Summary for:
Occupational Therapists
Description:
Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that help restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to disabled persons.
Sample of reported job titles:
Sample of reported job titles: Occupational Therapist (OT), Registered Occupational Therapist, Staff Therapist, Assistive Technology Trainer, Industrial Rehabilitation Consultant
Tasks:
- Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate those impaired because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
- Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
- Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental and physical capabilities.
- Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
- Complete and maintain necessary records.
- Train caregivers how to provide for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.
- Recommend changes in patients' work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.
- Develop and participate in health promotion programs, group activities, or discussions to promote client health, facilitate social adjustment, alleviate stress, and prevent physical or mental disability.
- Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs and coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.
- Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work and school skills and adjust to handicaps.
Knowledge:
| Therapy and Counseling ó Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance. |
| Psychology ó Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders. |
| Education and Training ó Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. |
| Sociology and Anthropology ó Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins. |
| Medicine and Dentistry ó Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures. |
| Customer and Personal Service ó Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| English Language ó Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| Administration and Management ó Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
| Biology ó Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment. |
Skills:
| Active Listening ó Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Critical Thinking ó Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Social Perceptiveness ó Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| Active Learning ó Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Judgment and Decision Making ó Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Reading Comprehension ó Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| Service Orientation ó Actively looking for ways to help people. |
| Speaking ó Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Writing ó Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
| Coordination ó Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
Abilities:
| Oral Comprehension ó The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| Oral Expression ó The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| Speech Clarity ó The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. |
| Deductive Reasoning ó The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| Problem Sensitivity ó The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| Written Comprehension ó The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. |
| Inductive Reasoning ó The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). |
| Information Ordering ó The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |
| Speech Recognition ó The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
| Written Expression ó The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. |
Work Activities:
| Assisting and Caring for Others ó Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. |
| Making Decisions and Solving Problems ó Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Getting Information ó Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships ó Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Documenting/Recording Information ó Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge ó Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates ó Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Thinking Creatively ó Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Developing Objectives and Strategies ó Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them. |
| Analyzing Data or Information ó identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
Work Experience:
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Work Examples:
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, physicists, school psychologists, and surgeons.
Education Requirements:
A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Work Style:
| Concern for Others ó Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. |
| Integrity ó Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Dependability ó Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Adaptability/Flexibility ó Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
| Self Control ó Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| Cooperation ó Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| Social Orientation ó Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. |
| Attention to Detail ó Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Analytical Thinking ó Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. |
| Initiative ó Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
Work Values:
| Relationships ó Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. |
| Achievement ó Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. |
| Working Conditions ó Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. |
Median Wage 2008:
$32.10 hourly, $66,780 annual
Estimated Employment Total 2008:
99,000 employees
Projected Growth 2008:
Much faster than average (21% or higher)
Projected Need 2008:
37,000 additional employees
