The Occupational Therapist provides services to patients helping to develop the right equipment that they need during their therapy.
Primary Objectives:
- The Occupational Therapist adapts, fabricates and maintains specialized equipment required for therapy services.
- The Occupational Therapists investigates and recommends the right type of equipment for the patient in need of therapy.
- The Occupational Therapist works with school children and helps to develop appropriate therapy programs that work both in school and at home.
- The Occupational Therapist must include consulting services with the school staff, families, medical personnel, community agencies and others as needed.
- The Occupational Therapist must have graduated four year accredited program of Occupational Therapy and two years of experience or a master’s degree in physical Occupational Therapy.
The Occupational Therapist assesses students using appropriate evaluation tools including standardized tests, clinical observations, and review of medical and educational reports to determine need for the therapy intervention plan. The Occupational Therapist must have the ability to research and determine evidence based research supporting therapy interventions. The Occupational Therapist develops and implements individualized therapy programs for qualifying eligible students. The Occupational Therapist documents screenings, evaluations, individual educational plans, progress reports, classroom/home programs, Medicaid billing criteria and other data, as needed by the patient.
When an Occupational Therapist is working with students they often need to be able to consult with the classroom teacher and other educational staff members regarding the student’s optimal function in the school environment. The student spends much time in the school doing most of their functions during the day. In order for the student to be able to function just like all the other students they need assistance during the day from some of the educational staff and perhaps even therapy at different times. The Occupational Therapist provides classroom programs, instruction in management techniques, adapted equipment, and environmental modifications including the identification of architectural barriers.
The Occupational Therapist must consult with parents and guardians regarding students’ therapy programs. The Occupational Therapist who sets programs that the student follows during the day in school must also be continued when they get home in the evening and during weekends and holidays. The students who need Occupational Therapist during the day of course need the same type of therapy at other times. The Occupational Therapist may create or adapt specialized equipment required for therapy by the student in order to continue with their treatments while at home. The student may not have access to specialized equipment during summer breaks or holidays because of being away from school that is why the Occupational Therapist must create things for them while they are at home. Most Occupational Therapist do work at schools where certain pieces of equipment are already in place for the student. The Occupational Therapist travels between locations where students require services and where they live.
The Occupational Therapist must be able to train departmental aids and volunteers assigned to the student as they cannot be with them the whole time they are doing their therapy. Many Occupational Therapists provide clinical education for therapy student interns from colleges and universities. The best way for an Occupational Therapist to learn the trade is to work with a licensed Occupational Therapist. The human body differs from person to person so no two people are the same when it comes to getting therapy. The Occupational Therapist works with new students to help them know how to work with students of all ages and to help them as they grow.
Some of the things that an Occupational Therapist realizes that patients must know how to safely travel on the bus or train. There are architectural barriers and adapted equipment that the student needs to know how to maneuver that is why the Occupational Therapist works with the staff training them on how to help their student travel about comfortably and safely. The staff is sometimes faced with feeding issues and medical issues which all have to be taken care of in a proper manner. The Occupational Therapist knows this and works to train everyone the proper methods to follow. Remember that since everyone is different even though there are standard procedures often adaptations are made to suit the patient’s needs. The Occupational Therapist must see to each individual needs and train others how to help the student.