If this question was posed to most the answer would logically be "you help people with work?". Well yes and no. Occupation includes work or a productive role but it also includes activities related to taking care of yourself and leisure activities. Our national body, the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (http://www.caot.ca/) defines occupation as "everything that people do during the course of everyday life. And the primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the occupations which give meaning and purpose to their lives." So in summary an OT helps you do what you want to do whether it's a sport, doing an activity with your family or being productive at work.
How do we help? Well it varies depending upon the problem and the factors involved. Occupational Therapists are university-trained, regulated health professionals with a broad education background, which allows them to assess not only the medical and physical impairments but also the psycho-social factors that affect your ability to do the activities that you want to do (http://www.caot.ca/). With the end goal of helping you achieve your goals an OT examines the activity that you want to do, your ability to complete that activity and where that activity is taking place. From that process we are able to identify where performance breaks down and work with you to develop a plan.
So if you're not able to complete an activity that you want to do or if you feel as if you're not reaching your potential in some aspect of life find an OT in your area. Remember that health is more than the absence of disease and your performance in everyday activities affects your well-being!
Next time I will discuss a general assessment approach that you will be able to apply to a problem that you may be having whether it's a mobility issue or your child getting out of hand.
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