What Is Occupational Therapy?

Potential Fallbacks

The success of occupational therapy depends on the patient's overall physical and mental health. Some patients may begin a series of occupational therapy sessions they are unable to finish due to health complications, and occupational therapy might not be effective for every patient. If the patient is not suitable for occupational therapy services, doctors might choose to have the patient continue with physical therapy or speech therapy for longer to build their strength and functional skills in these areas. The patient could then be re-evaluated to see if occupational therapy would be appropriate at a later time. Patients who do not have occupational therapy may need to have in-home health services and caregivers as a fallback, and they might not be able to be as independent as those who have had occupational therapy.

Learn about where occupational therapists work next.