What is Occupational Therapy? What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?

What is Occupational Therapy? What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?

Sometimes, dealing with life's challenges can be difficult for all of us. That's where a method called occupational therapy comes in. Occupational therapy aims to help people be independent in their daily lives and lead a higher quality life. So, what exactly is occupational therapy, and in which areas is it effective? Here are the answers.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Let's first answer the question, "What is occupational therapy?" Occupational therapy is an effective treatment for people with physical, psychological, or cognitive difficulties, whether congenital or acquired later in life. It also helps healthy individuals lead a better quality life. If you're experiencing physical, mental, or emotional challenges and struggling with your daily tasks, you might benefit from occupational therapy. In short, occupational therapy is activity therapy.

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Physical Challenges: If you've had a stroke or spinal cord injury, occupational therapy supports you in getting back on your feet. Occupational therapists aim to increase muscle strength and improve limited joint ranges during exercises. Regaining sensation in areas with loss of feeling is another goal.

Mental Health (Psychiatric Occupational Therapy): If you're struggling with depression or anxiety, occupational therapy helps you create daily routines and manage stress.

Elderly Care (Geriatric Occupational Therapy): As we age, some things might become more challenging. But with occupational therapy, you can maintain your independence through environmental adjustments and activities.

Work Accidents: If you've had a work accident, occupational therapy aimed at improving hand, arm, and finger functions can ease your return to work. It helps you regain your motor skills.

Chronic Diseases: If you're living with conditions like arthritis or MS, occupational therapy teaches you ways to make your daily life more comfortable.

Childhood Difficulties (Pediatric Occupational Therapy): If a child experiences learning difficulties, speech disorders, hyperactivity disorder, or attention deficit, occupational therapy makes their daily life easier. For example, can the child sit and study? Can they hold a pencil? Can they make plans? Can they ask questions in class? Is the child's distraction due to sensory, physical, or behavioral reasons? The occupational therapist looks at all of these holistically and makes an assessment. They prepare a plan accordingly. Taking the example of distraction, they plan and implement games that will help the child focus. Besides these, occupational therapy also gives effective results in conditions such as cerebral palsy, muscle diseases, and nerve damage during birth.

Who Can Benefit from Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy can be beneficial for patients of all age groups, from infancy to old age.

What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?

An occupational therapist aims to help individuals gain the ability to perform daily life activities. First, they have a conversation with you to identify your needs and the areas you struggle with. Then, by observing your daily activities, they prepare a plan tailored to you. This plan can include many applications, from simple exercises to complex skills. For example, you might work with special balls or dough to improve your hand skills. If you have balance problems, you might do exercises on a yoga mat. The occupational therapist also uses special tools when necessary.

Besides these, experts can apply occupational therapy not only in a clinical setting but also in your daily living areas. An occupational therapist might suggest arrangements in your home or workplace. For example, moving furniture or adding a ramp for easier movement. In cases of sleep disorders, they might make suggestions about factors like lighting, bed position, and sound. This way, people learn step by step how to make their lives more quality.

Where Do Occupational Therapists Graduate From?

Occupational therapists graduate from the occupational therapy department at universities. Occupational therapy is a relatively new field in Turkey. The first occupational therapy department in Turkey opened at Hacettepe University in 2011. In 2014, the profession was officially defined and published in the Official Gazette Türkiye.

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What is Occupational Therapy? What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?