Home2025-09-30T11:10:20-04:00

Occupational Therapy

A life-changing career for both OTPs and their patients.

Careers in OT are

InspirationalCreativeEmpoweringFunLimitless

Want to help people live their best lives? Occupational therapy (OT) is all about helping individuals—whether they have disabilities, injuries, or illnesses—gain independence and do the things that matter most to them. OT professionals use creative problem-solving, cool technology, and hands-on strategies to help people reach their goals. If you love making a difference, OT might be the career for you!
What is Occupational Therapy?2025-03-20T16:42:40-04:00

Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession that helps people do the everyday activities that matter most to them—like getting dressed, eating, playing sports, learning, or even using technology. OT professionals work with people of all ages to overcome challenges, regain independence, and participate fully in life!

Learn more about occupational therapy and its benefits.

How do I become an occupational therapy practitioner?2025-03-19T22:34:45-04:00

After finishing high school, you’ll go to college and study occupational therapy. Then, you’ll need to pass a national board certification exam to become a professional occupational therapy practitioner and start helping people in hospitals, schools, or other places where they need support.

Lean more about how to become an occupational therapy practitioner.

What schools offer programs in Occupational Therapy?2025-03-19T22:34:57-04:00

If you’re thinking about studying occupational therapy, there are plenty of schools that can help you get started. Many community colleges, universities, and colleges have programs for aspiring occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants. These programs vary, offering associate degrees, entry-level master’s programs, and even doctoral programs. Use our Occupational Therapy Programs directory to search and find OT and OTA programs in the United States that might be the right fit for you.

Are You Someone
Who Likes to…

Be Creative

Occupational therapy is like a puzzle-solving game! OTPs use creativity, imagination and problem-solving to help people reach their goals. They find clever ways to match abilities and preferences, making therapy fun and exciting while improving lives.

Help Others

In occupational therapy, you can truly make a difference. Help people overcome challenges, regain independence, and rediscover what matters to them. Whether it’s pursuing passions or daily activities, you’ll be there to empower and support them on their journey back to a fulfilling life.

Be Passionate

Being an occupational therapy professional is like having a remarkable superpower. Your passion fuels your desire to help, inspires personal growth, and influences those around you. Every day, you’ll experience the fulfillment and meaning that comes from making a positive impact on people’s lives.

Solve Problems

Occupational therapy professionals face diverse challenges and tricky situations. Quick thinking and creative problem-solving skills are vital. You become a problem-solving superhero, identifying individual needs, removing barriers, and crafting specialized plans. It’s like preparing a unique recipe that helps people achieve their goals.

 OT Could Be the Career for You!

OT is a Field That’s GROWING–

and much faster than other occupations

Occupational Therapists

Employment rates are projected to grow by 14% leading up to 2034.

0%

Occupational Therapy Assistants

Employment rates are projected to grow by 18% leading up to 2034.

0%

Source: U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2025

There’s an OT Program for YOU!

There are currently more than 600 accredited occupational therapy study programs in the U.S. alone.

Need help applying to OT school?

Explore the World of OT

Day 18 of the #ABCsofOT Challenge and today's letter is R.

R is for:
✨ Range of Motion
✨ Rehabilitation
✨ Reintegration
✨ Resilience
✨ Return to Work
✨ Role Exploration
✨ Routine Building

The Rs are remarkable and this list captures OT at its most transformative.

Rehabilitation is the frame most people use to understand OT and it is accurate as far as it goes. But OTPs' rehabilitation scope extends well beyond physical recovery. Cognitive rehabilitation, psychiatric rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, and community reintegration are all firmly within OTPs domain and each one requires a distinct and sophisticated clinical skill set.

Return to work is one of occupational therapy's most impactful and underrecognized contributions. OTPs conducting workplace assessments, functional capacity evaluations, and graduated return to work programs are addressing one of the most meaningful occupational goals a person can have. Work is identity. Work is financial independence. Work is participation. OTPs who restore it change lives in ways that extend far beyond the clinic.

Routine building is a clinical intervention that looks deceptively simple and is anything but. For people recovering from mental illness, Traumatic Brain Injury, stroke, or chronic illness, the structure of a daily routine is often the first thing to collapse and the last thing to be restored. OTPs who work systematically on routine building are addressing the scaffolding that holds everything else together.

Role exploration helps patients answer one of the hardest questions recovery raises: who am I now? OTPs who address occupational roles are helping people rebuild identity alongside function.

👇 What "R" word defines your OT practice? Drop it below.

#ABCsofOT #OccupationalTherapyMonth #WhyChooseOT #OccupationalTherapy #OTLife
🎉 Day 17 of Occupational Therapy Month and the #ABCsofOT Challenge keeps going!

Today's letter is… Q 👀

Q is for:
✨ Quality of Life
✨ Quadriplegia Support
✨ Questions

The Qs are QUALITY! 🙌💙

At the heart of every OT session is one Question: what does a good life look like for this person? Quality of Life is not just a goal in occupational therapy. It is the entire point. From supporting individuals with Quadriplegia in regaining independence and engagement in daily life, to asking the right Questions that uncover what truly matters to each patient, OT never stops working toward a better Quality of Life for everyone it serves.

Now it's your turn 👇 What's your favorite "Q" word in OT? Drop it in the comments and let's keep the Quality going!

#ABCsofOT #OccupationalTherapyMonth #WhyChooseOT #OccupationalTherapy
🎉 Day 16 of Occupational Therapy Month and the #ABCsofOT Challenge keeps going!

Today's letter is… P 👀

P is for:
✨ Pain Management
✨ Participation
✨ Pediatrics
✨ Play Therapy
✨ Postural Control
✨ Primitive Reflexes
✨ Productivity
✨ Purposeful Activity

The Ps are PRETTY AMAZING! 🙌💙

Play is the most Powerful therapy tool in Pediatric OT and it is completely intentional. Every game, every activity, every movement is Purposeful, designed to build Postural Control, integrate Primitive Reflexes, and support full Participation in daily life. From Pain Management strategies that help people stay active and independent, to Productivity goals that help someone return to work or school, OT covers every angle.

Pretty amazing does not even begin to cover it.

Now it's your turn 👇 What's your favorite "P" word in OT? Drop it in the comments and let's keep this going!

#ABCsofOT #OccupationalTherapyMonth #WhyChooseOT #OccupationalTherapy
🎉 Day 15 of Occupational Therapy Month and the #ABCsofOT Challenge keeps going!

Today's letter is… O 👀

O is for:
✨ Orthotics
✨ Occupational Justice
✨ Occupation-Based Practice
✨ Outpatient Therapy
✨ Older Adults
✨ Occupational Performance
✨ Oral Motor Skills

The Os are OH SO GOOD! 🙌💙

Occupational therapy is, at its very core, Occupation-Based. Every session, every goal, every intervention is built around the activities that make life meaningful for that specific person. From crafting custom Orthotics that restore hand function, to supporting Older Adults in aging independently and with dignity, to building Oral Motor Skills in children learning to eat safely, OT shows up for every person at every stage of life.

Occupational Performance. Occupational Justice. This is what OT is all about.

Now it's your turn 👇 What's your favorite "O" word in OT? Drop it in the comments and let's celebrate everything this incredible field has to Offer!

#ABCsofOT #OccupationalTherapyMonth #WhyChooseOT #OccupationalTherapy=
Day 18 of the #ABCsofOT Challenge and today's letter is R.

R is for:
✨ Range of Motion
✨ Rehabilitation
✨ Reintegration
✨ Resilience
✨ Return to Work
✨ Role Exploration
✨ Routine Building

The Rs are remarkable and this list captures OT at its most transformative.

Rehabilitation is the frame most people use to understand OT and it is accurate as far as it goes. But OTPs' rehabilitation scope extends well beyond physical recovery. Cognitive rehabilitation, psychiatric rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, and community reintegration are all firmly within OTPs domain and each one requires a distinct and sophisticated clinical skill set.

Return to work is one of occupational therapy's most impactful and underrecognized contributions. OTPs conducting workplace assessments, functional capacity evaluations, and graduated return to work programs are addressing one of the most meaningful occupational goals a person can have. Work is identity. Work is financial independence. Work is participation. OTPs who restore it change lives in ways that extend far beyond the clinic.

Routine building is a clinical intervention that looks deceptively simple and is anything but. For people recovering from mental illness, Traumatic Brain Injury, stroke, or chronic illness, the structure of a daily routine is often the first thing to collapse and the last thing to be restored. OTPs who work systematically on routine building are addressing the scaffolding that holds everything else together.

Role exploration helps patients answer one of the hardest questions recovery raises: who am I now? OTPs who address occupational roles are helping people rebuild identity alongside function.

👇 What "R" word defines your OT practice? Drop it below.

#ABCsofOT #OccupationalTherapyMonth #WhyChooseOT #OccupationalTherapy #OTLife
🎉 Day 17 of Occupational Therapy Month and the #ABCsofOT Challenge keeps going!

Today's letter is… Q 👀

Q is for:
✨ Quality of Life
✨ Quadriplegia Support
✨ Questions

The Qs are QUALITY! 🙌💙

At the heart of every OT session is one Question: what does a good life look like for this person? Quality of Life is not just a goal in occupational therapy. It is the entire point. From supporting individuals with Quadriplegia in regaining independence and engagement in daily life, to asking the right Questions that uncover what truly matters to each patient, OT never stops working toward a better Quality of Life for everyone it serves.

Now it's your turn 👇 What's your favorite "Q" word in OT? Drop it in the comments and let's keep the Quality going!

#ABCsofOT #OccupationalTherapyMonth #WhyChooseOT #OccupationalTherapy
🎉 Day 16 of Occupational Therapy Month and the #ABCsofOT Challenge keeps going!

Today's letter is… P 👀

P is for:
✨ Pain Management
✨ Participation
✨ Pediatrics
✨ Play Therapy
✨ Postural Control
✨ Primitive Reflexes
✨ Productivity
✨ Purposeful Activity

The Ps are PRETTY AMAZING! 🙌💙

Play is the most Powerful therapy tool in Pediatric OT and it is completely intentional. Every game, every activity, every movement is Purposeful, designed to build Postural Control, integrate Primitive Reflexes, and support full Participation in daily life. From Pain Management strategies that help people stay active and independent, to Productivity goals that help someone return to work or school, OT covers every angle.

Pretty amazing does not even begin to cover it.

Now it's your turn 👇 What's your favorite "P" word in OT? Drop it in the comments and let's keep this going!

#ABCsofOT #OccupationalTherapyMonth #WhyChooseOT #OccupationalTherapy
🎉 Day 15 of Occupational Therapy Month and the #ABCsofOT Challenge keeps going!

Today's letter is… O 👀

O is for:
✨ Orthotics
✨ Occupational Justice
✨ Occupation-Based Practice
✨ Outpatient Therapy
✨ Older Adults
✨ Occupational Performance
✨ Oral Motor Skills

The Os are OH SO GOOD! 🙌💙

Occupational therapy is, at its very core, Occupation-Based. Every session, every goal, every intervention is built around the activities that make life meaningful for that specific person. From crafting custom Orthotics that restore hand function, to supporting Older Adults in aging independently and with dignity, to building Oral Motor Skills in children learning to eat safely, OT shows up for every person at every stage of life.

Occupational Performance. Occupational Justice. This is what OT is all about.

Now it's your turn 👇 What's your favorite "O" word in OT? Drop it in the comments and let's celebrate everything this incredible field has to Offer!

#ABCsofOT #OccupationalTherapyMonth #WhyChooseOT #OccupationalTherapy=

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