Pediatric occupational therapists play a critical role in society as they work to enable patients in everyday meaningful activities. They come to the rescue when a child’s ability to love independently is disrupted by injury or illness. Here are some of the reasons to work in pediatric occupational therapy.
Reasons to Work in Pediatric Occupational Therapy
This post will discuss some of the reasons you should consider working in occupational therapy. The article outlines how pediatric occupational therapists provide support and healthy tips to children, infants, toddlers and youth, as well as to their families in various settings.
Pediatric Occupational Therapists
Pediatric occupational therapists have the rare opportunity to work with children to ensure the children get a good start to some of the most critical developmental stages of their lives. There’s plenty to learn about the ins and out of occupational therapy. It’s a coveted specialty that offers a fulfilling, increasingly in-demand and respected career path. Moreover, there are plenty of ways pediatric occupational therapists can impact their client’s lives.
Career Details
Pediatric occupational therapy is the type of occupational therapy that focuses on helping children develop the skills they need to grow into highly functional, independent adults. Factors that may hinder a child’s ability to develop normally vary widely, and it can at times be the occupational therapist’s duty to establish the underlying cause of delayed cognitive or social development. The therapist can then explore potential solutions and come up with a suitable therapy plan.
Compensation
Pediatric occupational therapists are well compensated for their work. According to various statistical bodies, the median annual salary for a pediatric occupational therapist is about $80,000.
Benefits
Pediatric occupational therapists have an opportunity to make a significant lasting impact on the lives of their patients. They help to instill skills that will allow children and youth to grow into successful, self-sufficient adults. They can help children with autism function better in both school and home environments.
They can also work with educational professionals to increase participation in written communication and reading.
Occupational therapists can also play a critical role in helping to address childhood obesity and identifying early signs of a mental health disorder. They often work with parents, nutritionists and teachers to provide the necessary education to enhance healthy lifestyles in children and youth.
The skills of a pediatric occupational therapist are critical since the longer a child goes without mastering certain skills, the more the problem can compound as they age. These skilled practitioners often address general developmental areas including fine motor skills, cognitive skills, social skills, self-care skills and gross motor skills.
Bottom Line
These are just some of the reasons to work in pediatric occupational therapy. Whether you’ll be working with children with obesity or a mental health disorder or lending your services to young students to improve their literacy skills, you can wake up each workday as a pediatric occupational therapist knowing that you will have an impact on someone’s life.
