WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST? PT. 3

Columbus, Ohio. Attorney David Bressman has been representing car wreck victims since 1990. Based upon his experience, he has begun a series of posts designed to help the brain injury victim achieve the best, most successful recovery from this severe form of injury.

[CONT.]WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST?

The following is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list of the questions or concerns you should have when choosing an occupational therapist nor is the following meant to disqualify any occupational therapist you are considering, these are meant to enable you to begin a discussion with the occupational therapist.

4. Does the therapist specialize. Some occupational therapists may work exclusively with individuals in a particular age group or with a particular disability. In a school setting, a therapist may work with children individually. Some therapists provide early intervention therapy to infants and toddlers who have, or are at risk of having, developmental delays. Some occupational therapists work only with elderly patients.

5. Will the therapist make home visits? It is important, once you begin to re-establish your independence that you take into account the role TBI will play in coping with your daily life. An occupational therapist can make recommendations for adaptive equipment, training to prolong driving independence, assess homes for hazards and identify environmental factors that could contribute to further injury and injury prevention.

6. Will the therapist visit, and assess, your work environment?

* American Occupational Therapy Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. Internet: http://www.aota.org