Some of our amazing OTs dressed up like the royalty they are, last Halloween!
A Day in the Life of an Occupational Therapist
By Team Therapy Smarts
Have you ever wondered what a therapist’s day looks like? In this series, we’ll be providing an inside look at a few of the critical tasks our occupational therapists perform to help keep things here at Therapy Smarts running smoothly.
Of the rehabilitative therapies, occupational therapy is often the one parents have least experience with — however, its practical uses are extensive, bridging the gaps between mental health and physical skills. Similarly, an occupational therapists’ work day is filled with a range of different tasks, making every day unique and meaningful.
The Playbook
On average, our occupational therapists see anywhere from six to nine patients a day. Each session lasts for an hour, with the final few minutes devoted to talking with a patient’s family. This Q&A is an excellent time for families to get their questions answered and for their therapist to provide useful skills that they can work on at home and in the community.
So, what happens within the bulk of the session? Every session is different, but there’s one thing they all have in common— it all feels like play, for the child! While they complete fun activities like blowing bubbles, playing board games and running around our sensory gym, their occupational therapist is carefully observing both their mood and movement.
Sessions, of course, will vary based on a child’s unique goals. Here are a few example milestones an occupational therapist may work on with their patient:
Trying New Foods: Our feeding kitchen is a fun and functional playground to let children expand their pallets! Our therapist might arrange an activity allowing a child to see, smell and touch new foods, with the end goal of trying something new! We also have a collection of kid-friendly snacks, so each child isn’t too far from their comfort zone.
- Building Social Skills: Our occupational therapists are experts at turning games into learning opportunities! A board game might provide a great chance to take turns, while a card game can open the door to practice conversational skills.
- Engaging Our Emotions: Sometimes, a bit of role-play can open the door for a child to better understand his or her feelings! Our occupational therapists can use real-life or fictional examples to explore a particular scenario— such as navigating through strong feelings after a change in routine, or a disagreement with a friend.
The Paperwork
On average, our occupational therapists manage 6 to 9 patients at full capacity. However, where and when an occupational therapist treats can vary! At Therapy Smarts, we take the unique preferences of our therapists into account to build the schedule that allows them to bring and be their best!
We are proud to provide services in three unique locations: in-clinic, in-school and via school-readiness programs. Based on a therapists’ interest and the needs of these communities, our team will devise a schedule that best fits these interests. In addition, we take logistics into consideration— say an occupational therapist is treating at school in the morning and in-clinic in the afternoon. All of the schools we work with are within a fifteen minute radius of our clinic, meaning that no one feels rushed as they move between locations each day!
Therapists will have time to log and complete their note-taking in a timely fashion during each week. They are given a total of five weekly hours to complete these, with blocks of time dedicated to note-taking, based on their unique schedule and aim to have all weekly notes completed by Sunday evening. Therapists should have ample time to log as needed, following each session.
The People
At Therapy Smarts, we are proud to be a multidisciplinary clinic. As well as giving our families a range of services to help their children thrive, this also provides ample opportunities for our therapists to engage in cross-departmental learning. As just one example, we may host a learning session about apraxia, giving ample opportunities to gain experience with conditions that an occupational therapist may not be familiar with treating.
In select cases, our occupational therapists are also able to co-treat with a speech therapist. This can further their personal growth and understanding by creating treatment plans that take a variety of goals for the child into account, and can promote holistic carryover within and outside of the clinical setting.
Consistently, our therapists agree that it is the collaborative and multidisciplinary environment our team offers that helps us to thrive. We are proud to be able to support such a talented team, each with their own unique specializations!
Think you might be a good fit to join our amazing team of therapists? We are hiring occupational therapists to join us at our state of the art facility in Chapel Hill! If you’d be interested in joining us, please contact HR@therapysmarts.net— we look forward to the opportunity to get to know you!