OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY is provided Wednesday 1 - 4pm and 6 - 8pm, and Thursday 1 - 4pm

 

             Occupational therapists or OTs assess, utilize, and adapt activities to improve function, enhance performance, promote health, prevent illness, and increase independence in the lives of those persons to whom they provide services. In general, OTs help individuals, who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling, improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living, home, school and working environments. OTs help these individuals develop, recover, or maintain daily living. They can also enhance their client’s educational and work skills by improving their basic motor functions and cognitive abilities or compensate for permanent loss of function. The ultimate goal of an OT is to help clients have independent, productive, and satisfying lives.

 

             Furthermore, OTs are skilled professionals whose education includes the study of human growth and development with a specific emphasis on the neuro-biological, social, emotional, and physiological effects of illness and injury. The OT must first earn an associate degree and complete supervised clinical internships in a variety of health care settings.  He or she must then pass a national and, sometimes, federal examination.  The occupational therapist enters the field with a masters (beginning 2007), or doctoral degree. (www.aota.org) (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos078.htm)

 

Occupational therapy began in the early 1900’s by using arts and crafts to assist people with mental illness.  Then, with returning WWII soldiers, OTs adopted a more medical view of rehabilitation by using strengthening exercises to heal soldiers.  Today, occupational therapist use engagement in activities to help their clients and work in a variety of settings, including private practice, mental health facilities, rehab centers, and schools.

 

             Let’s take a look at how an OT may work with a school.  OT’s may choose to work exclusively with individuals in a particular age group or with particular disabilities. OTs in schools may evaluate children’s abilities, recommend and provide therapy, modify classroom equipment, and/or help children increase their participation in school programs and activities. If a therapist is practicing at a school, he or she may decide to work with children individually, lead small groups in the classroom, consult with a teacher, or serve on a curriculum or other administrative committee. Instead of choosing to work with a particular age group, an OT may decide to work in a school because he or she might want to work with specific disabilities.  In fact, in some early education facilities, early intervention therapy services are provided for infants and toddlers who have, or at the risking of having, developmental delays. Specific therapies may include facilitating the use of the hands, sensory processing, integration and modulation, promoting skills for listening and following directions, fostering social play skills, or teaching dressing and grooming skills.

 

             Now that OTs who practice in schools have been discussed, let’s briefly consider how an individual with permanent disabilities can be helped in a rehabilitation center.  Therapists who instruct those with permanent disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, or muscular dystrophy use adaptive equipment like wheelchairs, orthotics, and aids for eating and dressing to teach their clients.  They also design special equipment that can be used at home, school or work. When teaching those with severe limitations, therapists can develop computer-aided adaptive equipment and teach their clients how to use this equipment to improve communication and increase control over various aspects of their environment.

 

             Finally, occupational therapists in mental health settings treat individuals who are mentally ill, mentally retarded, or emotionally disturbed. To treat these problems, OTs choose activities that are specifically designed to help people learn to engage in and cope with daily life. Activities for those clients may focus on time management, budgeting, shopping, homemaking, and the use of public transportation. In addition to those with mental health issues, OTs may work with individuals who are dealing with alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, eating disorders, or stress-related disorders.

 

             Now that we have discussed OTs working in schools, rehab centers, and mental health facilities we must finally discuss those who choose to work in private practice.  For example, a client with short-term memory loss might be encouraged to visit an OT to strengthen his or her short term memory.  The OT may decide to use lists to help the individual’s recollection.  Likewise, a person with coordination problems might visit an OT where he or she could be given exercises to improve his or her hand-eye coordination. As you can see, the OT will design activities to cater to the needs of the client.  In fact, OTs may even use computer programs to help clients improve decision making, abstract-reasoning, problem-solving, and perceptual skills, as well as memory, sequencing, and coordination—all of which are important for independent living.

 

             We have already discussed adaptive equipment recommendations and customized treatment programs.  In addition to this, a significant part of an OT’s job is to assess and record a client’s activities and progress.  Accurate records are essential for evaluating clients, billing, and reporting to physicians and other health care providers.

 

             To summarize, occupational therapy services include:

· Customized treatment programs to improve one's ability to perform daily activities

· Comprehensive home and job site evaluations with adaptation recommendations

· Performance skills assessments and treatment

· Adaptive equipment recommendations and usage training

· Guidance to family members and caregivers

            

 

Hippotherapy is a prime example of how customized treatment, comprehensive evaluations, performance assessments, adaptive equipment, and guided family/caregivers can provide optimal results.  Since the focus of occupational therapy is the use of activity; the horse provides an optimal platform for healing.  Children and adults are drawn to interact with the horse.  The movement of the horse provides a natural challenge for the clients’ balance and posture.  Over time, this movement helps the nervous system respond to activity requests, thus improving walking, coordination and reaching.  Additional positive effects from the movement of the horse can also be seen in muscle tone, postural alignment, midline orientation, body awareness, stiffness/flexibility and strength.

 

 Other effects on body systems can and do occur as well. Changes are often seen in the respiratory, cognitive, sensory processing, emotional, arousal and speech/language production functions.  The hippotherapy setting provides a variety of sensory experience as well.  The barn is full of a variety of new sights, smells and sounds.  Many children with autism spectrum disorders have difficulty making sense of the information.  Hippotherapy treatment, along with the unconventional setting of a barn, becomes excellent environment for clients to improve senses.  The barn is a natural setting and often the challenges associated with being in a non-clinical setting create additional opportunities to make treatment beneficial for the patient’s social participation and community integration.

 

Finally, the role of the occupational therapist can be extended outside the hippotherapy treatment context.  Occupational therapists can assist in evaluation of clients wishing to participate in equine assisted activities, work with groups to promote social skills along with work readiness, health and wellness.  They also have expertise in consultation with other professionals and can recommend changes in the environment, adapted equipment and altered teaching strategies to ensure client success.  The occupational therapist has a natural role in using equine assisted activities to meet a variety of functional goals for people of all ages.

Occupational Therapy

Somerset Hills Handicapped Riding Center