Occupational Therapy Preparation

www.aota.org

“Occupational therapists help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.”(aota web site)

Preparation for occupational therapy requires, first and foremost, that certain pre-requisite courses be completed. In addition, some programs require the Graduate Record Examination for admission (GRE). It is important to check the programs’ individual websites to determine program requirements as some programs are Master’s Level Programs and some are Doctoral Level Programs.

You can choose any undergraduate major, provided that you include the required Occupational Therapy school prerequisite classes in your course of study. Students at Salisbury University have majored in Art, Music, Psychology, Biology, etc. You must do very well academically in the area of study that you choose and also in all prerequisite courses. Requirements vary by school, but the following courses are generally required:

Most programs require letters of recommendations from human service sites where the applicant has volunteered or worked. It is important to establish a relationship with such a facility early in the undergraduate years, not only to receive a recommendation, but also to understand the diverse clinical roles of the occupational therapist.