Occupational Therapy
Our Occupational Therapist helps you to do the things you want and need to do, like caring for yourself, being productive at home, school, work or in the community, and taking part in leisure activities. You may have problems that stop you from doing activities. These problems may be related to illness, pain, disability, or the environment around you. The Occupational Therapists is available to work with you to find ways to work around these problems so that you are able to take part in those activities that are important to you.
Depending on what the problem is, the occupational therapist can help you solve it by:
1. Helping you overcome your disability. OTs do this by:
educating or instructing you on how to do things with the abilities you have - e.g. getting around your community in a wheelchair
suggesting activities that will help you improve or maintain the abilities you have - e.g. improving your coping strategies
2. Adapting the materials you use. OTs do this by changing the things you use:
around the house – e.g. a special key holder to make turning keys easier
in sports or leisure activities – e.g. a playing cards holder
at work or school – e.g. special tools that help prevent injury to hands and back
to take care of yourself – e.g. special bath or toilet seats
to get from place to place – e.g. car modifications such as one-handed steering wheels
3. Recommending changes to the environments where you do your everyday activities. OTs do this by recommending that you:
change the physical layout of your workplace, home or school – e.g. lowering/raising desk tops, countertops or cupboards
find out about the supports in your community – e.g. specialized public transportation
work with the people in your community – e.g. providing education about a disability to the teacher or employer
work with the government to encourage health living – e.g. request funding for special equipment