What to expect during Occupational Therapy (OT) Process ??

Occupational Therapy (OT) Process is an highly skillful process starting from first meeting till the discharge i.e. when child no longer requires active OT sessions. 

Step One: 

Preparing for the Consultation

First meeting or Consultation is obtained through prior appointment only. Once appointment is obtained, parents should make a list of their concerns on a piece of paper, compel all the reports of any assessments done prior from birth till date in a file sequentially date-wise- to facilitate easy conveying of history to the lead Occupational Therapist (OTist). It is advisable for both parents to attend the consultation to provide complete picture of the child.  

Step Two:

Consultation

During the consultation- the therapist takes a detailed history- medical, developmental, academic & leisure/ play history; & document/record the details on a specially prepared Proforma / Case Record Paper. This history helps the Occupational Therapist to give appropriate weightage to different causative factors, make SMART goals and then decide the correct approach, frequency & duration of the OT sessions to be taken for successful treatment to achieve the SMART goals made for the child. Consultation session generally lasts 45-60 mins to complete.

Step Three:

OT Evaluation

Post consultation, OT Evaluation is done. This step of the process may range from 45 mins to several hours depending on the age & concerns of the child. To make this process easier for the child, it may be divided in 2-3 sessions of 45 mins each. OT Evaluation is a uniquely skillful process which includes clinical observations (of the child's performance on certain instructions), formal standardization tests (done to determine the child's developmental age, make a profile of child's sensory processing, cognitive-perceptual skills); analysis of the performance samples - of handwriting, videos of child's performance at home, school, garden, building playground, social events, relative's visit, holiday outings, etc. to understand child's performance in different contexts (environment). All this valuable information is analyzed to understand the cause of child's concerns. Also, the gap between demands placed on child & child's capacities /skill-set is determined. 

Step Four:

Occupational Therapy sessions

Once step-three is over, a schedule of Occupational therapy sessions is determined. Each session is documented. It is very important for parents to be regular & consistent in the therapy sessions & also parents should repeat the activities/ exercises or practice the skills taught in the OT session at home to help child generalize the learnt skill effectively & faster. As the therapy progresses & child shows improvements in certain areas or doesn't show improvements in certain areas, parents meetings are scheduled to gain more insight & determine further course of action. Group Therapy sessions for both child (once-a-week) & parent (once-a-month) are conducted on regular basis. It is very important for parents to have trust & confidence in their child & therapists & also important for parents to very consistent, regular, sincere in attending the therapy sessions. This regularity is important not only till child improves but also after that. The entire process may take 6 months or more depending on child's age & concerns. Parents should maintain the schedule of the therapy sessions to help speed-up the learning process. 

Step Five:

Discharge / Discontinuing of the OT sessions

When the child starts achieving the goals set for the treatment, a re-assessment is conducted as done earlier. The re-assessment is done to determine qualitatively & quantitatively whether all goals set are achieved; skills are enough to cope with the demands & whether the achieved child's occupational performance is efficient for the child's independent functioning in the society. Sudden discontinuance of the therapy sessions are not advisable, they needs to be weaned off gradually by decreasing the frequency of therapy sessions over another few months & observing for child's use of self-coping mechanisms without supervision. Following discharge from active therapy sessions, parents are advised for 3-6 monthly follow-up for re-assessment to ensure child's development is on track. This helps prevent child's slipping off developmental track & catch child early if the child's struggling or slipping. 

The above Occupational Therapy Process is a general outline, the steps may slightly vary or duration of each step may vary depending on the child's age & concerns.

Thanks & regards,

Dr. Pooja Mehta,

M.O.Th (DD), FAOT (NDD), MA (Clinical Psychology) 

   

What is "Occupational Therapy"

Occupational Therapy (OT) is the client-centred assessment followed by therapeutic intervention; through meaningful participation & engagement in purposeful activities/ occupational tasks to:

- enable individuals to independently participate in the Occupational Areas i.e activities of daily living (ADL)- mobility, grooming, eating, dressing, etc., use of instruments in day-to-day activities (IADL)- use of pen/pencil, phone/tab/ computer, spoon/fork, etc.; academic / work-related functions; social interaction and personal well-being

- prevent disability/ deficits through early intervention..

- develop or re-develop performance skills- physical [gross / fine motor], co-ordination, sensory-processing, social, academic [handwriting, written expression, reading, math], cognitive-perceptual [attention, memory, verbal fluency, comprehension, problem-solving, planning, organizing, executive functions, etc.], social & emotional/ psychological 

- adapt to maintain or enhance/ improve the occupational performance level [adaptation of environment or task or method of doing the task]  

- overcome or recover from functional deficits/ challenges/ difficulties to lead an independent, productive and valuable member of the society

I believe, we Occupational Therapists are skill-developers, health promoters and functional-independence providers to help you "Live Life to Fullest"

It is provided by qualified Occupational Therapists i.e. medical professionals with educational qualification of "Bachelors of Occupational Therapy [B.O.T/B.O.Th]; Masters of Occupational Therapy [M.O.T/ M.O.Th] &/ Fellowship in Advanced Occupational Therapy [F.A.OT]"

With a decade of practice, I have seen 10-15 fold increase in awareness & demand of Occupational Therapy (OT), as a go-to therapy for many individuals- adults and children alike, both typical and neuro-diverse for multiple reasons and concerns- developmental, physical, work-related or psycho-social skills.. 

" Every coin has two-sides" With this increased awareness and demand, the flip-side of it... has seen many non-Occupational Therapist practicing as "Occupational Therapist (OTist)" after doing few certifications / workshops. Hence, my sincere urge to you, my dear readers is to take OT sessions from qualified OTists with above mentioned educational qualifications only.

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