Occupational Therapists Go Back to List 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.

Technology used in this occupation:
	Accounting software

Tasks
	Complete and maintain necessary records.
	Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
	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 or physical capabilities.
	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.
	Recommend changes in patients' work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.
	Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs or coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.
	Help clients improve decision making, abstract reasoning, memory, sequencing, coordination, and perceptual skills, using computer programs.
	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.
	Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff.

Skills
	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
	Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
	Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
	Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
	Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Knowledge
	Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
	Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
	Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
	Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
	English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
	Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
	Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
	Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
	Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
	Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Search for Jobs on Connecticut's Labor Exchange (CTJOBcentral)
	(Please note that some searches may not produce any results.)

Education & Training   Education:   Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).   Related Experience:   Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

View Related Programs on Connecticut's Education & Training ConneCTion site.

Browse Through a List of Businesses That Employ People With Your Same Skills
	Potential Employer Search

Wage Information
	Region Average Entry Level  Mid-Range  Annual  Hourly  Statewide $99,126.00 $47.66  $33.71  $38.44 - $54.60  Bridgeport/Stamford $100,734.00 $48.43  $32.66  $37.68 - $58.26  Danbury $97,725.00 $46.99  $32.30  $37.37 - $52.84  Hartford $100,064.00 $48.11  $35.52  $40.15 - $53.99  New Haven $98,508.00 $47.36  $34.40  $40.21 - $52.68  New London/Norwich $96,314.00 $46.31  $34.34  $38.44 - $52.14  Waterbury $95,953.00 $46.13  $31.33  $38.00 - $53.13  Torrington $100,177.00 $48.16  $32.81  $39.31 - $59.25

Occupation Outlook ( 2016 - 2026 ) Average Annual Job Openings:   156   Employment in this occupation is expected to grow more slowly than average, and the number of annual openings will offer limited job opportunities.

Related Occupations
	Athletic Trainers
	Physical Therapists
	Recreational Therapists
	Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
	Healthcare Social Workers
	Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

	Some of the occupational information on this page is formulated from O*NETTM v17.0 data. O*NETTM is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.