Occupational therapy is therapy with daily activities as a form of professional social work, which exists in most countries of the world and occupies an important place in the team of specialists in social work, health care and education. Occupational therapy is an integral part of a complex program of medical, social and psychological-pedagogical rehabilitation. It is a necessary component of effective assistance for people who have difficulties functioning in everyday situations. The application of occupational therapy is wide enough, from stimulating the reflexes of a premature baby to providing security and independence of a weak elderly person. The occupational therapist in English-speaking countries is called Occupational Therapist, and the abbreviation “OT” is used for short.
What is occupational therapy for autism
Occupational Therapy for Autism is a branch of traditional medicine based on the treatment of “occupation”. The goal of this type of therapy is to increase the patient’s autonomy and independence by performing certain daily tasks. For this purpose, activities are prescribed that focus on the development of fine motor skills of the hand and the motor activity of the body. As a result, the child learns self-care, acquires technical skills and develops abstract and logical thinking.
The term “occupational therapy” enters the professional vocabulary of the sphere of social rehabilitation technologies today.
Specialists working in this area often refer to themselves as “labor instructors,” who facilitate, through work, the restoration of lost vital functions and a person’s recovery or ability to independently maintain oneself in the domestic environment.
Occupational therapy begins with functional diagnosis, which is necessary to determine the number and degree of difficulties the client is experiencing as well as his or her resources. Together with the client and other team members, the occupational therapist develops a rehabilitation plan, often using normal daily activities as a means of recovery or skill development. For example, when a person recovers from a stroke, he or she returns to normal daily activities: washing, bathing, dressing, cooking, housekeeping, and resuming social contacts. All of these elements will be means of rehabilitation, and in many cases the advice of a specialist is needed to prevent too drastic an exertion.
Occupational therapy rehabilitation
Often play activities become an important means of rehabilitation for children who need to improve their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills in order, for example, to succeed in school classes. Throughout the course of rehabilitation, the patient’s status is often reviewed, with changes in the rehabilitation program being discussed with team members, the doctor, the patient and his family.
A key element of occupational therapy is the choice of activities that not only develop skills essential for independent functioning, but are also relevant to the person in need of rehabilitation. For example, achieving independence in cooking is a vital goal only for people who have done it before or must do it now in order to remain independent. The successful satisfaction of an individual’s needs in the context of his environment is like a kind of trademark of occupational therapy.
Thus, occupational therapy is a professional activity in the field of social development, health and rehabilitation. Occupational therapists provide services to people of all ages who have physical, emotional, and social disabilities and as a result need special assistance and training in functional skills to lead independent, productive, and satisfying lives.
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