What Is an Occupational Therapist?
Occupational therapy is focused on helping patients succeed in the activities of daily life, and occupational therapists work to alleviate any physical impairments or mental limitations that may obstruct an individual from fully living his or her life. The patients of an occupational therapist may have physical disabilities, developmental issues or debilitating emotional or mental conflicts that make it difficult or impossible to perform the meaningful activities of daily life.
Occupational therapists provide treatments to help recover or develop the daily skills of patients. The ultimate goal of an occupational therapist is to promote his or her clients’ abilities to participate more fully (whether mentally, emotionally or physically) in any aspect of their lives.
Occupational therapists can work with a variety of different patients in a variety of settings. For example, they may work in mental health institutions, providing treatments to patients with emotional illnesses, or in in schools, aiding students who have problems performing the tasks necessary to participate in class.
How to Become an Occupational Therapist
In order to become an occupational therapist, an individual needs at least a master’s degree in occupational therapy or a related discipline. Students must get their bachelor’s degree first, preferably in a discipline such as psychology, sociology, biology, anthropology or anatomy.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree, students must choose a master’s program in occupational therapy that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Many online and traditional universities offer accredited master’s degrees in occupational therapy. Students should opt for programs that work best for their lifestyles and also provide abundant internship or research opportunities.
Once students have their master’s degrees, they will need to become licensed in order to practice as occupational therapists. To obtain a license, all graduates must pass a national examination for certification. Specific requirements for the test vary from state to state. The certification is administered by the National Board for Certifying Occupational Therapy.
Occupational Therapist Career Outlook & Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career outlook for occupational therapists in the United States will be very good in the next decade. The Bureau reports that the employment of occupational therapists is projected to grow by 26 percent from 2008 to 2018.
This rate of growth is much higher than the national average for all occupations. The rise in employment of occupational therapists will be due, in part, to the growing elderly population increasing the need for therapists who are skilled in maintaining patients’ everyday skills, mental stability and motor functions.
On Payscale.com, occupational therapists who were surveyed reported to have made annual salaries from $49,468 to $64,997. Occupational therapists who stay up to date with current practices and certifications within their field and have excellent one-on-one people skills will see the most success in the profession, the highest salaries and the most potential for promotion.
