Occupational Therapists

Outsiders use assistive devices to broadly refer to tools aiding function; OTs use adaptive equipment to emphasize customization and therapeutic intent.

Laypersons see OTs as simply helping people, while insiders emphasize client-centered practice to stress individualized, collaborative goal setting.

Though hand therapy is known to outsiders as general care for hand injuries, inside the bubble it is a specialized OT subfield focusing on rehabilitating hand function.

Non-members call them therapy sessions generally, but OTs refer to them as intervention sessions to highlight goal-directed therapeutic actions.

Casual observers see a wheelchair as a simple chair with wheels, while insiders classify it more broadly as a mobility aid integral to independence.

While rehabilitation broadly refers to recovery support, occupational therapists specify their role as facilitating functional daily activities, distinguishing their specialized contributions.

Casual observers often confuse OT with physical therapy, but occupational therapy uniquely emphasizes enabling meaningful participation through adaptive strategies beyond physical movement.

While evaluation is a broad term, occupational therapy assessment specifies the comprehensive evaluation of function and environment characteristic of OT practice.

Outsiders see job training as general instruction, whereas vocational rehabilitation is a specialized OT process enabling return to work with functional supports.

Outsiders may use disability-based labels, but OTs use client or patient to emphasize respect, dignity, and person-centered care.