Patrick Said:

Occupational Therapy vs Speech Therapy?

We Answered:

Be sure to shadow each. Visit each professional national website.

asha
aota.

There are jobs for both. Good careers. SLP may be paid slightly more.

Good luck

Jerry Said:

Occupational Therapy or Speech Therapy?

We Answered:

My daughter called me over because I am an OT and she wanted me to answer your question. I have worked as an OT since 1978 and have never had any difficulty finding work. I've worked in skilled nursing facilities (I wouldn't recommend it), acute hospitals (lots of action/fun), rehab, hand therapy, county hospitals, prison wards, pediatrics (my favorite and current position). I've been an employee with great benefits, but am now working as an independent contractor making tons more money-but no benefits. But I'm no longer encumbered by ridiculous policies and chain of command madness. I am my own boss and much happier. No one tells me I can only have 30 min. for lunch and pee during my break-or that the extra side seam on my pants makes them look to informal for work (seriously).
My neice is applying to OT school and I was shocked at all the hoops she had to jump through just to apply. I didn't have to have a masters to work, but now you do. In prep for OT application it's good to have as much exposure/experience working in a hospital or therapy dept. as possible. I did lots of volunteer work in all kinds of places that served the handicapped. It's competitive to get in. In '78 each school only accepted 40 students per year. This has kept the field from becoming overimpacted-but I don't know what the regulations are currently. I do know it's still limited.
When I worked in the skilled nursing setting and in the acute hospital and rehab it seemed that PT got bigger billing. It was frustrating to be second banana. I know that every OT I ever worked with felt this way also. We were the small change-but it was a still a good job. I now work in the schools and OT is very valued. It's been great for my ego after all these years of service. The pay is pretty good depending on the cost of living in your area. I live in the SF bay area and I feel I could always make more money-but compared to most of the people I know...I'm paid very very well. It's rewarding work, it's creative work, it's never dull work (except for the time I spent in skilled nursing-but geriatrics is just not my thing.).
You will be surrounded people who have also chosen to work in fields that serve the public, i.e. caring, giving people. We seem to be a different sort than the hard core corporate folks. Nurses, doctors, other therapists, social workers, teachers, etc.-they are all serving those in need. You are surrounded by more touchy feeling type people than the typical office worker is. That can be good and bad at times.
I did not find college difficult. I chose OT over PT because there were less sciences involved and the pay at the end wasn't any different. We all make the same thing. A master's won't earn you any more than a BS in OT-but now you have to have a master's so it's a mute point I guess. You can teach and that's a nice field to be qualified for.
I have always thought ST was a great field and I know many other professionals who feel the same way. Perhaps get some exposure to both fields and make your own decision. Both require masters.
You won't get rich being a therapist, but an OT has endless possibilities. You can specialize, have your own practice, be an employee, contractor, lecturer. You can work in mental health ( ILOVED that, but I burned out after a few years), prisons, camps, industry as ergonomic consultants. If you can think of it-you can turn your OT skills into it. You can be a life coach, work with kids with attachment issues. work in hospitals, schools,clinics, with outpatients,spinal cord patients, hand patients, rehab facilities, geriatrics, pediatrics, etc. The list goes on and on and on. You cannot limit what you can do with your degree. The more driven you are-there is no end to the possiblities. I work with a woman who is very driven and she is running her own private clinic with several of us contracting with her-she's doing super. Hope this sheds some light.