What's the difference between OT and PT or SLP?

 Reader: What's the difference between OT, PT, and SLP?

Short Answer: OT, PT, and SLP provide rehab interventions and treatments to improve physical functioning and overall quality of life, but they approach improvement in different aspects. PT's primary focus is on a person's physical functioning, SLP's focus is on language production, comprehension, and ability to safely consume their nutrition, and OT's focus is on a person's ability to engage in activities most valuable to them.

Physical Therapy (PT) focuses primarily on improving physical function and the body. For example, they use strengthening and stretching exercises to improve range of motion (ROM), activity tolerance, and balance so someone can walk again after injuring their leg. Their perspective on recovery is using a biomechanical approach.

Occupational Therapy (OT) focuses on a person's ability to successfully complete important activities in their life. They are trained to not only provide rehab for physical dysfunction, but also for cognitive impairments and mental health conditions. For example, they may use strengthening and stretching exercises to improve hand and oral muscles, so a person can eat again after a stroke. If that person also has dementia and have trouble remembering how to do self-care tasks (like dressing themselves), the OT will work on cognitive strategies to improve their ability to complete those tasks.

Speech Language Pathology (SLP) focuses on improving a person's ability to produce language/speech, as well as eat and swallow. They are also trained in improving cognition, important for language comprehension and production.

There are many overlaps within all three disciplines, mostly between OT and the others. However, all three disciplines work together to rehabilitate a person with an injury or debilitating condition. In practice, one therapist typically cannot address every single problem area alone. Thus, it is essential for the disciplines to split the work to improve a person's quality of life together.

Source: Mine Sweeper

Case Example:

Carol (70 years old) lives in a nursing home. She has cerebral palsy and diplegia, rendering her unable to walk well. She uses a wheelchair whenever a caregiver cannot assist her to walk. Both arms also do not fully move well and she has trouble dressing herself, especially with small buttons and fasteners. She also has dysphagia (a swallowing disorder) that causes her to cough while she eats, sometimes she even begins choking. She has periodic pneumonia. Carol wants to be as independent as possible and eat desserts. Her problem areas have been identified as impaired balance and endurance, fine motor movements in both hands, and an increased aspiration risk due to impaired oral motor and swallowing muscles.

Carol's PT would most likely work with Carol on her ability to walk and transfer herself between surfaces, such as from her wheelchair to the toilet or shower bench. If Carol is unable to do it safely, the PT would educate the caregiver on the best way to perform the transfer. For walking, they may provide strengthening or balance exercises, as well as recommend what mobility devices would best support Carol to walk (such as a gait trainer or walker).

Her OT would most likely work on improving Carol's ability to dress herself, doing fine motor exercises with Carol until she gains the dexterity to fasten clothing fasteners. They may also work on arm exercises to improve her ability feed herself, since she has trouble moving her arms and hands. If Carol is unable to improve her fine motor skills well enough to do these tasks, then the OT may recommend Carol to use assistive devices (such as a button hook or a spoon with a built-up handle).

Her SLP would most likely be responsible to address her ability to eat safely. They may provide facial exercises to help Carol better chew and swallow her food. If Carol continues to have difficulties, they may recommend Carol to change her food consistency so she can still safely receive proper nutrition (such as chopping cookies or cake into smaller or smoother pieces). 

Want to learn more?

OT vs PT vs SLP: Your Rehab Therapy Team Explained (OT Potential)

Sincerely,

Your Humble OT