Before we started the Occupational Therapy program at Touro College non of us bloggers really knew how expanisive the field of OT truly is! A few areas of practice include:
-Pediatrics- Schools, Community, inpatient hospital based child OT, Early Intervention, Sensory Gym
-Acute Care Hospitals- Acute care is an inpatient hospital setting for persons with serious medical conditions
-Inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehab or skilled nursing home facilities (AKA nursing home), assisted living facilites
-Mental Health- Inpatient lock units, clubhouse setting, Outpatient Program, Community Groups
-Home Health: OTs who work in this area usually work with client’s in the geriatric population
-OT's may work for home health agencies, rehab agencies, or a private practice.
-Work hardening-enables those with physical, psychological, and psychosocial issues inhibiting a person’s ability, to successfully return to work.
-Work conditioning(similar to work hardening), yet involves improving physical capacities, whereas work hardening improves physical, psychological, and psychosocial factors.
-Hand Therapy- making splints, providing exercises
-Hippotherapy (with horses)
-Aquatic Therapy
The list goes on and on--feel free to add!!
A friend of mine volunteers at a hippotherapy place on the weekends. How does OT on horses help children?
ReplyDeleteThe idea behind Hippotherapy is actually quite interesting. It is believed that horses create a dynamic, three-dimensional movement that cannot be reproduced in a traditional clinic setting. The natural gait or stride of the horse, coupled with the animal's warmth, provides numerous benefits, including: Can provide improvements in many areas such as muscle tone and strength,gross motor skills such as sitting, standing and walking,range of motion, coordination and endurance. Also help with advances in balance/equilibrium, head and trunk control,body awareness, posture and mobility. Having positive effects on:eye-hand coordination limbic system function related to arousal, motivation and attention sensorimotor function, oral motor control, voice quality and vocal/verbal communication.
ReplyDeletePT, OT and ST all work through Hippotherapy
I actually know someone who treats children with horses and he says that they see extraordinary results with balance and trunk control! Its amazing that OT's are constantly introducing and implementing new and interesting treatment modalities.
ReplyDeleteYes I definitely agree, OTs are constantly introducing new innovative treatment modality ideas.
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