Occupational therapy Australia states that occupational therapy is a “client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by working with people and communities to enhance their ability to engage in the occupations they want to, need to, or are expected to do, or by modifying the occupation or the environment to better support their occupational engagement”.
In other words, occupational therapists help people to do things. When working with children the activities they need to do include, attend and engage in school, participate in sport, play, social interactions and so on. So occupational therapy could include helping a child improve his or her handwriting, helping concentration, prescribing a wheelchair or other equipment to help the child in everyday life.
Most occupational therapists study a 4 year university degree including science subjects. An alternative training regime for people who already have a degree in science is to undertake a 2 year Masters degree in occupational therapy.
All practicing occupational therapists in Australia must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
Occupational therapists work closely with other professions and the families of children we work with.
If you would like more information about how occupational therapy might help your child please call Childworks.
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