What is an Occupational Therapist (OT)?

Written on: 23 September 2026

What is OT, how can it help me/my child, and what happens next?

What is Occupational Therapy and how can it help?

Occupational Therapy (OT) helps people take part in the everyday activities that are important to them.

Despite the name, Occupational Therapy isn’t just about jobs or employment. In OT, “occupations” are the things we need or want to do as part of everyday life. This can include looking after ourselves, going to school or work, spending time with others, and enjoying hobbies and leisure activities.

These everyday activities can have a big impact on our health and wellbeing.

What does an Occupational Therapist do?

Occupational Therapists work with people to help them participate in the activities that matter to them.

They look at the whole person, including their interests, abilities and environment. They consider how different experiences or challenges may affect someone’s ability to manage everyday life.

This might include:

neurodivergence
trauma or significant life experiences
changes or transitions in life
unexpected events or changes
physical health difficulties
mental health challenges

For some people, everyday activities can become difficult or overwhelming. Trying something new, adapting to change, or even meeting someone new to talk about these difficulties can feel challenging.

An OT can help identify what is making things difficult and explore practical ways to make everyday activities more manageable.

What happens during Occupational Therapy sessions?

What happens during Occupational Therapy sessions?

OT sessions are tailored to each individual.

Your Occupational Therapist will work with you to understand what you would like to achieve and identify the skills, strategies and environmental changes that could help.

This might involve:

developing new skills and strategies
adapting everyday tasks
making changes to the environment
finding ways to make activities easier to manage
supporting greater independence in everyday life

The aim is to help each person take part in activities that are meaningful and important to them.

What approaches do our OTs use?

Our Occupational Therapists use a range of approaches and tools, depending on the needs of each individual. These include:

Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), including the Occupational Self-Assessment (OSA), Worker Role Interview (WRI) and Interest Checklist
Kawa Model – River of Life
Sensory Ladders
Non-standardised sensory preference checklists