OT Defined (by Tufts Best)

Occupational therapy is the practice of helping people use ordinary
activities to enhance function in their daily lives.
– Sharan Schwartzberg

Occupational therapy maximizes the fit between clients' attributes and abilities, their physical and social environments, and the structure and complexity of the tasks they perform, with the objective of helping clients achieve healthy, competent, and satisfying engagement in their valued activities and roles.
– Linda Tickle-Degnen

The essence of occupational therapy is found in the appreciation of
occupation as both a means and an end. Therapists use the activities
that have meaning in an individual's life, to help them recuperate
and/or perform other meaningful occupations better.
– Scott Trudeau

O.T. is a health profession that helps people successfully accomplish important daily activities, those that may be difficult to do because of any physical, mental, emotional or environmental challenge.
– Deborah Rochman

"I was once skiing in the American Birkebeiner cross country ski marathon wearing a Tufts windshell. A man, with apparent unlimited ability to both ski fast and talk volumes, skiied up next to me and asked 'Did you go to Tufts? What did you study there?' ....and I looked ahead and saw that the firetower hills were approaching. I had a crisis of confidence in my ability to ski those hills and even greater doubt about my ability to fend off the inevitable 'what is occupational therapy' question. I took a deep breath and said 'physical therapy' ....and then I paid for this lie because the man said 'Really, that's great, my best friend is an OT'
– Janet Curran-Brooks

"Occupational therapists assist people in selecting and balancing meaningful life activities to enhance their health and well-being."
– Mary Evenson

"Occupational therapy is diverse field that assesses how people function in
their daily lives and then works with the individual to remediate or
compensates for deficits that may be limiting their performance - including,
but not limited to; cognitive skills, upper extremity function, developmental
challenges, and other sensorimotor or psychosocial components of function."
– Monica Pessina

Occupational therapy is a profession that assists individuals of all ages and their families with participating in activities and life situations (i.e., "occupations") that are important and needed for health, development, daily life functioning, enjoyment, and overall quality of life. Occupational therapists 1) teach individuals how to perform or participate in activities using specialized or adaptive methods, devices or equipment; 2) use interventions that address the personal or environmental factors that hinder or support individuals' participation such as strengths or difficulties in physical, cognitive or psychological functioning, and physical, social or attitudinal barriers or facilitators of participation; 3) design equipment or modify the environment to promote optimim participation; and 4) collaborate and consult with stakeholders that can ultimately affect individuals' participation in the activities and life situations that are important to them. Stakeholders can include individuals recieving services, their families, interdisciplinary professionals, administrators, 3rd party payers, government officials, and policy makers.
– Gary Bedell

"Helping people live full and productive lives"
– Diana Bailey

"Occupational therapy helps people regain, develop, and build skills for independent functioning, health and well-being."
– AOTA Conference