Occupational Therapy Practice: Pediatrics (Sensory Integration)

[USCOSOT]

Thanks for asking! You can earn a Bachelors, Masters or Clinical Doctorate (non-PhD) degree in Occupational Therapy, and some universities like USC offer a research doctorate (PhD) degree in Occupational Science, the scientific discipline that informs OT practice with patients. Check out the "Academics" section of our website to learn more!

[cotaman7]

@USCOSOT You cannot get a Bachelors in OT anymore. Only a Master and Doctorate.

[reilly9331]

Is occupational therapy a masters degree? Or is there a phD degree as well? If so, what is the difference?

[cotaman7]

Aki, do you work in the school system or private clinic. I use to work for the LA school district but was seeing on average of 40-50 students a day... Over whelming. Nursing homes and clinics where just as bad. I don't work as a COTA anymore and now live in Japan. If you ever get the chance to come to Japan, mentor with one of their OT's. You will be amazed at how much better their OT system is then America's.

[barbaraannsmith]

I love the climbing wall, great job showing what OTs do and how you enjoy it. You must be a great OT.

RecyclingOT com

[sogreatgirl]

what college classes would you go about taking for his field (specifically pedictric)

[USCOSOT]

@sogreatgirl The prerequisites for admission to occupational therapy educational programs vary among universities and the level of study pursued (undergraduate, entry-level graduate, post-professional graduate, or doctorate). You can find the list of prerequisite courses for admission to the USC 2-year entry-level master's occupational therapy program at our website: ot.usc.edu

[wishpuppy]

he works well with those kids!!~ :) those kids are really cute hehe. I hope i get accepted into school of occupational therapy cause this is just amazing~~!!

[donnza90]

I would love to be able to say that sentence one day "I am an occupational therapist". applying for uni to do O.T next year and hoping I succeed.

[claralw100]

I love kids and it would be great work with them and help them. But could someone tell me the entry requirements to the courses? like which subjects do i have to study? and do people who study occupational therapy all end up working specially with children or is it something that u have to decide?

[moisaysoui]

I'm the Mom of a child who receives Occupational Therapy, and Aki has been one of his therapists for the past year. I truly believe that miracles have happened in my child's life as a result of the OT he has been given over the years. It has made a dramatic difference to his quality of life and ability to function in school and achieve his potential. I am so thankful to the OT's like Aki who have given their time, energy and the best of their skills to not only my child, but my whole family.

[porbidaman]

hmmm...I have a 5 y.o student, who frequently breaks his crayons and sometimes makes holes in his paper during writing exercises, is there something wrong with him?

[manhvohoanhao2007]

bạn ơi! mình là sinh viên ở việt nam ngành vật lý trị liệu phục hồi chức năng! bên mình còn yếu hoạt động trị liệu cho trẻ em! bạn có thể chia sẽ một số kinh nghiệm và quay clip cách thức tập cho trẻ không

[MyUsername156]

Aki looks like her is fantastic at is job =)

[MyUsername156]

@MyUsername156 *he

[1958boomergirl]

I wonder if this kind of thing helps kids who might be learning-disabled. If so, I wish this kind of therapy had been available for my dad when he was a preschooler. I now suspect he's been going around his whole life with an undiagnosed learning disability. The good news is that he has been able to work & support a large family in spite of the problem.

[Luffyootube]

So OT requires 6 years of college? Also, how is the salary?

[USCOSOT]

@Luffyootube To practice occupational therapy you need a master's degree, so that would require that you obtain a bachelor's degree (in any field) and then complete your 2-year MA program in OT. USC offers an accelerated bachelor's to master's degree in OT that takes just 5 years.

Salary depends on the area of practice - OT's are paid differently depending on the setting, the geographical location, etc. Check out AOTA or the Bureau of Labor Statistics for more information.

[Chickiechicky]

This is very informative video. My son just started OT in the home. He is 2 years old and has sensory issues. I have learned that he needs to have a lot of physical stimulation. I hope to see much progress in his OT sessions. Thanks again for the video.

[cl3angetaway]

awesome vid, looks like a fulfilling career! i was wonderin, how do the careers of OTs & PTs differ? i know PTs specialise in motor function, but i notice that OTs work with muscle function too eg leg exercises on babies. im a little confused..

[USCOSOT]

@cl3angetaway AOTA describes the difference between OT & PT as follows: Physical therapy works on strength and movement, while occupational therapy applies that strength and movement to all activities that “occupy” us from the time we get up in the morning until the end of the day.

Sometimes the two therapies may look similar, but the theoretical framework being applied is different and the patient goals are different. I hope this helps to clarify for you!

[iraqidolphin]

Wish I had him in the pediatric wards in the 70's

[Loveblessing1]

Are you a therapist or a doctor? Therapist?

[USCOSOT]

@Loveblessing1 Aki is an occupational therapist, which is different from a therapist in psychology and different from a medical doctor. An occupational therapist is a healthcare professional who works with patients on their daily activities or "occupations". For children, their primary occupations are play and school which you can see reflected in the treatment that Aki is demonstrating in this video.

[JMWx1]

what advice would you give to someone who is looking to become an occupational therapist in the future?

[USCOSOT]

@JMWx1 the first thing you need to do is get your master's in occupational therapy. this youtube channel features videos from graduates of the top-ranked OT program at the University of Southern California. There are programs all over the U.S. and in other countries though, so find the program that works for you and get started on your career!

[lucyjanemiller]

Dear Aki-

This is a very nice video.  Good job representing the field!

Lucy Jane Miller

[Weisenheimer78]

Thanks fo doing what you do... and you happen to be super cute.

[MartinoSalvatore]

Good job Aki

[angelmommy1982]

my son has SPD and ASD and also GDD. on top of having frontal lobe damage.. he goes to OT and Speech.. and Honestly i haven't seen any difference in him in 6 months as he was before.. he is still severely aggressive. he's only 2 1/2 and he took scissors and tried to stab his 12 year old autie.. *yes he is being put on anti aggression meds in 3 weeks when he turns three.. I don't know what to do..

[husamjordan1990]

How much do u get??

[USCOSOT]

Thank you for your question, husamjordan1990. Estimated salaries for occupational therapists vary by state and practice area. You can find more information at the Bureau of Labor Statistics website or the American Occupational Therapy Association.

[husamjordan1990]

@USCOSOT ok thanks a lot.

[husamjordan1990]

NIce job.fits ur personality...i never really got a annual rate or understanding of the compensation earned in this job. not even on payscale, it gave different numbers ..would you be able to give me an idea??

[hrdcorepunk7769]

This guy has the perfect personality for this job. All smiles and laughter and a good understanding of how to motivate children and bring them joy. Good job Aki!

[emmajosephine1990]

thanks so much, i just started My BHSc in OT and i eventually plan on working in pediatrics... im so excited. thanks!

[BunnyHanyou]

omg what a cute job lol.

[gaybuzz1]

I'm so glad i stumbled across this video. Next year I will be working with a child with high functioning Austism. I have been instructed to work a lot on OT, so just seeing some of the activities shown on this video has given me some great ideas.! Thanks Heaps

[animal16]

u need a masters degree since 2006

im a 2nd year ot in a entry level masters program

[zstreet1]

I would want to work with kids. They bring such joy to the world and remind me of the good old days.

[Dianesaurr]

im excited to graduate and finally be an OT

[MartinoSalvatore]

Good job colleague

[CLAUDiAG126]

Thank you for this video, it is great! I will be starting my OTA program in a couple of days and I'm really excited!!!

[bpierson4]

This was a great video... I am a 2nd year OT student and was going for either home health or mental health for geriatrics but I think I may want to switch to peds so I can be a big kid for the rest of my life... :-) Great to see that there are other guys in the OT world... its encouraging

[amitkochhar]

dude there are a lot of guys in ot world guy are not dumb hi hi hi hi we are creative and intell too

[videolver2]

do you treat kids with childhood arthritis?

[USCOSOT]

Occupational therapists work with children in a variety of different practice areas.  There are certainly some who do see children with childhood arthritis.

[MrSymposier]

Occupational therapy for pediatrics seems to be a great challenge, because the OT should have the hability to see all the different reactions the child is having(( as they dont know how to communicate well)). Valuable information about pediatrics is available at symposier site.

[anitaprendushi]

Thanks for this video. Than helps people te get a better idea what OT is.

[blackayumi]

NICE! I want to be like you!! But what qualifications do I need? Bachelor degree or masters?

[bpierson4]

you need a masters at any school that offers an OT program... they dont offer bachelors for OT in the US anymore, at least I dont think they do but masters degree is the minimum to practice... usually these programs are 2 to 3 yrs... I would suggest learning some kinesiology/anatomy/physiology and a good amount of psychology

[USCOSOT]

You do need a master's degree to practice, but there are also progressive bachelor's to master's programs in which you can receive both degrees in 5 years. USC offers this option.

[karamelqt11]

Absolutely loved this video. I am a 2nd year OT student and this video really does a wonderful job at depicting OT's that work in Peds.

[joyalisa]

this looks like so much fun!