What IS Occupational Therapy? Defining "Occupation" First Would be Grate!

For those of you who are new to all of this, you might be wondering... what IS Occupational Therapy? And, why do I keep telling you to seek out an occupational therapist?

Mardy's note: This is an outstanding page/website I found to provide these definitions of the overall definition of occupation and occupational therapy, and I provide the link below; it's about sensory processing disorder, specifically.  LOTS of GRATE info and a 'finder' too!

Many people have heard about occupational therapy, "OT" as we like to call it, but often don't fully understand.

Our profession is somewhat complex, but I will do my best to define occupational therapy and help you understand it. 

What Is Occupational Therapy?... Technically, it is defined by the American Occupational Therapy Association executive board (1976) as: 

"The therapeutic use of work, self-care, and play activities to increase development and prevent disability. It may include adaptation of task or environment to achieve maximum independence and to enhance the quality of life." 

Wow, that is a mouthful! Let me try to break it down for you.

First, let's focus on the word "occupation", since it is THE basis for our professional "title". The dictionary definition of occupation is, "that which chiefly engages one's time, trade, profession, or business."

One's occupation can therefore be defined as the way in which we occupy our time. Thus, our time is divided into three categories of activities in which we take part daily:

• Self-Care: sleeping, eating, grooming, dressing, and toileting 
   
• Work: effort that is exerted to do or make something, or perform a task 
   
• Leisure: free, unoccupied time in which one chooses to do something they enjoy (i.e., hobby, tv, socializing, sports, "chill out", read, write, listen to music, travel, etc.) 

If you read these very carefully, you will see that any task or use of our time during the day fits into one of these three categories.

This is critical to understand, as our basis for the meaning of the term "occupation". It IS how we spend our time whether paid or unpaid; restful or fun, obligation or choice and that which fulfills us, gives us purpose, and allows us to interact with, be productive, and function in the world around us to the best of our ability.

Here is where the "therapy" comes in. If, at any point in our lives (whether present at birth or onset at a later time), illness, injury or disability prevents us from effectively or independently functioning in one or more "occupational" areas, then it is the job of occupational therapy to provide intervention which will help you regain function, maintain level of functioning, or make accommodations for any deficits you may be experiencing.

It is our job, as an occupational therapist to figure out which areas are suffering and how we can assist that person in performing these activities in a more functional, successful and independent way.

Please follow out with this link to see more from this REALLY nicely done website about the specialty area within OT called 'sensory processing disorder' (or as you'll see there, other names such as sensory integration dysfunction, etc.: SPD is the NEW word/movement appealing to be part of the insurance-based http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/what-is-occupational-therapy.html [1]

• our thanks to this website for being a 'good wheel' to link to, so as to not have to "re-invent the wheel".  I like it! Mardy