Title: OT Assessment: What to Expect – OT Works!
Headings: OT Assessment: What to Expect
OT Assessment: What to Expect
Getting Started with an Occupational Therapist
When to Refer to an OT
What happens with an OT Assessment?
Different Kinds of OT Assessments
Where does it take place?
What do you get from an OT assessment?
How can OT Works! help?

Content: What objective, measurable goals will help a client to their pre-injury function? Different Kinds of OT Assessments
OT assessments vary depending on the nature of the referral  (also known as the “referral question”), the environment for the assessment and the needs of the client. Here are some examples of assessments with a specific focus. Hospital Discharge Planning – assess the need for adaptive equipment, home modifications or home support services such as cleaning services or a care aide when a client may be unsafe upon returning home after hospitalization. Cognitive Rehabilitation – if the client has experienced a concussion or traumatic brain injury due to the accident, or reports changes in thinking due to a mental health condition, an OT can assess those specific changes. In particular, they assess attention, memory, information processing, and executive function (such as planning). Ergonomic Assessment – sometimes an injury doesn’t prevent the client from returning to work but they experience ongoing or increasing symptoms while at work. In this case, an OT assesses the desk, chair and computer set up, particularly to prevent shoulder, neck, back, hip and wrist pain. Return-to-Work Planning – if the client cannot return to work due to their injuries, an OT can liaise with their employer to develop a step-by-step plan that gradually reintroduces the client back into their pre-injury worker role. OTs also determine if and how activities, tasks and work roles can be modified in the short or long-term, when medically required.