Occupational Therapists - General Information

  • Brandenburger-Shasby, Sharon. January/February 2005. School-Based Practice: Acquiring the Knowledge and Skills. American Journal of Occupational Therapy 59(1).

“The purpose of this descriptive study is to investigate the perceptions of occupational therapists working in school-based settings regarding their level of preparation for practice.”

  • Dunbar, Sandra Barker, Orit Simhoni, and Lori T. Anderson. 2002. Classification of Fieldwork Experiences for the New Millennium. Occupational Therapy in Health Care 16(1).

“Innovative activities in a variety of settings are increasingly used by educational programs to provide fieldwork experiences for students. Descriptions and definitions of these new types of experiences will provide a format for consistent terminology and further enhance optimal involvement in newer arenas.”

  • Fisher, Gail, MPA, OTR/L, Judith Cooksey, MD, MPH, Michele Reed, MPH, and Catherine McClure, BS. September 2002. The Occupational Therapy Workforce in Illinois and National Workforce Trends. Illinois Regional Health Workforce Center. [Online, accessed 11/20/06.]

Available: http://www.uic.edu/sph/irhwc/ot%20wf%20gf.pdf
“This report presents an overview of the profession and a brief analysis of national trends in OT personnel, educational programs, and work settings through the 1990s. These national data provide a context for examining Illinois data and more detail state level information on the workforce distribution across regions of the state, marketplace demand, and hiring trends.”

  • Powell, Janet M., Sonya L. Griffith, and Elizabeth M. Kanny. January/February 2005. Occupational Therapy Workforce Needs: A Model for Demand-Based Studies. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy 59(1): 467–74.

The purpose of this article is “to provide a model for assessing occupational therapy workforce needs by using a demand-based approach to determine current workforce status in the Northwest region. Regional information may have implications for addressing national occupational therapy service needs.”

  • Smith, Roger O. May/June 2000. Technology and Occupation: Contemporary Viewpoints: The Role of Occupational Therapy in a Developmental Technology Model. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy 54(3).

This article discusses the intimate relationship occupational therapy and technology have had for 80 years and the substantial effect technology has had on defining the role of occupational therapy practitioners.

  • The American Occupational Therapy Association. (n.d.) Your Career in Occupational Therapy. Workforce Trends in Occupational Therapy. Bethesda, MD: The American Occupational Therapy Association.

This article examines the current and projected demand for occupational therapy services.

  • The American Journal of Occupational Therapy. November/December 2001. The Foundation—Introducing the Institute for the Study of Occupation and Health. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy 55(6).

This article discusses the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF), which reviewed the foundation’s programs and accomplishments since its inception in 1965 as a 501(c)(3), nonprofit, charitable, scientific, literary, and educational society. The corporation aims to advance the science of occupational therapy and to increase the public knowledge and understanding thereof by encouraging the study of occupational therapy.

  • U.S. Department Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections. 2006–07. Occupational Therapists. Washington, DC: Occupational Outlook Handbook. [Online, accessed 11/7/06/]

Available: http://www.bls.gov/oco/pdf/ocos078.pdf

“Significant points:

  • Employment is projected to increase much faster than the average, as rapid growth in the number of middle-aged and elderly individuals increases the demand for therapeutic services.
  • Beginning in 2007, a master’s degree or higher in occupational therapy will be the minimum educational requirement.
  • Occupational therapists are increasingly taking on supervisory roles, allowing assistants and aides to work more closely with clients under the guidance of a therapist, in an effort to reduce the cost of therapy.
  • More than a quarter of occupational therapists work part time.”