Occupation information for

Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays.

Currently Employed: 108,800

Yearly Projected Openings: 5,710

Typical Hourly Wage: $29.58 - $42.69

Typical Annual Salary: $61,500 - $88,800

• Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate those impaired because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
• Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
• Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental and physical capabilities.
• Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
• Complete and maintain necessary records.
• Train caregivers how to provide for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.
• Recommend changes in patients' work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.
• Develop and participate in health promotion programs, group activities, or discussions to promote client health, facilitate social adjustment, alleviate stress, and prevent physical or mental disability.
• Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs and coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.
• Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work and school skills and adjust to handicaps.

• Adaptive communication switches for the physically challenged
• Drilling machines
• Lathes
• Soldering irons or guns
• Wheelchairs

• Computer based training software
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Medical software
• Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
• Word processing software