Occupational Therapy

Chair of the Department: Susan Noyes

Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Director: Sarah Grinder

Academic Fieldwork Coordinator: Elizabeth Palmer

Professor: Noyes; Assistant Professors: Anderson, Larouche; Clinical Assistant Professors: Bickmore, Palmer; Senior Lecturers: Grinder, Kroon

Occupational Therapy (OT) is a health and human services profession that recognizes humans as occupational beings. People define who they are by what they do, or by the occupations in which they engage. Occupational therapists use meaningful occupation or activities as intervention to help people of all ages maximize wellness and perform the skills they need to participate as fully as possible in society. OTs intervene with people who are experiencing varying degrees of activity impairment as a result of developmental, physical, psychological, cognitive, or environmental dysfunction. They assist people in developing, compensating for, or regaining the skills necessary for participation in meaningful life roles and skills of self-care, work, and leisure.