Allied health professions
Okay kiddo, do you know what a team is? Like in sports or when you play with your friends? Well, imagine there is a team of people who work together to help you be healthy and feel better when you are sick or hurt.
These people are called healthcare professionals, and there are different kinds of them. Some doctors are specialists who know a lot about one part of the body, like a heart doctor or a brain doctor. But there are also other important people on this team who help the doctors and don’t do surgery or give medicine.
These people are called allied health professionals. "Allied" means they work together with doctors and nurses, as a team. These people help patients in many different ways, using their own special skills. For example:
- Occupational therapists help people who have trouble doing everyday activities because they are sick or hurt. They teach people how to use special equipment or adapt things in their home or at work to make it easier for them to do things like brush their teeth, or use a computer.
- Speech therapists help people who have trouble talking or communicating. They teach people new ways to say things, or exercises to help them swallow, or use special devices to help them talk.
- Physical therapists help people who have trouble moving or doing things with their body, like after an injury or surgery. They teach exercises to help people get stronger or walk again.
- Dietitians or Nutritionists help people understand what to eat and how it affects their body. They can help people plan menus or choose the right kinds of food to help with their health.
- Medical Technologists or Lab Techs help with tests, like running blood samples, or checking for infections. They work with other healthcare professionals to help diagnose and treat patients.
There are many other kinds of allied health professionals too, each with their own special skills and training. But all of them work together to help make people better, and to keep them healthy.
These people are called healthcare professionals, and there are different kinds of them. Some doctors are specialists who know a lot about one part of the body, like a heart doctor or a brain doctor. But there are also other important people on this team who help the doctors and don’t do surgery or give medicine.
These people are called allied health professionals. "Allied" means they work together with doctors and nurses, as a team. These people help patients in many different ways, using their own special skills. For example:
- Occupational therapists help people who have trouble doing everyday activities because they are sick or hurt. They teach people how to use special equipment or adapt things in their home or at work to make it easier for them to do things like brush their teeth, or use a computer.
- Speech therapists help people who have trouble talking or communicating. They teach people new ways to say things, or exercises to help them swallow, or use special devices to help them talk.
- Physical therapists help people who have trouble moving or doing things with their body, like after an injury or surgery. They teach exercises to help people get stronger or walk again.
- Dietitians or Nutritionists help people understand what to eat and how it affects their body. They can help people plan menus or choose the right kinds of food to help with their health.
- Medical Technologists or Lab Techs help with tests, like running blood samples, or checking for infections. They work with other healthcare professionals to help diagnose and treat patients.
There are many other kinds of allied health professionals too, each with their own special skills and training. But all of them work together to help make people better, and to keep them healthy.
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