
Occupational Therapy promotes health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful occupations, and address the impact of social, political and environmental factors which contribute to exclusion and occupational deprivation. Some occupational therapists work with children who suffer from developmental problems. Occupational therapists can also help adult patients recover their motor, reasoning and living skills after a stroke, brain injury or illness that renders them disabled. And occupational therapists teach elderly patients exercises and techniques to slow down or compensate for diminished abilities, with the goal of helping the patient to remain independent and self-sufficient.
Occupational Therapy online degree programs prepare healthcare professionals to actively shape health and rehabilitation services by encouraging them to function as independent practitioners and critical thinkers in a changing society and healthcare environment. Such curricula tend to focus on professional practice, critical inquiry, electives, and a capstone experience.
As patients seek to regain or even increase their abilities, the need for skilled Occupational Therapy professionals is strong.The field of occupational therapy is expected to grow at more than double the average rate of all occupations over the next decade, so opportunities should be plentiful. Much of this growth will be for occupational therapists who work with the elderly as the baby boom generation ages. Further growth will be in schools and working with school-aged children as that population also continues to grow.