What is the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy?

While the two modes of therapy can overlap, the main difference between physical and occupational therapy is the focus. Physical therapy (PT) focuses on addressing problems related to pain, strength, and gross motor skills while occupational therapy uses a wide range of tools and techniques to increase fine motor skills, life skills and activities of daily living, social skills, sensory processing, and the use of adaptive equipment such as mobility or communication devices that enable a child to access their school and home environment.

For more information, see our article Occupational Therapy 101.