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Training Required to Become an Occupational Therapist Assistant
Find Schools and Colleges Offering Occupational Therapy Assistant Programs Near You
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An occupational therapist assistant works as a rehabilitation aide to people with mental, physical, emotional, or developmental impairments.
Job prospects for an occupational therapist assistant, or OTA, are expected to increase faster than the national average. But to enter into this career, you will need to complete a certification program or get an associate degree. With the rising costs in occupational therapy, more work is getting delegated away from the primary therapist and to the OTA or rehabilitation aide, increasing the complexity of their wok and level of training required.
As of 2005, there were 135 accredited occupational therapist assistant programs for you to choose from, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. At one of these programs, you will learn about health care, medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology. Once these are complete you will focus more on occupational therapy specifically and learn about mental health, physical disabilities, gerontology, and pediatrics. To become a rehabilitation aide or OTA you will also need 16 weeks of supervised fieldwork.
In most states, once you have finished your formal education you must pass a national certification exam. If you pass this then you will receive the title "Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant."
Advances in medicine are allowing people with critical problems to survive and live longer, meaning they will need rehabilitative therapy. The aging population and growing sensory problems in children also increase the demand for occupational therapist assistants. Your training will cover mental, physical, emotional, and developmental impairments, all of which require occupational therapy.
Job Outlook and Salaries for Occupational Therapist Assistants
The job outlook is excellent, expanding much faster than the national average for all occupations through 2014 due to the aging population and baby-boom generation needing more occupational therapy services.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports a median annual income for OTAs at around $38,430 in 2004 figures. Rehabilitation aides reported $23,150 as the average income for the same period. The outlook for positions in the long run predicts that the demand for occupational therapist assistants and aides will grow. As a result of those in need of therapy with limited functions as the general population ages, the number of positions for OTAs should grow much faster than average through 2014.With adequate training, and a desire to care for those recuperating from an accident or other debilitating injury, a career in occupational therapy can work for you.