Occupational Therapy Expert Witnesses

Occupational therapists (OTs) help individuals with injury, illness, or disability to learn or relearn how to efficiently complete basic daily tasks used at home, school, or work, depending on the patient's needs. These tasks may include walking, writing, bathing, eating, doing house chores, typing on a computer, organizing home spaces, or completing specialized skills required in the workplace or personal life of the patient. If necessary, OTs may recommend that a patient use assistive devices and instruct them on their usage. To create therapy plans, OTs assess their patient’s medical history, lifestyle, and goals by asking their patient questions and observing how they complete specific tasks and activities. With this information, these specialists suggest more accessible methods of completing tasks and assign exercises that alleviate pain or build the strength needed to achieve particular skills.

Anyone who struggles to perform basic tasks can solicit help from an occupational therapist. For example, a person with cerebral palsy may need an OT’s expertise to improve motor function for tasks such as buttoning shirts, picking up objects, or walking with greater ease. A person severely injured by a car accident may need to relearn how to walk. One who has dementia may seek an OT for help with retaining daily functions as long as possible.

Occupational therapists may choose to further advance their scope of practice by attaining additional certification in gerontology, mental health, pediatrics, physical rehabilitation, driving and community mobility, environmental modification, low vision, school systems, hand therapy, lymphedema, assistive technology, seating and mobility, stroke rehabilitation, aging in place, neuro-developmental treatment, hippotherapy (equine movement), brain injury, Saebo rehabilitation, diabetes education, and feeding / eating / swallowing programs.