Pediatric occupational therapists work with young people in order to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle and general well-being. Pediatric occupational therapists assess their patients and then get them to follow the treatment programs that are most suitable for them. This could involve a wide range of behaviors that will help to create a good lifestyle and stable health.
There are a wide range of occupational therapy jobs, in fact, and they are all in some way or another concerned with helping people to have healthy lifestyles. Among these occupational therapy jobs, the pediatric type involve working with a wide range of children who have a wide range of personal needs and requirements. Occupational therapists typically have varied workdays, as they never know what the needs and requirements of the next patient might be. Some of the patients that a pediatric occupational therapist sees, for example, will only require very basic help. However, there will also be some patients who require a great deal of help and assistance.
The day-to-day work of a pediatric occupational therapist will require the therapist to liaise with other members of the profession and also doctors, social workers, and various other healthcare professionals. Therapists are also required to write reports on patients that they have seen, organize any support and groups that will be of use to individual patients, supervise the work of any assistants that they may have such, and prioritize the workload that they have.
How Much Can a Pediatric Occupational Therapist Earn?
There are many different areas of occupational therapy jobs within the industry. When starting out in a career as a pediatric occupational therapist, you can expect to earn between $38,000 and $50,000 per year. As your qualifications and experience grows within the profession, so will your earning potential. Once you have completed the basic training as an occupational therapist, you can earn between $46,000 and $62,500. Once you are a fully qualified pediatric occupational therapist, you can make anywhere from $55,000 to $102,000. The job of pediatric occupational therapists can be very demanding at times, but as you can see, the pay is reasonable and can certainly make it worthwhile.
When you're applying for pediatric occupational therapists jobs, it is important that you are flexible with your locations as it can be a hard profession to get into. Typically, an occupational therapist will work a standard 40-hour workweek, although some weeks can involve working a lot of overtime. It is very common for the pediatric occupational therapist to have to commute at some point in his or her working day.
Qualifications for a Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Most healthcare provider will be looking for pediatric occupational therapists who already have a degree or a basic qualification within the industry. Some places are happy to take on trainees and assist them in getting the degree while allowing them to experience the practical side of the industry. This is good, as it allows people to see exactly what work they are studying for and lets them assess whether they are pursuing the right career for them.
The degree qualification takes between three and four years to complete, so there's a lot of work involved. Trainees will receive pay while they are studying and working, however. A lot of places see this as being helpful because they are training their next pediatric occupational therapist, and there are some places that will even get it written into the contract that the trainee will stay with the organization for a set period of time after becoming fully qualified. Many of the places that will take on trainees prefer someone who has qualifications either in the medical sciences, some health-related field, biology, psychology, or sociology. If you have some experience within some healthcare or social care setting, this will count in your favor when applying for a job.
There are many important skills required of someone who wishes to be a pediatric occupational therapist besides having the basic ability to achieve the necessary qualification. One must have enthusiasm for the job, sensitivity, patience, good decision-making skills, and the ability to build a good rapport with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Conclusion
A pediatric occupational therapist is responsible for encouraging children to work toward creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and overall well-being. A pediatric occupational therapist will carry out a wide range of assessments and use these to decide on the best plan of action for the given patient. The work can be demanding, but the pay and sense of satisfaction can make these jobs well worth it.
