About occupational therapy
Occupational therapy practitioners make a difference in people's lives.
The occupational therapy profession
Occupational therapy is the only profession that helps people across the lifespan do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health and prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability.
Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.
Occupational therapy practitioners have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment and/or task to fit the person, and the person is an integral part of the therapy team. It is an evidence-based practice deeply rooted in science.
We were the original makers.
–Holly Cohen, OTR/L, ATP, SCEM, CDRS
OT practitioners as hackers and makers in accessible design
Bill Gates and Steven Spielberg were in the audience as an occupational therapist talked about accessible design. The forum was TED2016, where Holly A. Cohen, OTR/L, ATP, SCEM, CDRS, program manager at NYU Langone Medical Center, adjunct professor at New York University, as well as the co-founder of DIYAbility, an organization that focuses on the education of health care providers and community members in the area of assistive technology and disability, delivered a TED talk.
Watch the TED TalkVideo stories on the impact of OT
Watch these stories from practitioners about making a difference in people's lives.
He can be a dad in every way he wants to be
"Being able to drive means that … he can be a dad in every way he wants to be." "I want to give a big shoutout to OT practitioners who give hope as a part of their treatment. It makes a huge difference."
Together we set a goal to dance
"Together we set a goal to dance with her dad to BTS’s Life Goes On." "With tears streaming down our faces, the daughter virtually watched as her dad and I took first steps to her song."
He is thriving
"While the school saw him as oppositional, I saw a sweet boy with unmet sensory needs." "My role wasn’t simply to work on strengthening his body, but his spirit as well... He is thriving."
NBC's The Today Show Shares Family Story
At AOTA’s 2017 Annual Conference & Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia, Al Roker of the Today Show shared his family's story. In a video welcome to this year’s more than 14,000 attendees, Roker explains that he, like a lot of people, did not know much about occupational therapy until someone close to him needed it: his son Nick.
What is Occupational Therapy? Three Wounded Warriors Explain
At AOTA's 2014 Annual Conference & Expo, three keynote speakers described the profession of occupational therapy and the difference OT has made in their lives. Hear from Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, Corporal Tim Donley, and Sergeant Monte Bernardo.
Considering an OT career?
One of the greatest advantages of a career in occupational therapy is the wide variety of opportunities available to occupational therapy graduates.
Occupational therapy is a career for individuals who care about people and have a desire to learn, achieve, and contribute their best to society and the profession.