What is Occupational Therapy?

By Lisseth Reano M.Sc. OT, OT Reg. (Ont.)

In celebration of Occupational Therapy Month in Canada:

What is occupational therapy? Despite being around since 1915, I find many people are still unaware of our line of work as occupational therapists, or “OTs” for short. In simple terms, OTs work in collaboration with their clients to help them achieve their everyday occupations. In the pediatric context, these occupations mainly include school participation, play, activities of daily living like dressing, eating or brushing teeth, and leisure. Our work is holistic in nature as we evaluate the whole child and their environment to determine how we can best support them. You can usually find us in hospitals, private clinics, and community health centres just to name a few.

How would you know if your child could benefit from working with an OT? Here are a few scenarios to keep in mind:

1.        If your child is having difficulty holding a pencil properly, printing legibly or organizing their written work, OTs are here to help!

2.        If your child is always seeking movement, extremely sensitive to noises, or doesn’t want to touch different textures, we are here to help!

3.        If your child has difficulty doing their buttons, zippers or tying their shoelaces, we are here to help!

4.        If your child is a picky eater who only eats select foods, we are here to help!

Since our work includes a wide spectrum of occupations, please don’t hesitate to connect with us, and we will be happy to answer any queries you may have.