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Occupational Therapy Assistants

  • Bright Outlook
  • Rapid Growth

Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, direct activity programs, and document the progress of treatments. Generally requires formal training.

What you’d do

  • Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.
  • Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.
  • Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.
  • Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently.
  • Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement.
  • Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.
  • Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities.
  • Attend continuing education classes.

Skills that matter

  • Active Listening
  • Service Orientation
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Time Management

How to get there

Medium preparation: usually vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree

Also called

  • Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA)
  • Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
  • Licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant (LOTA)
  • Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA)
  • Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant (Acute Care OT Assistant)
  • Certified Occupational Assistant

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