Occupational Therapy Definition for Healthcare Professionals (English)
What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy (OT) helps patients overcome functional limitations in the areas of self-care, work/education related activities, and play/leisure activities. It can help patients who find it difficult to:
(i) perform self-care activities (getting out of bed, getting dressed, grooming, eating, bathing, etc.)
(ii) engage in daily chores (laundry, cleaning, cooking, shopping, child care, etc.)
(iii) sustain a job or be successful in school (reading/writing difficulties, poor job performance, etc.)
(iv) establish a daily routine (balance work/life/play/hobbies, decreased interest in daily activities, etc.)
(v) pursue hobbies (play, outdoor recreational activities, etc.)
as a result of disease, disorder, or injury. A patient can be referred to OT, if he/she is unable to do an activity in which he/she was previously engaged prior to the illness or injury. The focus of OT is to facilitate independent functioning, thereby improving quality of life.
Some treatment methods occupational therapists use include sensorimotor activities, exercises, group interventions, splinting/orthotics, prosthetic training, hand function training, safety education, cognitive retraining, and home/workplace modification.
(i) perform self-care activities (getting out of bed, getting dressed, grooming, eating, bathing, etc.)
(ii) engage in daily chores (laundry, cleaning, cooking, shopping, child care, etc.)
(iii) sustain a job or be successful in school (reading/writing difficulties, poor job performance, etc.)
(iv) establish a daily routine (balance work/life/play/hobbies, decreased interest in daily activities, etc.)
(v) pursue hobbies (play, outdoor recreational activities, etc.)
as a result of disease, disorder, or injury. A patient can be referred to OT, if he/she is unable to do an activity in which he/she was previously engaged prior to the illness or injury. The focus of OT is to facilitate independent functioning, thereby improving quality of life.
Some treatment methods occupational therapists use include sensorimotor activities, exercises, group interventions, splinting/orthotics, prosthetic training, hand function training, safety education, cognitive retraining, and home/workplace modification.
This definition was developed by Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank (IOTT) as a resource for occupational therapy (OT) practitioners and students in India. This definition may be used to explain OT to the healthcare professionals such as doctors, psychologists, physical therapists, etc. It was drafted by a group of highly qualified and experienced occupational therapists originally graduated from India and are currently practicing/teaching/regulating OT either in India or abroad. Further, this definition was field tested through a survey that was sent to 21 healthcare professionals (doctors, paediatrist, pathologist, surgeon, neurologist, physiatrist, psychologists, physiotherapists, special educator, speech language pathologist, and social worker). All 21 professionals either strongly agreed or agreed that this definition is simple, clear, and easy to understand and provides an idea about occupational therapy (OT). Further, 20 professionals either strongly agreed or agreed that with the help of this definition, they can refer a patient to OT. After the review and deliberation of comments made by survey respondents, the definition was officially adopted by the IOTT on April 12, 2020.
Note: This is not a scientific definition. For academic and/or research purposes, please refer to the definitions published by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and/or All India Occupational Therapy Association.
This definition is published under the Creative Commons (CC) license. Hence, it can be freely circulated, shared, or used with the attribution to the author (IOTT).
Occupational therapy is meant for the independence of the patients with both physical and mental limitations. It makes them to be independent in their activities of daily living (eating, bathing etc) and then concentrates on the occupational function based on the capability of the patients.
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