Role

Occupational Therapist

Helps people build skills for daily living and work after illness or injury.

14 chaptersAbout 3 months15–30 min a day12 skills2 projects
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Chapter 1 is free. No card needed.

Day 1 on the Occupational Therapist path.

What a Occupational Therapist does

Helps children and adults regain daily living and work skills after injury, illness, or disability so they can be more independent.

  • Assess how a person manages daily tasks like dressing, cooking, school, or work
  • Create therapy plans with clear goals based on the persons needs and priorities
  • Teach exercises and new ways to do tasks safely and with less pain or fatigue
  • Recommend and fit adaptive equipment like splints, braces, or assistive tools
  • Practice real-life activities in clinic, home, school, or workplace settings
  • Train family and caregivers on safe support and home routines
  • Document progress and adjust plans based on outcomes and feedback

A day in the life

  1. Review schedules, notes, and goals before seeing clients
  2. Run 1:1 sessions practicing daily tasks and building strength and coordination
  3. Write session notes, update goals, and plan next steps
  4. Meet with doctors, teachers, and families to coordinate care
  5. Order or adjust equipment and prepare materials for upcoming sessions

Tools you will use

Assessments: ADL checklists, grip strength tests, range of 3Splinting: thermoplastic splints, braces, tapingAssistive devices: reachers, walkers, adaptive utensilsDocumentation: electronic health recordsMobility training: transfer belts, wheelchairsHome safety: fall risk checklists, ergonomic setup

Your plan

Chapter by chapter.

1~1 wk

See what occupational therapist work involves

StartFree
2~1 wk

Talking with Clients

Skills
31–2 wks

Make home exercise programme plus home-safety audit for one person

Proof
4~1 wk

Meet people who do occupational therapist work

People
5~1 wk

Using evidence and solving problems

Skills
6~1 wk

Care Planning and Adaptability

Skills
7~1 wk

Teamwork and Collaboration

Skills
8~1 wk

Records, Systems, and Shift Work

Skills
9~1 wk

Ethics and Professional Standards

Skills
10~1 wk

Personal Resilience

Skills
111–2 wks

Make plain-language patient leaflet for a common condition

Proof
12~1 wk

Practise role interviews

Interview
13~1 wk

Choose a route into occupational therapist work

Decide
14on your timeline

Apply for roles

Apply

By the last chapter

This is what you can show.

Things you've made

Home exercise programme plus home-safety audit for one person and Plain-language patient leaflet for a common condition

Skills you can prove

12 skills, each rated on work you actually did.

People you've talked to

3 people who do the job, with a message ready for each.

Questions you can answer

20 interview questions and a mock interview, with feedback.

Credentials

2 credentials compared, so you can pick one, or decide you don't need one. None is required.

Ways in

There is more than one route.

Ways to study

  • Degree in occupational therapy plus supervised clinical placements
  • Masters level occupational therapy program with fieldwork
  • Doctoral level occupational therapy program with fieldwork
  • Bridge route from therapy assistant roles plus further study where available

How people get their first job

  • Volunteer or shadow in rehab clinics, hospitals, schools, or community centers
  • Apply for therapy aide or rehab assistant roles to learn clinic routines
  • Complete clinical placements and build a case log of common conditions
  • Earn basic certifications: CPR, first aid, safe patient handling
  • Create a small portfolio: activity plans, home safety checklists, splint designs

Life skills on this path: Networking · Job interviews · Job search

How the work is changing

What AI is doing to this role

How AI is changing this role · one of 6 tasks we track

Write progress notes and track outcomes

Sped up a lot

What AI does

Ambient AI scribes draft the note from your session.

Still yours

You read it, fix it, sign it. The record is yours.

Reviewed September 2026

In the app · Premium

The rest is in the app

  • How AI affects the other 5 tasks
  • Whether this job is growing or shrinking
  • How hard the first job is to get
  • Similar roles that are easier to get into
  • Updated every month, with sources
See it in the app →

How we rate a job →

Already working

Already a Occupational Therapist?

Plan your move to Senior OT: 9 chapters that end with a strong case for your next review.

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Questions

Questions about this path

How long does it take to become a occupational therapist with Welica?

The path is 14 chapters, 3 months at 15 to 30 minutes a day. You can go faster or slower; the plan moves with you.

Do I need a degree?

Not always. Common routes are degree in occupational therapy plus supervised clinical placements, masters level occupational therapy program with fieldwork, doctoral level occupational therapy program with fieldwork, or bridge route from therapy assistant roles plus further study where available.

What is free?

Chapter 1, See what occupational therapist work involves, is free for good. Premium unlocks the rest of the path.

Start the Occupational Therapist path.

Chapter 1 free. About 15 to 30 minutes a day.

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