What is occupational therapy, Job prospects & Where to study?
Most people in Kerala know about Physiotherapy. Many people have heard about speech therapy. But very few know about Occupational Therapy (OT).
What is it all about?
Here whaever occupies one's time is an accupation or activities of daily life (ADL).
There are broadly four main reasons why a person may have difficulty in discharging ADL like getting up, walking, brushing, dressing, bathing, writing, doing work etc.
1.Congenital incapacity, 2.debilitation due to disease 3.infirmities due to accidents and 4.senility (old age).
It may be physiological or psychological.
So OTs have to provide their services in a larger canvas of treatment including usage of devices, exercises and psychotherapy.
While a physiotherapist focuses on the mobility, an OT addresses all the ADL-related weaknesses of a client to enable her/him to live and work independantly.
OTs works differently with different age groups.
They help children to interact well at school and on the playground whereas in the case of elderly peple, it may be in the areas of memory and movement. For people who have had a stroke, doctors today recommend consulting OT to return to their normal state.
Even a newborn baby may sometimes require the services of an OT. OT provides treatment even for new born babies
Babies born with physical disabilities who are unable to breastfeed, who are not growing for their age all may require the service of an expert OT. Oral Motor Exercise and Multi Sensory Stimulation techniques are used in this treatment.
An OT can intervene in children with learning disabilities, hyperactivity and autism and bring them to normal lifestyle through innovative methods like play therapy, sensory integration, recreation therapy etc.
Modern techniques such as Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Splinting and Neuro Developmental therapy that treat limb weakness have made the field of OT an essential part of society today.
Who can choose this career?
If one has good patience, empathy and creativity,
Occupational therapy is an area in which students interested in allied heath care can excel.
The basic degree is four and a half years. BOT (Bachelor of Occupational Therapy).
One should study Physics, chemistry & biology at higher secondary/plus two level to be eligible for admission to this UG course.
Job prospects
OTs are in great demand abroad especially in the UK, West European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Gulf countries, Canada and USA.
It is on the shortage profession list in more than fifty countries around the globe including India.
While one gets an average salary from three lakh rupees abroad, the freshers in the country are getting a salary of minimum of thirty five thousand rupees now. Many rehabilitation institutes in Kerala are now in search of OTs who are in acute short supply. Salaries in other parts of India are even higher. With increasing experience the salary also rises substantially.
There are OTs who run their own clinics and those who provide home services also.
Where to study
BOT has only 40 seats in two self-financing colleges under government control in Kerala. NISH at Thiruvananthapuram and NIPMR at Irinjalakuda. One has to apply online in single window system through LBS. Admission is based plus two marks.
Premier All India Institutes run by Govt of India are SVNIRTAR(Orissa), PDUNIPPD Delhi, NILD Kolkata & NIEPMD Chennai.
The selection for these four institutes is through common entrance examination.
Here CET is combined for three courses namely BOT, BPT and BOP. Study in these top rated institutes at low fees.
Nearby Karnataka has study facilities at Manipal MCHP, Mangalore Yenepoya, Mysore JSS and Heritage city college. Tamil Nadu has few colleges including KMCT, Coimbatore, SRM University Chennai & Trichy, Sri Ramachandra College, Chennai offering this course.
Those interested in further studies can enroll for a two-year MOT (with various specializations).
Nizar Peruvad,
Career guide @CIGI