Category: Occupational Therapy

In sensory therapy, some approaches work better than others. One proven therapeutic treatment is the use of therapy swings. There are many versions of swings available today, each with specific functions and purposes. Occupational therapists incorporate them into sensory integration therapy with various goals depending on the student’s needs. More and more schools use these valuable tools today than ever before, and students across the spectrum of learning challenges can benefit significantly from them. Whether students need to calm down, recover from overstimulation, or develop their sensory processing capabilities, a swing may offer the solution.

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The benefits of occupational therapy continue to be recognized across the USA, especially in schools. Occupational therapists are important in allowing people to make the best use of their bodies, overcome challenges, and recover from injury. In schools, OTs help children with daily-life activities that allow them to thrive socially and academically. The profession is also expected to grow by 18% between 2018 and 2028, much faster than average. And as the demand increases, so will their average salary of an occupational therapist, which is currently $84,950 a year. We’ve been looking at all the factors that make a city a good place to live for someone looking for an occupational therapist job and have put together a list of the best locations.

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The main goal of an occupational therapist is to treat injured, disabled, or ill patients that have difficulties performing everyday activities. Through the use of therapeutic activities, OTs can help these patients improve and recover the skills they need to continue through daily life with ease. It is often thought that occupational therapists are only in hospitals or healthcare facilities, but occupational therapy in schools is just as important. Step into any early elementary classroom, and you will likely see children who would benefit from pediatric occupational therapy.

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Occupational therapy and physical therapy are often confused because both are methods of treating disease, injury or disability that do not involve medication. What do physical therapists do? They help improve patients' quality of life by prescribing certain exercises and providing hands-on care and patient education. For each patient, a physical therapist develops a treatment plan that helps them prevent injuries or manage their conditions, helping them to move better, reduce pain and restore function.  What do occupational therapists do? They help people improve their ability to accomplish daily activities through exercises, environmental changes, and customized interventions. With each patient, an occupational therapist provides an evaluation to determine goals, then develops an intervention plan to help the person improve their ability to perform daily activities and meet their goals. 

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Time with students during occupational therapy sessions is precious. Depending on the student, you may only see them once a week. This may be within an individual or group setting. Sometimes occupational therapy is pushed into the classroom to help with fine motor skills during classroom time. This means that it is important to build a strong relationship with families at home. There are ways to share occupational therapy activities and hand exercises which will strengthen fine motor movement.

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