Occupational therapy is understood as a health profession whose specific function is the application of techniques and the performance of occupational activities that tend to enhance or replace diminished or lost physical or mental functions, and to guide and stimulate the development of these functions.
The occupational therapist, then, helps the person suffering from a physical, mental, sensory or social dysfunction to reach a maximum degree of personal autonomy in their environment.

The occupational therapist is an intermediary between the disabled person and his environment. It prevents deterioration and maintains or stimulates the person's abilities. Therefore, they must be able to facilitate the maximum development of functions, reduce, correct or compensate for the effects of a pathology, promote the physical, personal and social autonomy of the person and to provide practical solutions for patient environmental integration.

This professional also interacts with the health and social systems, sharing with other professionals the functions of planning, organization, direction and evaluation. It is to ensure an appropriate intervention helping the disabled person acquire the skills and attitudes necessary to develop its daily life and to achieve the maximum of autonomy and integration.

• Analyse the individual cases with whom they have to work.
  Obtain information about the cases assigned, on the basis of reports received, direct observation, etc.
  Assess what the person and and cannot do.
  Identify the issues surrounding and causes for the person's lack of independence.
  Identify possible solutions.
  Refer situations or cases that require intervention outside their scope to other professionals and keep track of these.
• Design interventions, establishing the objectives and scheduling any relevant actions.
  Draw up the programme of actions on the basis of the information collected.
  Determine specific and distinct objectives and indicate which of these are priorities in the short, medium and long-term.
  Determine a strategy and an action methodology.
  Indicate the resources needed and where necessary delegate tasks and coordinating mechanisms amongst the team.
• Perform activities to foster the acquisition of physical, personal and social independence.
  Instruct the person using activities that can have a bearing on the causes for the lack of independence.
  Analyse the person's everyday activities and break them down into those related to self-care, productivity and free time.
  Equip the patients with resources that allow them to resolve issues themselves.
  Reduce, correct or compensate the effects of a pathology.
  Teach the patient new ways of doing things.
  Help them to organise their time.
  Direct and oversee activities that aim to prevent the loss or deterioration of functional, personal and social abilities, and apply the programmes and guidelines established.
  Perform occupational integration tasks.
• Promote actions that serve to foster patients' integration in their environment.
  Identify the resources available in the environment.
  Adapt the environment to the needs of the patient.
  Provide advice, guidance and support to groups and individuals.
  On the ground, analyse the suitability of the activities and resources employed.
  Instruct and advise users and their guardians or relatives on the responsibilities and actions that must be taken on in their environment, as well as the necessary procedures or requirements in order for patients to develop their independence.
• Analyse and assess the process employed for each patient.
  Apply assessment techniques and procedures to evaluate the results obtained in terms of developing the patient's independence and aptitudes.
  Subsequently keep track of the results and impact of the training actions carried out.

Regulated training and graduates

• Grau: Teràpia ocupacional

Complementary training

The occupational therapist is an specialist of the analysis and the intervention with the person, the occupation and the environment. The required experience will depend on the intervention scope, which is wide, based on the person, a group, or a community with difficulties with the rutine activities and/or the risck of having it.

Occupational Therapist videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO8v_miJ6RI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud5Fp279g4Y

Empathy: Level 3

Communication: Level 2

Flexibility and change management: Level 2

Customer orientation: Level 2

Planning and organisation: Level 2

Social community worker

Individuals related to the social/community field have an interest in working to improve people's social well-being and quality of life, as well as enhance their integration into their social, family and/or work environment. The professional activities that are common in this field include providing special support and aid to people at risk of social exclusion, designing programmes and implementing resources for the social and cultural stimulation of an area, and acting as mediators for conflict resolution in family, social or interpersonal environments. These activities involve constant interaction with people in order to improve their psychological and social well-being.

Healthcare

Working to maintain and improve health, as well as physical and mental well-being, is the primary interest of people who are involved in the field of healthcare. Some of the activities in this field include making diagnoses, prescribing treatments and monitoring illnesses and injuries. These activities also include the application of therapeutic treatments (traditional or alternative) with a view to facilitating the physical recovery of those being treated. To carry out these activities, one must have in-depth knowledge of the human body and medicine, in its various specialisations.

Palliative care specialist

Teacher for the sensory impaired

Technical of therapies with animals

Educator in technology for the blind.

Speech therapist

• Work hours

  Full-time is the norm, although part-time hours do exist on a minority basis.

• Salary

  Salary ranges from around between 16.990 to 24.485 euros per annum gross. Median: 20.396 euros annum gross.
  
  Source: Report "Observatory of Jobs and Salaries of the Labour Market. Barcelona Activa", elaborated by ICSA Grupo. April 2015.

• Professional category

  Technician