Activities	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.
Outlook	Faster-than-average-job growth
Median Income	$47,490 per year in May 2010
Work Context & Conditions	The hours and days that occupational therapy assistants and aides work vary, depending on the facility and whether they are full or part-time employees. Constant kneeling, stooping, and standing for long periods all are part of the job.
Minimum Education Requirements	Technical Program
Skills	Social Perceptiveness, Learning Strategies, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Instructing, Active Listening, Writing, Time Management, Reading Comprehension, Speaking
Abilities	Speech Recognition, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension
Interviews	Nancy Bernier

Job Category		Healthcare Support
Job Description		Occupational therapy assistants work under the direction of occupational therapists to provide rehabilitative services to persons with mental, physical, emotional, or developmental impairments. The ultimate goal is to improve clients' quality of life by helping them compensate for limitations.For example, occupational therapist assistants help injured workers re-enter the labor force by teaching them how to compensate for lost motor skills or help individuals with learning disabilities increase their independence. Occupational therapy assistants help clients with rehabilitative activities and exercises outlined in a treatment plan developed in collaboration with an occupational therapist. Activities range from teaching the proper method of moving from a bed into a wheelchair, to the best way to stretch and limber the muscles of the hand. Assistants monitor an individual's activities to make sure they are performed correctly and to provide encouragement. They also record their client's progress for use by the occupational therapist. If the treatment is not having the intended effect, or the client is not improving as expected, the therapist may alter the treatment program in hopes of obtaining better results. In addition, occupational therapy assistants document billing of the client's health insurance provider.
Working Conditions		The hours and days that occupational therapist assistants work vary with the facility and with whether they are full- or part-time employees. Many outpatient therapy offices and clinics have evening and weekend hours, to help coincide with patients’ personal schedules. Occupational therapist assistants need to have a moderate degree of strength, because of the physical exertion required in assisting patients with their treatment. For example, assistants and aides may need to lift patients. Constant kneeling, stooping, and standing for long periods also are part of the job.
Salary Range		The median annual wage of occupational therapy assistants was $51,010 in May 2010. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $33,110 and the top 10 percent earned more than $70,790.

Education Required		An associate degree or a certificate from an accredited community college or technical school is generally required to qualify for occupational therapist assistant jobs. There were 300 accredited occupational therapist assistant programs in 2010. The first year of study typically involves an introduction to health care, basic medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology. In the second year, courses are more rigorous and usually include occupational therapist courses in areas such as mental health, adult physical disabilities, gerontology, and pediatrics. Students also must complete 16 weeks of supervised fieldwork in a clinic or community setting. Applicants to occupational therapist assistant programs can improve their chances of admission by taking high school courses in biology and health and by performing volunteer work in nursing care facilities, occupational or physical therapists’ offices, or other health care settings. Occupational therapist assistants are regulated in most States and must pass a national certification examination after they graduate. Those who pass the test are awarded the title “Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.” Some occupational therapy assistants and aides advance by taking additional education to become occupational therapists. A small number of occupational therapist "bridge" education programs are designed for qualifying occupational therapy assistants to advance to therapists.
Recommended High School Courses		Biology, Clerical, English
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Education and Training, English Language, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology, Therapy and Counseling, Philosophy and Theology, Customer and Personal Service, Medicine and Dentistry
Certification and Licensing		Occupational therapy assistants are regulated in most states, and must pass a national certification examination after they graduate. Those who pass the test are awarded the title of certified occupational therapy assistant.

Interest Area		Social Involves working and communicating with, helping, and teaching people.
Work Values		Achievement Get a feeling of accomplishment. Moral Values Never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong. Social Service Do things for other people. Security Have steady employment.
Skills		Social Perceptiveness Be aware of others' reactions and understand why they react the way they do. Learning Strategies Use multiple approaches when learning or teaching new things. Monitoring Assess how well someone is doing when learning or doing something. Critical Thinking Use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Instructing Teach others how to do something. Active Listening Listen to what other people are saying and ask questions as appropriate. Writing Communicate effectively with others in writing as indicated by the needs of the audience. Time Management Manage one's own time and the time of others. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Speaking Talk to others to effectively convey information.
Abilities		Speech Recognition Identify and understand the speech of another person Problem Sensitivity Able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. This doesn't involve solving the problem, just recognizing that there is a problem. Oral Comprehension Able to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Related Jobs		Social Worker, Child, Family, and School, Therapist, Physical, Assistant, Physical Therapist, Aide, Physical Therapist, Aide, Occupational Therapist, Therapist, Occupational, Health Educator
Job Outlook		Employment of occupational therapist assistants and aides is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2020. The impact of proposed Federal legislation imposing limits on reimbursement for therapy services may adversely affect the job market for occupational therapist assistants and aides in the short run. Over the long run, however, demand for occupational therapist assistants and aides will continue to rise because of the increasing number of individuals with disabilities or limited function. Job growth will result from an aging population, including the baby-boom generation, which will need more occupational therapy services. The increased prevalence of sensory disorders in children will increase the demand for occupational therapy services. Increasing demand also will result from advances in medicine that allow more people with critical problems to survive and then need rehabilitative therapy. In an effort to control rising health care costs, third-party payers are expected to encourage occupational therapists to delegate more hands-on therapy work to lower-paid occupational therapist assistants and aides. Occupational therapist assistants and aides held about 36,000 jobs in 2010. Occupational therapist assistants held about 28,500 jobs, and occupational therapist aides held approximately 7,500.
More Information		American Occupational Therapy Association
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/occupational-therapy-assistants-and-aides.htm O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/details/31-2011.00#menu