Occupational Therapy is just a relatively new field since World War I, or the early 1900's. Many still don't know what type of therapy service it's or provides. I am an Occupational Therapy practitioner, and I realize that although more understand what this field entails as time continues on, many are still at a loss to know its function. Since it's rather a wide field, this plays a role in the general confusion and insufficient clarity regarding the kind of therapy it is.

Generally Occupational Therapy addresses an individual or person's function and Activities of Daily Living (ADL's) and a wholesome balance of the being achieved through appropriate work, play, rest and recreation. This may further be broken on to four main, wide-spectrum aspects of the population that is serviced. Adults, Pediatrics, the elderly and Mental Health. There are almost endless sub-groups of therapy that every area addresses. Some pertain to and affect every one of the main areas and some are exclusive and specific to 1 area. For example, ADL's are addressed in adults, children and the mental health areas, however the needs in each area varies and changes. A balance of work, play, rest and recreation applies to all or any, but again this really is variable according to the area/population being served.

For example, adults' needs in their ADL's differ from a child's.The obvious reason is that children are along the way of developing and adults (although still developing through stages of life) are very different in their developmental needs. That is further complicated by the problem or conditions which are being treated. A premature baby with Cerebral Palsy is certainly given an alternative treatment plan than a grown-up with let's say Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This brings us to the numerous specialties within the sounding Occupational Therapy. Hand Therapy will be one area Speech Therapy of which Carpal Tunnel Syndrome falls under. Occupational Therapists can specialize in a variety of endless areas, much way too many to enter detail here.