Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree: Why You’ll Love it

It’s true not everyone understands how much occupational therapy practitioners help our society. It’s also true that people underestimate the assistance and support occupational therapists and their occupational therapy assistant (OTA) teammates give to children and youth. Those choosing an occupational therapy assistant degree are choosing to make a difference in the lives of young people every day.

An occupational therapy assistant has a unique combination of technical knowledge and people skills. An OTA’s ability to be an encourager, a coach, and a trusted partner, contributes mightily to a client’s ability to achieve the life goals he or she wants to achieve.

Here are the six occupational therapy practice areas in which OTAs bring help and hope:

•    Health and Wellness
•    Rehabilitation and Disability
•    Mental Health
•    Work and Industry
•    Productive Aging
•    Children and Youth

All six areas are essential for physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Addressing the needs of children and youth, however, offers tremendous benefits. Early use of occupational therapy methods and tactics can enhance self-esteem and sense of accomplishment, according to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA),

Inside the Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree

OTAs, which often help the occupational therapist assess a client’s needs, do the day-to-day work necessary to carry out the therapist’s treatment plan. OTAs can find themselves helping children and youth facing an amazingly wide number of conditions:

• Birth injuries
• Traumatic injuries to the brain/spinal cord
• Learning problems
• Autism/pervasive developmental disorders
• Behavioral mental, and learning problems
• Broken bones and burns
• Developmental delays
• Occurrences of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other chronic illnesses

Some examples of the impact an occupational therapy assistant can have in a young person’s life:

• For a child with cerebral palsy who requires a wheelchair in school, an OTA can assess wheelchair types, make a recommendation, and demonstrate techniques that help the child participate in school activities.
• A child affected by a sensory disorder may find crowded areas and noisy rooms extremely uncomfortable. An OTA can introduce adaptations to such conditions, such as having a soft beanbag pillow available, or self-talk that reduces fear and anxiety.
• A child with weak gross motor skills can improve them through OTA-guided activities that resemble play. Examples include lifting small objects and moving them from hand-to-hand, or by following physical motions in a game of “do what I’m doing.”

Applying the OTA Skill Set for Children and Youth

School Settings

OTAs make learning appropriate for age and abilities, encourage appropriate behavior, and find adaptive methods for participation in school-centered activities and routines.

Injury Situations

OTAs help children recover from injuries or surgeries. OTAs might devise play-like activities that increase strength balance or improve coordination.

Cognitive Difficulties

An OTA can introduce adaptive skills, equipment, and techniques to improve thinking and decision-making.

Emotional/Behavioral Challenges 

An OTA can teach ways to

• Overcome challenges with coping skills
• Counter feelings of frustration with calming tactics
• Organize daily life activities so they are easier to self-manage.

OTA: A Career That Fits Your Expectations

For more detail about what an OTA does, check out this blog. You’ve already seen the good an OTA does, so you might be curious to know if becoming an OTA makes for a great career.

The OTA pay scale is high, especially for a two-year college degree. Salary.com puts the average OTA yearly salary at $55-58,000 for 2021. OTA employment is projected to grow at least 30% from 2020 to 2030.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree at CUKC

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC), a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university in Kansas City, offers an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Occupational Therapy Assistant degree.

The CUKC degree, which students complete in as few as two years, includes 16 core courses and provides AOTA-approved fieldwork experiences. The CUKC program meets the AOTA standards and trains students to become Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA).

Features of the CUKC program:

• Classroom learning combines with guided instruction
• On-campus simulated living quarters for intensive, hands-on learning
• Degree completion in as little as two years, which includes the required AOTA Level I and Level II fieldwork
• Class start options for spring, summer, and fall of each year.

Learn more about an occupational therapy assistant degree and career options today. Download your copy of our new ebook resource: Your Complete Guide to an Occupational Therapy Assistant Career.