Consider this when hiring new staff: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,employment of occupational therapy practitioners is expected to increase by 26 percent between 2008 and 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations, reports the American Occupational Therapy Association in a press release. The BLS also noted that median annual wages of occupational therapists were $66,780 in May 2008; occupational therapist assistants earned $48,230. In celebration of Occupational Therapy Month (April), and looking ahead to the profession's centennial in 2017, AOTA identified six overarching areas of practice: children and youth; health and wellness; mental health; productive aging; rehabilitation, disability, and participation; and work and industry. "We are compassionate, resourceful, creative, motivated, want meaning in life, enjoy science and the arts, are good communicators and listeners, and have a knack for problem solving," said Penelope Moyers Cleveland, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, president of AOTA. "I am a proud champion for the profession year-round, but Occupational Therapy Month in April is a wonderful reason for all practitioners to tell the world who they are and what they do."