Why is it called “occupational therapy”?

Written by Courtney Carriveau | Mar 1, 2021 6:32:04 PM

Occupational Therapy is centered around helping people participate in the everyday activities that are important to them. These activities are also called ‘occupations’ hence the term ‘occupational therapy’. For children, these occupations typically center around family routines, school participation, play, dressing and self-help skills. When our occupations are impaired, we struggle to function in our daily lives and simple tasks become more challenging. In occupational therapy, we strive to focus on the occupations that are most important to the specific child and family we are working with. We partner with families and we all work together to improve the quality of life for not only the child, but all caregivers and family members that are a part of that child’s community.