Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy

weekly meeting dt. 25th October 2007

at

Mulund Gymkhana

Guest speaker: Dr. Hemant Nandgaonkar

Dr. Hemant

Dr. Hemant Nandgaonkar,M.Sc. (O.T.) explained the members what Occupational Therapy (O. T.) is all about.

Many people have heard about occupational therapy, "O.T." as it is called, but they often don't have exact idea of O.T.

What Is Occupational Therapy?... Technically, it is defined by the American Occupational Therapy Association executive board (1976) as: "The therapeutic use of work, self-care, and play activities to increase development and prevent disability. It may include adaptation of task or environment to achieve maximum independence and to enhance the quality of life."

It focuses on the word "occupation", and the dictionary definition of occupation is, "that which chiefly engages one's time, trade, profession, or business."

One's occupation can therefore be defined as the way in which we occupy our time. Thus, our time is divided into three categories of activities in which we take part daily:
· SELF-CARE: sleeping, eating, grooming, dressing, and toileting
· WORK: effort that is exerted to do or make something, or perform a task
· LEISURE: free, unoccupied time in which one chooses to do something they enjoy (i.e., hobby, tv, socializing, sports, "chill out", read, write, listen to music, travel, etc.) If you read these very carefully, you will see that ANY task or use of our time during the day fits into one of these three categories.

Thus the meaning of the term "occupation". It IS how we spend our time; whether paid or unpaid, restful or fun, obligation or choice and that which fulfills us, gives us purpose, and allows us to interact with, be productive, and function in the world around us to the best of our ability.
Here is where the "therapy" comes in. If, at any point in our lives (whether present at birth or onset at a later time), illness, injury or disability prevents us from effectively or independently functioning in one or more "occupational" areas, then it is the job of Occupational Therapy to provide intervention which will help you regain function, maintain level of functioning, or make accommodations for any deficits you may be experiencing.

It is the job of an Occupational Therapist to figure out which areas are suffering and how he can assist that person in performing these activities in a more functional, successful and independent way.

He also explained how it is different than the Physical Therapy (P.T.).

Generally, Physical Therapists do exercises purely for exercise's sake to increase strength, range of motion, and particular body and muscle movements for the eventual outcome of increased function and mobility.

Occupational Therapy has the same goal in mind (increasing function and independence) in regards to physical disabilities and limitations, and they may use repetitive exercises, but most often they use them in the context of a "functional activity". This refers to performing meaningful activities while simultaneously working on increasing function and mobility.

Thereafter, he explained in detail SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER which is his speciality.

Here is an image from one of the pamplets distributed by Dr. Hemant Nandgaonkar that explains it.

We believe that members enjoyed the session and were now better equipped to know what is O.T.