Celebrate Occupational Therapists and their work during April!

Occupational therapy as a practice and treatment doesn’t get anywhere near the recognition that it should, so April seems a fine time to change that. Every year, Occupational Therapy Month is a time devoted to educating the general public about the work OC's do, what occupational therapy consists of and a look at all the people they treat and help. Scrubin is excited to do our part to highlight this invaluable aspect of public health.

OK, so just what is occupational therapy? A surprisingly high percentage of people don’t know the answer to that question. In a nutshell, occupational therapy involves treating people of all ages through the therapeutic and holistic use of daily activities. Occupational therapists help disabled kids meet the challenge of schoolwork, assist people who have been in accidents return to a full, productive life and work with seniors coping with the changes brought on by age. Occupation therapists, in short, help quality people lead quality lives.

Their treatments cover a gamut of options, centered on respectful care and homeopathic methods: developing new skill-sets, furthering cognitive awareness, always accenting the individuality and needs of the particular patient.

So much of what OCs do depends upon comprehensive evaluation, not only to determine the patient’s needs and maximize treatment solutions, but also to know the patient’s goals. That is one of the unique things about occupation therapy — the patient is a collaborator in the process, always informing and guiding the practice rather than simply being administered to passively.

Are you an occupational therapist? If so, click here for a quick rundown of 10 things you can do to get the word out about your profession this month. Do you have a testimonial about how occupational therapy helped improve your life, or the quality of life for someone close to you? Share it with us this month on social media!

Community organizations — perhaps your local YMCA, or a service club like the Kiwanis or Rotary— may well have events for Occupational Therapy Month. Check them out and see if you can plug in. And if you discover centers and places offering occupational therapy as a free service — serving the children of lower-income families, for instance, who have learning challenges — think about make a financial contribution to help continue the invaluable work, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

And if you’re interested in occupational therapy as a career, this is a great time to dive into the numerous educational forums and outreach opportunities offered by the American Occupational Therapy Association and learn more. This is a challenging and fast-growing field, where the potential for fulfilling careers abounds.