Career Profile: Occupational Therapist Assistant

See Available Occupational Therapist Assistant

Job Description:

An occupational therapist assistant is mainly tasked to aid a certified occupational therapist in providing rehabilitative services to patients with physical, mental, emotional, and developmental difficulties. Their primary objective is to help the patients to enhance their ability to perform daily activities.

Occupational therapist assistant professionals assume various routine tasks that include the following:

• Administer rehabilitative treatments as prescribed by the therapist
• Boost the patients' morale through encouragements and compliments
• Use appropriate and effective coaching techniques during rehabilitation therapies
• Monitor patients' progress
• Gather and prepare materials needed for the rehabilitation treatment
• Help patients to complete insurance forms and other needed documentation
• Schedule rehabilitation sessions and answer phone inquiries

Work Environment:

Occupational therapist assistant professional must maintain a friendly, warm, and professional demeanor since they interact with patients most of the day. They should expect to work in a very challenging environment because tending to patients with special needs is not an easy task. Most occupational therapist assistant professionals work 40 hours a week, but there are also open slots for those who want to work part-time.

Education and Training Requirements:

It is mandatory that aspirants have a high school diploma so they can qualify for an occupational therapist assistant course program. These programs are being offered in community colleges, and vocational schools. Aspiring occupational therapist assistant professionals must complete either a one-year certificate or 2-year Associate program. Coursework usually include the following subject matters:

• medical terminology
• mental health
• pediatrics
• psychology
• gerontology
• adult physical disabilities

Furthermore, graduates must pass the licensure exam provided by the American Occupational Therapy Association in order to become a certified occupational therapist assistant.

Salary Range:

On the average, certified occupational therapist assistant professionals earn an annual salary of around $38,910 - $46,605. Meanwhile, those who have pursued higher educational degrees and acquired relevant experiences can earn $50, 171 or higher. Full-time occupational therapist assistant professionals are usually given additional perks in the form of paid vacations, health insurance, and retirement plans.

Job Outlook:

Employment growth for occupational therapist assistant professionals is very promising. In fact, it is projected that work demand will increase faster than the average due to the growing number of people that require rehabilitative and therapeutic care.

So, if you want to pursue a rewarding career as a occupational therapist assistant, begin by browsing through our extensive list of occupational therapy assistant schools and find the program that suits you the most!

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