Occupational Therapy Assistant
Allied Health Major
OCCUPATIONAL SUMMARY
Occupational Therapy Assistants work under the direction of an occupational therapist to provide rehabilitative services to people with mental, physical, emotional, or developmental impairments. The OTA follows a treatment plan developed in collaboration with the occupational therapist. The activities can involve teaching a patient how to move from a wheelchair to a bed to the best way to stretch and loosen hand muscles. They also monitor a patient's activities to insure proper movement, and they provide encouragement. The OTA must also record the client's progress for the occupational therapist who may have to modify the treatment plan.
The OTA's usually work during the day, but they may occasionally have to work evenings and on weekends to accommodate a client's schedule. Employment for occupational therapy assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all other occupations through 2008. Growth is the result of an aging population, including the baby-boom group which will probably be in need of therapeutic services. The increased need for OTA's will also result from advances in medicine which allow more people with critical problems to live longer lives, but not without supportive therapies.
RELATED JOB TITLES FOR THE
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT
(Some require more education and training)
- Occupational Therapist
- Occupational Therapist Aide
- Dental Assistant
- Medical Assistant
- Pharmacy Assistant
- Physical Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapy Aide
REPRESENTATIVE EMPLOYERS LOOKING FOR
SUNY ORANGE OTA MAJORS
- Haven Healthcare of Greenwich
- Anderson School
- St. Claire's Health Services
- Ferncliff Nursing Home
- RehabCare
- Ortho & Neuro Rehab
- Rehabilitation Services Inc.
- Select Medical Rehabilitation
- The Ellenville Children's Annex
- Good News Personnel
- Healthbridge Management
- Milestone Pediatric
- Ability Beyond Disability
- Affinity Rehab
- Catskill Regional Medical Center, Harris, NY
SOURCES
- Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor
- America's Top Job for People Without a Four-Year Degree. Fifth edition by J.Michael Farr. 2001 JIST Works, an imprint of JIST Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
- 150 Great Tech Prep Careers. Andrew Morkes, Managing Editor, Career Publications. 2001 Ferguson Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois
- Orange County Community College - College Catalog 2002-2003.
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