useful tools to get babies moving.
School skills
"A meaningful occupation for a child is being a student," says Kristie Koenig, chair of the department of occupational therapy at New York University. Skills ranging from legible handwriting to attention-paying ability fall well within the occupation therapy realm. Kids with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can benefit from working with OTs -- as can their classmates. "We want all of our therapists or as many as possible 'pushing in' and delivering what we call whole-class intervention," she says. "So, kids who are autistic can benefit from a morning movement program. It can really help regulate their behavior. And the whole class can probably benefit in some ways." The goal is the same for every student: getting them ready to learn.
Learning environment
Class-wide, inclusive efforts like brief handwriting sessions can help many younger students, although some kids may require additional, one-on-one OT sessions. Reducing sensory distractions in classrooms is another universal-type intervention. "Get rid of fluorescent lighting," Koenig suggests. "Nobody likes [it], really. For our kids who have a lot of sensory sensitivities, if they hear a buzz or see a flicker, it can be a real distraction. By using more natural or incandescent lighting, it's a quick fix." Classrooms are "notorious" for having a bunch of stuff covering the walls, she adds, which can also be distracting. OTs may ask teachers to consider which visual displays serve a purpose, and also suggest alternative seating arrangements for kids to better focus their attention.
Kids' health promotion
Along with school nurses and physical education teachers, OTs play a role in keeping students healthy and active while learning. "We've done a lot with recess promotion and really getting kids moving," Koenig says. OTs are also tackling the perennial issue of the impact of super-stuffed backpacks on children's posture and comfort. "You know how heavy kids' backpacks are and the things that may happen when carrying a locker on your back," she notes. Children's mental health is another arena where OTs can help fill a need, she says.
Autism transitions
Kids with developmental delays may need additional support to adapt to changing routines from elementary to middle to high school, and then into college or the post-academic work world as adults. OTs are integral team members providing early intervention and other programs to help kids with behavioral and developmental health conditions like autism reach their fullest potential throughout school and beyond.
Adaptive sports
Activities like sports, although not "basic" tasks, are highly meaningful for many people. Therefore, OTs will find ways to help athletes overcome hurdles so they can continue. "If you were a long-distance cyclist and you had a real penchant for being outside and able to pursue cycling, but now have a spinal cord injury and are confined to a wheelchair: How can we adapt the cycling experience to your current situation and figure out some way for you to be able to participate in that?" says registered OT Scott Trudeau, the productive aging practice manager for the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Office space
Occupational therapy most definitely has a place at the workplace. OTs evaluate and improve the fit among people for their on-the-job tasks and work environment. Ergonomic specialists recommend adaptations in seating and desk arrangements, computer settings, office equipment and even scheduling tweaks to promote the worker's productivity and job success. The focus is not simply on breaking down tasks and process, but on a holistic approach that addresses the individual's unique situation, according to the AOTA website. People recovering from sudden injuries or managing chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis rely on occupational therapy to work to the best of their ability.
Driver's seat
Driving is an integral occupation for many Americans. OTs can help people return to driving, including U.S. military veterans who come home after having lost limbs. "Occupational therapy is going to be active with them in terms of developing modifications that would adapt the car so they could get in and out of the car, and successfully drive the car, and work with them and train them to use the adaptations effectively to help them pass the test," Trudeau says. OTs known as driver rehabilitation specialists offer training for older adults and others to stay safe behind the wheel.
Low-vision adjustments
Reduced vision from conditions including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration can interfere with the ability to perform everyday tasks and increase the risk of accidents. However, occupational therapists can help people with low vision manage safely and effectively at home, at work and during recreational activities. OTs work with clients to reshape their environments, learn techniques such as eccentric or peripheral viewing, adjust computer and lighting settings and use magnifying and other devices.
Aging in place
Occupational therapy can help older adults live independently at home longer. "That's actually a huge area right now because so much emphasis is being placed on individuals being able to age in place," Trudeau says. For those who've had strokes or other health setbacks, or who just need to make adaptations, OTs work with them to restore basic self-care skills such as getting safely in and out of bed or on and off the toilet, showering and daily hygiene. OTs also assist people in resuming higher-level tasks including money management, medication management, meal planning and preparation and other similar skills.
Parkinson's management
When describing the health care team focused on patients with Parkinson's disease -- such as neurologists, surgeons, physical therapists and psychologists -- don't leave out OTs, says Natalie Petrone, an OT graduate student at Boston University. "Occupational therapists play a role in increasing independence by providing strategies to continue participating in meaningful occupations," she says, like introducing tremor-countering utensils. "The chief thing about occupational therapy is we work on occupations and activities that are important to our client," she says. "So instead of just doing strengthening activities and repetitive arm movements for somebody who has an upper-extremity issue, [together] we will make a sandwich."
Return to society
As part of her OT education, Petrone has a different kind of assignment: She's working in an all-female corrections unit. She runs weekly groups to support women in making a more successful transition from jail back into their communities. Group members work on conflict-resolution skills and learn how to build a productive routine and schedule various activities they'll need to succeed after release. Substance use disorders, seen in many of the women, can be addressed from an OT perspective, among others, Petrone says. "With people struggling with addiction, their routine is embedded with the substance they're taking," she explains. "Their role and identity are kind of attached to that substance." With the OT emphasis on creating a structure to support a healthier new identity, she says, "We're really an awesome fit for people who have an addiction."
Caregiver support
Family caregivers provide endless support to others, but they need support, too. With conditions such as movement disorders and dementia, the caregiving role often keeps getting harder. "Sometimes caregivers are figuring it out on their own and they take on a lot more than they can," Petrone says. "Then they're experiencing strain themselves. We provide training and support for the caregivers to make sure they're not overburdening themselves and they have the tools to take care of their loved ones." OTs facilitate conversations to help families find the right balance between having a supportive relationship and preserving as much independence as possible. Caregivers learn how to ask whether they're doing too much or not enough, she says, and determine what care recipients really need.
Quality of life
Traditional settings for occupational therapists, such as orthopedic and stroke rehabilitation facilities, assisted-living facilities and nursing homes, continue to require their services. For patients who eventually go home, regaining basic self-care ability is only the first step. "That same patient or individual is going to need to be able to get out of their house and get into the community," Trudeau says. Accomplishing that becomes the new focus. "We often say that occupational therapy doesn't look at what's wrong with you," he adds. "We look at what you need to do to be successful in your daily life."
Lisa Esposito is a Patient Advice reporter at U.S. News. She covers health conditions, drawing on experience as an RN in oncology and other areas and as a research coordinator at the National Institutes of Health. Esposito previously reported on health care with Gannett, and she received her journalism master's degree at Georgetown University. You can follow her on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at lesposito@usnews.com.
