What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?

Occupational therapists help people develop, recover, improve, or maintain the skills they need to participate in everyday life. They work with individuals whose ability to complete meaningful activities has been affected by an injury, illness, disability, developmental condition, mental health challenge, or age-related change.

An occupational therapist may help someone learn to dress after a stroke, return to work following an injury, participate more successfully in school, adapt to changes in memory or mobility, or remain safely and independently at home. The specific treatment depends on what the person needs and wants to do.

Rather than focusing only on a diagnosis, occupational therapists consider the whole person: physical abilities, thinking and memory, emotional well-being, habits, routines, responsibilities, personal goals, and the environment in which an activity takes place.

What Are an Occupational Therapist’s Main Responsibilities?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , occupational therapists evaluate and treat people with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities to help them develop or recover daily living, vocational, and other skills that promote independence.

Although responsibilities vary by practice setting and patient population, occupational therapists commonly:

Review medical histories, diagnoses, precautions, and referral information
Interview clients and families about their routines, needs, priorities, and goals
Observe how a person performs important everyday activities
Assess physical, cognitive, sensory, emotional, and environmental factors affecting participation
Develop individualized treatment plans and measurable goals
Use meaningful activities and therapeutic techniques to improve function
Teach clients new skills or alternative ways to complete tasks
Recommend adaptive equipment, assistive technology, or environmental modifications
Educate and train family members, caregivers, teachers, or employers
Document services, progress, outcomes, and recommendations
Collaborate with physicians, nurses, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, educators, social workers, and other professionals
Modify treatment plans as a client’s abilities, goals, or circumstances change

The central purpose of this work is to help people participate more fully in the activities that support independence, health, identity, relationships, and quality of life.

How Does an Occupational Therapist Evaluate a Client?

Occupational therapy typically begins with an evaluation. During this process, the therapist develops an understanding of the client’s abilities and challenges, but also learns which activities and roles are most important to that individual.

An evaluation may include interviews, observation, standardized assessments, review of medical or educational records, and discussions with family members or other professionals. Depending on the client’s needs, the therapist may assess:

Strength, endurance, balance, coordination, and range of motion
Fine motor skills and hand function
Attention, memory, judgment, organization, and problem-solving
Vision and visual-perceptual skills
Sensory processing and regulation
Emotional and behavioral factors
Daily habits, routines, and responsibilities
Home, classroom, workplace, or community environments
Ability to use tools, technology, mobility devices, or adaptive equipment

Occupational therapists also observe performance in context. For example, knowing that a person has reduced hand strength is useful, but the therapist also needs to understand how that limitation affects specific activities such as buttoning clothing, preparing food, writing, operating workplace equipment, or caring for a child.

The therapist uses this information to identify barriers, recognize existing strengths, establish goals, and develop an individualized plan of care.

How Do Occupational Therapists Provide Treatment?

Occupational therapy treatment is built around the client’s goals and the activities that matter in that person’s life. The American Occupational Therapy Association identifies areas such as personal care, daily routines, work, school, leisure, home safety, adaptive equipment, and cognitive strategies among the needs occupational therapy can address.

An occupational therapist may help a client improve an underlying skill, change the way a task is completed, modify the surrounding environment, or use equipment that makes participation safer and more manageable.

Practicing Meaningful Activities

Treatment may involve practicing real activities such as dressing, cooking, writing, using a computer, managing medications, moving through a classroom, or completing workplace tasks. Practicing an activity in a realistic context helps connect therapeutic progress to everyday life.

Developing or Restoring Skills

Occupational therapists may use therapeutic activities and exercises to improve strength, coordination, endurance, fine motor control, attention, memory, planning, sensory regulation, or other abilities needed for daily participation.

Adapting Tasks and Environments

When an activity cannot be completed in its usual way, the therapist may recommend a different technique or modify the environment. Examples include reorganizing a workspace, changing the height of commonly used objects, improving lighting, reducing distractions, or creating visual reminders.

Recommending Adaptive Equipment

Occupational therapists may recommend and teach clients to use tools that make activities safer or easier. These can include dressing aids, bathroom equipment, modified utensils, splints, mobility-related devices, computer-access tools, or other forms of assistive technology.

Educating Families and Caregivers

Treatment often extends beyond the individual client. Occupational therapists may teach family members and caregivers how to provide appropriate assistance, use equipment, support a daily routine, encourage independence, or safely help with movement and personal care.

What Are Some Examples of Occupational Therapy?

Because occupational therapy is individualized, the work can look very different from one client to another. Examples include:

Helping a person recovering from a stroke relearn how to dress, prepare meals, and manage daily routines
Working with a child to improve handwriting, attention, sensory regulation, or classroom participation
Teaching an individual with arthritis how to protect joints, conserve energy, and use adaptive tools
Recommending home modifications and fall-prevention strategies for an older adult
Helping a worker adapt job tasks or a workstation following an injury
Supporting a person with cognitive changes through calendars, checklists, labels, and structured routines
Helping someone with a spinal cord injury use mobility, self-care, or environmental-control equipment
Developing routines and coping strategies that support mental health, recovery, and community participation

In each example, the therapist considers not only what the client can or cannot do, but also why the activity matters and what combination of skill development, adaptation, education, or environmental change can support success.

Who Do Occupational Therapists Help?

Occupational therapists work with people across the lifespan. Their clients may be adapting to a new condition, recovering lost abilities, developing skills for the first time, or finding new ways to participate in everyday life.

Children and Adolescents

Occupational therapists may help children participate in play, self-care, school, family routines, and social activities. Treatment may address fine motor development, handwriting, sensory regulation, attention, coordination, feeding, or the use of adaptive equipment.

Adults

Adults may receive occupational therapy following an injury, surgery, stroke, neurological condition, mental health challenge, chronic illness, or change in functional ability. Therapy may focus on independent living, employment, parenting, health management, or returning to valued activities.

Older Adults

Occupational therapists help older adults maintain independence and safety while adapting to changes in mobility, vision, cognition, strength, or health. Services may include fall prevention, home modifications, caregiver education, energy conservation, and support for daily routines.

The American Occupational Therapy Association describes occupational therapy as a profession that helps people of all ages participate more fully in the activities they need and want to do.

Where Do Occupational Therapists Work?

Occupational therapists work in healthcare, educational, workplace, home, and community settings. Common practice environments include:

Hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation facilities
Outpatient rehabilitation clinics
Schools and early-intervention programs
Pediatric therapy centers
Skilled nursing facilities
Home-health agencies
Mental and behavioral health programs
Community-based organizations
Workplace injury-prevention and rehabilitation programs
Private practices
Research, administration, consulting, and higher education

The setting influences the therapist’s responsibilities. An occupational therapist in a hospital may help patients regain daily living skills after an injury, while a school-based therapist may support a student’s ability to participate in classroom activities. A therapist working in home health may evaluate safety, recommend modifications, and help a client remain independent at home.

Explore additional examples through AOTA’s overview of occupational therapy practice settings.

What Skills Do Occupational Therapists Use?

Effective occupational therapists combine clinical knowledge with communication, observation, creativity, and problem-solving. Important skills include:

Clinical reasoning: analyzing how health conditions and environmental factors affect daily performance
Communication: explaining recommendations clearly and listening carefully to clients and families
Observation: recognizing subtle barriers, strengths, and changes in performance
Creativity: adapting activities, tools, and environments to meet individual needs
Collaboration: working with clients, caregivers, educators, employers, and healthcare professionals
Empathy: understanding a client’s experiences, priorities, and goals
Documentation: recording evaluations, interventions, progress, and outcomes accurately

Occupational therapists must also be comfortable adjusting plans when a client’s needs change. The profession requires both scientific preparation and a strong commitment to person-centered care.

What Is the Career Outlook for Occupational Therapists?

The occupational therapy profession has a positive national employment outlook. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects occupational therapist employment to grow 14% from 2024 through 2034, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

Salary, employment demand, and opportunities vary by location, experience, employer, and practice setting. These topics are explored more fully in the University of Saint Mary’s guide to occupational therapy as a career.

How Do You Become an Occupational Therapist?

The typical path to becoming an occupational therapist includes:

Completing a bachelor’s degree and required prerequisite coursework
Earning an entry-level master’s or doctoral degree in occupational therapy from an appropriately accredited program
Completing required fieldwork experiences
Passing the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy examination
Meeting the licensing requirements of the state in which you plan to practice

NBCOT states that candidates for the OTR credential must graduate from an entry-level occupational therapy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. Learn more through NBCOT’s certification eligibility guidance.

For a more detailed explanation of the education, certification, and licensure process, visit How to Become an Occupational Therapist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an occupational therapist do in simple terms?

An occupational therapist helps people perform the activities they need or want to do in daily life. That may involve developing skills, practicing tasks, adapting an environment, using assistive equipment, or learning a different way to complete an activity.

Do occupational therapists only help people return to work?

No. In occupational therapy, the term “occupation” refers broadly to meaningful daily activities. These include personal care, school, work, play, leisure, sleep, health management, social participation, and caring for others.

Do occupational therapists work with mental health needs?

Yes. Occupational therapists may help people establish routines, manage stress, improve social participation, return to school or work, develop coping strategies, and participate more fully in daily life.

Is occupational therapy physically demanding?

Some occupational therapy roles involve assisting clients with movement, transfers, mobility, or personal-care activities. Physical demands vary considerably by setting and patient population.

What is the difference between an occupational therapist and an occupational therapy assistant?

Occupational therapists evaluate clients, establish treatment plans, and oversee occupational therapy services. Occupational therapy assistants help carry out interventions under the supervision of an occupational therapist. Both professions require specialized education, certification, and applicable state licensure. NBCOT provides more information about the OTR and COTA credentials.

Prepare to Make a Difference Through Occupational Therapy

The University of Saint Mary Doctor of Occupational Therapy program prepares students for compassionate, evidence-based practice through classroom instruction, laboratory learning, simulation, fieldwork, and a doctoral capstone.

Located in the greater Kansas City area, USM’s three-year OTD program emphasizes hands-on learning, ethical leadership, service, and the dignity of every person.

Explore the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, review the OTD admissions requirements, or learn more about the OTD curriculum and fieldwork experiences.

Request information about the USM OTD program