Occupational Therapists
Certified Hand Therapist (CHT), Occupational Therapist (OT), Pediatric Occupational Therapist (Pediatric OT), Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR)
What they do:
Assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.
On the job, you would:
- Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
- Complete and maintain necessary records.
- Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate those impaired because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
Knowledge
Health
- therapy and counseling
- medicine and dentistry
Math and Science
- psychology
- biology
Business
- customer service
Arts and Humanities
- English language
Skills
Basic Skills
- keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
- listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Social
- looking for ways to help people
- teaching people how to do something
People and Technology Systems
- thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
- figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Abilities
Verbal
- communicate by speaking
- communicate by writing
Ideas and Logic
- make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
- notice when problems happen
Attention
- pay attention to something without being distracted
Personality
People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Concern for Others
- Cooperation
- Self Control
- Adaptability/Flexibility
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Word processing software
- Crick Software Clicker 4
- Microsoft Word
Computer based training software
- Text reader software
- Text to speech software
Medical software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Lexrotech LxPediatric
Education
Education: (rated 5 of 5)
master's degree or
bachelor's degree
usually needed
bachelor's degree
usually needed
Job Outlook
Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Explore More
- Occupational Therapy Assistants
- Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physicians
- Physical Therapist Assistants
- Physical Therapists
- Recreational Therapists
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about occupational therapists.