Focus on function
April is OT month. This being the last week of the month, we’d like to personally thank you for joining us as we discussed occupational therapy. With OT, instead of thinking of occupation in terms of finding jobs/employment, think of occupation as function. Think function and think everyday activities, think of your role as a home maker, parent, employee, member of the community.
Functional activities include:
- Driving
- Typing
- Washing your hair
- Buttoning your clothes
- Mopping the floor
- Gardening
- Cooking
- Managing your checkbook
Is a disease or disability keeping you from your functional activities? An OT can help. OTs specialize in function and functional performance. We use our ability to perform task analysis along with our medical education and training to help you find ways to function more independently. We help to retrain you when possible, but if modifications are needed, we teach you how to modify the activity or help to modify the environment to make you successful.
We hope we’ve provided you with useful information about the populations OTs serve and what we do to help you and your loved ones. Visit the American Occupational Therapy Association to learn more about OTs and how you can find one in your area. And visit the World Federation of Occupational Therapy to learn more about OTs all around the world.
