Occupational therapy

Occupational therapy
Intervention
ICD-9-CM	93.83
MeSH	D009788
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Occupational therapy (OT) is the use of assessment and treatment to develop, recover, or maintain the daily living and work skills of people with a physical, mental, or cognitive disorder. Occupational therapists also focus much of their work on identifying and eliminating environmental barriers to independence and participation in daily activities. Occupational therapists work with clients of all ages, ranging from infants to the elderly. Occupational therapy interventions focus on adapting the environment, modifying the task, teaching the skill, and educating the client/family in order to increase participation in and performance of daily activities, particularly those that are meaningful to the client. Occupational therapists often work closely with professionals in physical therapy, speech therapy, nursing, social work, and the community.

The term "Occupational therapy" can often be confusing. It carries the misconception that the profession’s focus is on vocational counseling and job training. The word occupation as defined in Webster’s Dictionary is "an activity in which one engages." Occupational therapists promote skill development and independence in all daily activities. For an adult, this may mean looking at the areas of self-care, home-making, leisure, and work. The "occupations" of childhood may include playing in the park with friends, washing hands, going to the bathroom, cutting with scissors, drawing, etc.

The earliest evidence of using occupations as a method of therapy can be found in ancient times. In c. 100 BCE, Greek physician Asclepiades initiated humane treatment of patients with mental illness using therapeutic baths, massage, exercise, and music. Later, the Roman Celsus prescribed music, travel, conversation and exercise to his patients. However, by medieval times the use of these strategies with people considered to be insane was rare, if not nonexistent.

In 18th-century Europe, revolutionaries such as Philippe Pinel and Johann Christian Reil reformed the hospital system. Instead of the use of metal chains and restraints, their institutions utilized rigorous work and leisure activities in the late 18th century. This was the era of Moral Treatment, developed in Europe during the Age of Enlightenment, where the roots of occupational therapy lie. Although it was thriving abroad, interest in the reform movement waxed and waned in the United States throughout the 19th century. It re-emerged in the early decades of the 20th century as Occupational Therapy.

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