What is Occupational Therapy and Who Can Benefit?

Welcome to our new 5-part blog series on Occupational Therapy at Buffalo Rehab Group. Over the next five weeks, we will release one blog each week to highlight our OT team, answer common questions, and share practical ways Occupational Therapy can help you or someone you love. 

Many people are familiar with Physical Therapy, but Occupational Therapy is sometimes less understood. Our goal with this series is simple: to explain what OT is, how it improves lives, and to spotlight the talented OTs at BRG who make a difference every day. 

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy helps people of all ages do the things that matter most in their daily lives. OTs call these activities “occupations.” They include the routines and roles that give life meaning, such as: 

• • Getting dressed, cooking meals, and managing at home 

• • Returning to work or school after an illness or injury 

• • Staying safe and independent as you age 

• • Participating in hobbies, sports, or community roles 

• • Learning strategies to manage memory, vision, or sensory challenges 

Physical Therapy focuses on how the body moves to restore strength, mobility, and function, while Occupational Therapy emphasizes how people live and function in their daily environments, addressing both movement and the ability to perform meaningful everyday activities. Together, both disciplines play vital roles in helping patients reach their goals.   

Who Can Benefit from OT?

Occupational Therapy supports people across the lifespan. Some common examples include: 

• Children with developmental delays, sensory processing challenges, or difficulty with handwriting and motor skills.

• Adults recovering from an illness, injury, or surgery who want to return to work or daily routines. 

• Older adults looking to stay safe and independent at home, prevent falls, or adapt to conditions like arthritis or dementia. 

• Anyone facing a new health challenge that affects how they care for themselves or participate in everyday life. 

• Individuals experiencing cognitive changes, whether from concussion, general aging, or specific conditions such as dementia, that affect memory, attention, or problem-solving in daily life.

Why We Are Sharing This Series

At BRG, our purpose is to help people get their lives back. Our Occupational Therapy team plays a vital role in that purpose, and we want more people to know about the impact they make. 

This 5-part series will: 

• Clear up common questions about OT vs PT.

• Share tips and tools you can use in daily life.

• Highlight how OT supports people at every stage of life.

• Bust myths and misconceptions about the profession.

Teammate Spotlight: Why I Chose OT

Every blog in this series will feature voices from our Occupational Therapists here at BRG. To start, we asked a few of them: Why did you choose Occupational Therapy? 

“I like that Occupational Therapy focuses on the whole person. It is a mix of functional anatomy and psychosocial factors that consider a person’s environment. I wanted to impact how people were able to stay independent.” 

– Brandy Clarke 

“Growing up, I knew I wanted to help people, but I wasn’t sure how. In college, I worked as a summer school aide for kids with disabilities and had a student who would only attend therapy if I went with him. I spent the summer in PT, OT, and Speech, and OT stood out because it was engaging, and I saw real progress in just eight weeks. That experience inspired me to pursue OT, and during school, a placement similar to BRG showed me the diversity of the field, giving me the best of all worlds in OT. ” 

– Jill McMasters 

Their stories remind us that Occupational Therapy is more than a profession. It is a calling to help people live with independence, dignity, and joy. 

Looking Ahead