Occupational Therapy

Isabelle Mullen

English III Standard 6

Mr. Alburger

February 23, 2017

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Isabelle Mullen

English III

Mr. Alburger 6th

30 January 2017

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy takes place in a medical field which treats patients in a therapeutic

manner to increase the persons physical and mental function for his or her everyday life. Many

types of occupational therapist serve within the medical fields. Occupational therapists encounter

certain personal and professional risks that they will take in order to keep a patient healthy.

After initial training, occupational therapists spend time with patients, families, and continuing

education in order to learn about ways to help disabled patients live their everyday lives in a

healthy way.

Going back to early 1900s occupational therapy became well known. Shortly after

World War II, Rehabilitation Engineering originated when the National Research Council

confirmed the development of prosthetic devices (Larson). This brought together all physicians,

surgeons and health professionals that continue to learn about medical engineering.

Occupational Medicine occurs in areas of medicine that deal with defects caused by accidents,

health disabilities, or age. Occupational therapists focus on prevention and the education of their

patients to reduce or eliminate problems. In 1993 the Rehabilitation Act was passed(Larson).

This made handicapped people able to live their lives independently and help make their own

choices. Occupational therapy took part of the community rehabilitation program by designing to

facilitate the launch of rehab services to disabled people. In 1990 the Americans with Disabilities
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act passed creating equal opportunities for employment and public accommodations for disabled

people.

When going into occupational therapy, practitioners study, Human anatomy,

kinesiology, physiology, ergonomics, mechanical engineering, pathology, physics, biochemistry,

cellular biology, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and psychology (Larson). After initial

schooling, occupational therapist graduate with a masters degree whereas occupational therapist

assistants typically only required an associate degree. Preparing for an occupational career,

High school students interested in pursuing the profession of occupational therapy assistant

should develop good study habits. High school-level coursework in biology, psychology,

anatomy, sociology, and mathematics will prepare students for college-level studies. Students

interested in the occupational therapy field will benefit from seeking internships or part time

work with occupational therapists or people with physical, developmental, or social problems

that impact their daily life Flynn). Susan Brady, an occupational therapist and the lead therapist

for Rowan-Salisbury Schools originally went to college for physical therapy, but later on

changed and found a better fit in occupational therapy.

Occupational Therapy carries particular varieties of fields which are: pediatric,

rehabilitation, health and wellness, mental health, and elderly. All fields act on helping the

patient become healthier. Within each different categories comes other ways of therapy. Whether

performing a therapeutic plan on a child or assisting a patient who experienced traumatic

accident and now an amputee. Occupational therapist work, play, and use everyday activities in a

therapeutic manner to increase a persons function and to enhance development on his or her

everyday life.
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Pediatric therapists supports a childs special needs. An Occupational pediatrician's

responsibility requires a persistent therapy following the guidelines of the diagnosis on the child.

We look at the whole child and do a task analysis to see where the dysfunction may be in the

occupation as a child. Then work on a plan to assist in helping the child reach their optimal

ability to function as independently as possible (Brady). Occupational therapists focus on fine

motor, visual and processing skills which transpires for basic activities that benefits for their

daily lives such as eating, dressing, grooming, toileting, bathing, and written communication. For

example, speech therapy occurs mostly in children. Speech therapy treats disorders that involves

speech, fluency, understanding the language, and communication. In addition to, audiology

studies hearing, balance and any other related disorders. Occupational therapists commonly work

with children who fall under the disease of autism. Autism deficits in social interaction and also,

lack of interest in certain conditions. With autism you retain patterns of behavior. Therapist

usually work with autistic kids on their engagement and conventional treatment. Dealing with a

patient, the most difficult circumstance pediatric therapists will encounter includes connecting

with their patients and helping children reach to their best abilities.

Furthermore, occupational therapist can fall under the field of rehabilitation, a process by

which a person's ability to function returns because of an previous injury, chronic disease, or a

genetic function. The rehabilitation engineering process improves the physical quality of life for

a handicapped person. Engineering specialty administers engineering with the development of

prosthetic limbs and organs. Occupational therapist help individuals who developed an illness or

injury. Therapists use different types of treatments to help them transition to rehabilitation.
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Rehabilitation maximizes levels of function with the patient's body to maintain their quality of

life. Rehabilitation holds a role in occupational therapy as the core of the field.

Occupational therapists help people manage and prevent chronic diseases. With

preventing chronic diseases, it reduces hospitalization and other types of health care faculties.

Falling under the category of health and wellness, certain subjects come into play. For example,

types of rehabilitations affected from chronic diseases or birth defects. Special tasks come into

play when therapists assist a patient with a chronic disease. Depending on the course of the

specific condition, the occupational therapist goal for the client would include, teaching the

client health management tasks for their everyday lives, developing strategies, behavior and

routines to support the physical and mental health. Health management takes charge of ones life

and managing their own condition. The patient should take charge of the disease and not let the

disease take charge. For example, monitoring blood sugar, taking medications, or being involved

with physical activity. A person will adapt to ones disease in a more effective way by becoming

aware of said disease. Occupational therapist works more with the patient's abilities and mindset.

Therapist can ponder strengths, abilities, and interests. Mental health studies continue broad

types of occupational interventions. Therapists provide mental health treatment which can assist

children, elderly, or anyone with a mental health disease. If an occupational therapist works with

patients mental health disease they would work in environments like, mental health centers,

senior centers, homes, psychosocial clubhouses, and assertiveness community treatment teams.

Occupational interventions improve one's outcome from mental health disease. These

interventions can live in areas of education, work and skill training, health and wellness, and if

they adapt to the environment.

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Occupational therapists focus on the patient's strength and the challenges they face.

Ederlies can cause risks on hurting themselves and occupational therapists help them understand

their difficulties and try to prevent injuries from occurring. Training them how to use their

elderly resources and to limit certain activities. Elderlies can face more chronic injuries than a

child due to age and fatal bone structure. If an elderly had a chronic injury and needed assistants

they would see an occupational therapist and the therapist will find way of rehabilitation to make

that patient become healthy again. Occupational therapist help seniors with range of motion,

arthritis, and vision loss or memory loss. Also, therapists works with seniors in different kinds of

settings including, nursing homes, assisted living, and senior centers. Elderlies can easily get

injured unlike a child or middle age individual. Helping an Elderly would to prevent any type of

affliction. Showing exercises and tips on how to prevent injuries could expand an elderlies life

span.

The natural environment of an occupational therapist includes where they choose to

work. Therapist work in areas of rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and

schools. Working in a rehabilitation facility, one assists patients who have been in accidents and

need prosthetics along with training how to use the equipment. Also, helping people with birth

defects. These birth defects can go along the lines of: difficulty walking or running, bone

destruction, deformation in bones, and muscles. Birth defects occur by genes, toxins such as

alcohol, drugs or cigarettes. Therapist use a variety of treatments to help build strength,

movement, and skills to complete daily activities. In addition, hospitals normally call for

occupational assistant who work under occupational therapist. Occupational therapist do the

therapy work which includes, helping patients exercise throughout the day. This may involve
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supporting patients weight, bending and lifting. Therapist could also work in nursing homes.

Helping elderlies function to their full abilities, training them with motor vehicles, and the

American Medical Association (AMA) released the physician's guide to assembling and

counseling older drivers. Also therapist work in places such as clinics and schools. Patients go to

clinics instead of going to hospitals for regular appointments. This includes therapists like

physical, recreational or speech and language assistants. Working in schools ones partnerships

with teachers and the special educational coordinators. Therapists gives children who need an

IEP or individual educational plan. A Individual education plan works with the child and their

learning. Normally the child would be taken out of his or her classroom and into a separate

setting where a therapist works with learning skills to enhance their schooling. Therapists help

childs education and helps them overachieve from their standards. Depending on one's course of

study depends on their working environment. Whether working in a school, or in a office. If a

therapist works with children they adapt in a school environment. If a therapist works with in a

office or clinic, they help their clients with more than just the learning side, they also do therapy.

As field of medicine this can come with responsibility. Knowing the limits the patient has

and risk of injury with a patient in the working environment. Occupational therapists helps

patients recover and achieve the skills needed for daily living and working lives. An

occupational health risk assessment simply examines what could cause harm in the workplace,

therefore the therapists can decide whether they have taken enough precautions or need to do

more to prevent occupational illnesses. Also, therapists can cause risk for themselves. For

example, becoming attached to the patient and the patient will pass or something tragic happen.

With being attach to a patient's well being, a therapist can connect with the patient and have a
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relationship with them. If something were to happen to the patient, understanding their feelings

on a deeper level and only have their perspective in mind would affect his or her work. Also,

risk of physical injuries determining on how severe the illness of the patient, an accident could

happen in the office when doing an exercise. Therapists also can cause strain to their backs and

be tired from moving equipment and patients.

Occupational therapy comes with different techniques when working with a patient.

Some techniques are, computer programs, therapy and activities. Depending on the level of

assistance, some patients may need further support. Part of occupational therapy may involve

making an environment suitable for ones patient.

Marty Keegan was born without a left arm, at the age of five he completely gave up

because he never thought prosthetic was a benefit for him. Later did Marty know, that because he

has been using his right arm for his whole life that he soon was diagnosed with overuse

syndrome, very common for amputees that do not utilize a prosthetic. Marty approached

Handspring clinical team and they provided Marty with a robotic prosthetic. This changed

Martys life. Computer Programs have variety of ways to help occupational therapist. Most

commonly, engineering. Engineering with manufacture of prosthetic limbs, organs and

Ergonomics. The science of designing equipment, typically in the workplace, to reduce user

fatigue and discomfort and thereby maximize productivity. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):

Diagnostic test that uses a magnetic field to create an image of organs and structures

inside the body (Larson). These specialize computer programs and tools help gain or maintain

memory, skills and other ways to support a patient. With the different classifications of

engineering programs comes with different ways of teaching the usage. For example,with using
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prosthetics, struggles can occur due to the abnormal function. Also, motor vehicles or equipment

can be difficult in ways of which not being able to function without walking.

Therapeutic manner can be mentally or physically. Physical therapy acts on the mobility

in the body caused by chronic disease or natural disease. Chronic disease can appear from an

accident not like a natural disease which comes from birth. Occupational therapists utilize

practices just like a physical therapist would. Rehabilitating the body with exercises and

stretches. Stretching and working the body can develop full mobility. Also, therapist teaches

exercises to help with their everyday lives such as cooking, walking, folding, and any type of

strength needed. Occupational therapists focus on fine motor, visual-motor, and sensory

processing skills needed for basic activities of daily living such as eating, dressing, grooming,

toileting, bathing, and written communication (handwriting, keyboard skills).Although physical

therapy helps with the body, it does not fully assist the mind. Mental therapy benefits with the

mind. Patients who are mentally disabled normally use this type of therapy. Mental therapy falls

under the category of, speech, educational, and audiology therapy. Within mental therapy,

therapist help patients develop the skills to obtain independent living.

Occupational therapy treats patients in a therapeutic manner to increase the persons

physical and mental function for his or her everyday life. Occupational therapists encounter

certain personal and professional risks that they will take in order to keep a patient healthy.

After initial training, occupational therapists spend time with patients, families, and continuing

education in order to learn about ways to help disabled patients live their everyday lives in a

healthy way. The purpose of occupational therapy can best be described with the saying, live life
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to the fullest. An occupational therapist can help people ponder not only their needs, strengths,

abilities, and interests, but also their physical, social, and humane environment.
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Works Cited
Battaglia, James. "Toward a Caring Curriculum: Can Occupational Therapy Be Taught in a
Caring Context?." International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education,
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Flynn, Simone Isadora. "Occupational Therapist." Salem Press Encyclopedia (2016): Topic
Overviews 6-12. Web. 1 Jan. 2017.
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Knecht-Sabres, Lisa Jean, et al. "Instructional Strategies Used to Improve Students' Comfort and
Skill in Addressing the Occupational Therapy Process." Journal of Education and Training
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Koch, Marylane Wade. "Occupational Health." Applied Science (2012): 1335. Science Reference
Center. Web. 1 Jan. 2017.
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Larson, Jeffrey. "Rehabilitation Engineering." Applied Science (2012): 1596. Science Reference
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Llambias, Cecilia, et al. "Equine-Assisted Occupational Therapy: Increasing Engagement For

Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder." AJOT: American Journal Of Occupational
Therapy 6 (2016): Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Feb. 2017.
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Michaud, Linda J., et al. "Prescribing Therapy Services For Children With Motor Disabilities."
Pediatrics 113.6 (2004): 1836-1838. Health Source - Consumer Edition. Web. 1 Jan. 2017.
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"Occupational Medicine." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (2016): 1p. 1. Funk &
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"Occupational therapy - Techniques and Equipment." NHS Choices. Department of Health, n.d.
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Reese, Susan. "Occupational Therapy Assistant." Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers
91.2 (2016): 58. Science Reference Center. Web. 1 Jan. 2017.
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Smith-Forbes, Enrique V., Charles D. Quick, and Katherine M. Brown. "Roles Of Occupational
Therapists In Theater, Past And Present." U.S. Army Medical Department Journal (2016):
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