What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?

Occupational Therapists either hold a Bachelor or Master's degree from an accredited program. Training includes the study of human development, social, emotional, and physiological implications of illness, injury and disability. Practitioners complete supervised clinical internships and must pass national certification examinations. Most states require licensure, which requires further documentation and review of the clinician's course of study and moral character. In New Hampshire, the Board of Medicine controls licensure. They require specific numbers of hours and types of continuing education courses in order for a clinician to hold current licensure. This helps insure that therapists remain abreast of new practices and developments in the field. As therapists in the public schools we focus on assisting each student with his/her ability to interact with the environment. This could include working on daily life skills, perceptual motor skills, gross and fine motor skills and adaptive or compensatory skills. These skills should enable the child to function more fully in the academic environment.