16 Apr What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is a beautifully complex medical field. It has been discussed in various posts on this website including: Why Do Kids Need Occupational Therapy? Yet, the simple question of what occupational therapy is has not been directly addressed. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, occupational therapy is the only profession that helps people across the lifespan to 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.
This website focuses mostly on therapeutic understanding and intervention with children, especially those with difficulties or delays negatively impacting performance at school and in social settings. This can include children with and without disabilities.
This month, I published an interview with the current President of the Florida Occupational Therapy Association, Dr. Douglene Jackson. Together we discuss occupational therapy, disparities present for children of color with autism, and more.
You can watch the interview on the Playapy YouTube channel.