Department of Occupational Therapy

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Larry R. Snyder, PhD, OTR/L, Department Chair
Office: 369 Clement Hall
(615) 963-5950
lsnyder@tnstate.edu

Major: Occupational Therapy (OCCT)
Degree: Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

The practice of occupational therapy means the therapeutic use of everyday life activities (occupations) with individuals or groups for the purpose of participation in roles and situations in home, school, workplace, community, and other settings. Occupational therapy services:

• Are provided for the purpose of promoting health and wellness
• Are provided to those who have or are at risk for developing an illness, injury, disease, disorder, condition, impairment, disability,activity limitation, or participation restriction.
• Addresses the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, sensory, and other aspects of performance in a variety of contexts to support engagement in everyday life activities that affect health, well-being, and quality of life.
  (www.aota.org/Practitioners/Advocacy/State/Resources/PracticeAct/36437.aspx)

About Occupational Therapy Practitioners

Occupational Therapy practitioners are skilled healthcare providers whose education consists of didactic coursework related to human growth and development with specific emphasis on the social, emotional, and physiological effects of illness and injury. Interactive lab experiences in the classroom followed by fieldwork experiences in clinical environments reinforce the didactic coursework.

Currently, the occupational therapy practitioner enters the field with a master or doctoral degree. According to the AOTA website, OT practitioners work in a variety of areas including: productive aging, rehabilitation and disability, children and youth, work and industry, and health and wellness.

Dr. Penelope Moyers Cleveland, past President of the AOTA, recently stated that:

“A career in occupational therapy as a therapist or assistant means making a difference and improving the lives of people of all ages-from newborns to the elderly. This is accomplished through designing strategies for everyday living and customizing environments to develop and maximize potential.” (www.aota.org/Archive/PrArchive/2008Releases/BestCareers2009.aspx)

Recent information published by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the job outlook for occupational therapists is expected to grow faster than average, or over 23% from 2006-2016, with the greatest growth in areas working with the elderly (www.BLS.gov). For more information about a career in Occupational Therapy, please refer to the AOTA’s website, www.aota.org.

Upon completion of all requirements students will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination offered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this examination, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR) and will meet the educational requirements for States licensure in the United States.

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