Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree – When You’re Caring, Creative, and Seek a Bright Future

Want a career that brings together innovative healthcare skills, a talent for being creative, deep-down compassion for people, and a competitive salary? No, it’s not nursing – that’s four years or more of college. No, it’s not working in a doctor’s office – you want to be involved directly in client care. Instead, look into the two-year’s time it takes to earn the occupational therapy assistant degree.

Here’s why: In two years of college, you can join the occupational therapy assistant (OTA) profession, which will expand by more than 25% from 2021 to 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Why the Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree?

The emphasis in occupational therapy is to focus immediately and actively on clients’ functional and social needs. What could be more rewarding than that? 

Occupational therapy has been a part of healthcare since its founding in 1917. The profession uses a combination of whole-health and instructive therapies to help those with disabilities, injuries, and life-altering conditions to live their best possible lives. 

You see, the “occupation” in occupational therapy health refers to doing the everyday things people want to do: get dressed by themselves, reach up into a kitchen cabinet, moving up and down stairs safely, remembering a “to do” schedule, and interacting socially with others. Occupational therapy assistants – OTAs – help their clients achieve their goals.

Recent research by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has shown that occupational therapies have a significant role in improving healthcare outcomes for those with developmental, emotional, mental, and physical conditions. Occupational therapy is effective in numerous client scenarios, from young children to today’s growing senior adult population.

(This Q&A blog provides a solid overview of the profession and why earning the occupational therapy assistant degree is more important than ever.)

OTAs Have a Wide Variety of Skills

Occupational therapy assistants offer teaching and encouragement in many ways:  

1. OTAs help evaluate whether patients can safely live independently or require further rehabilitation or assistive instruction.
2. OTAs introduce assistive devices and tools so patients can perform the activities of daily living they want to achieve, from using a wheelchair to assistive telephone technology.
3. Before returning to the home, OTAs make in-home safety assessments.
4. In partnership with the supervising occupational therapist, OTAs ensure clients have the skills and physical function needed for living as independently as they want to.
5. Work with physical therapists or other specialists.
6. Provide recommendations and training for caregivers.

How to Know Becoming an OTA is for You

Now that you realize the essential role occupational therapy assistants have in healthcare, how do you know earning the occupational therapy assistant degree is the right choice for you?

Here’s an assessment checklist you can use to make that decision:

• Compassion:
  You have a compelling desire to provide physical and emotional support to people who want to improve their lives despite their challenges.

• Relationship Skills:
  You have a high-level interest in interacting with patients and their families, therapy team members, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. Effective OTAs excel in soft skills, such as developing trust, communicating to clients at their level, showing empathy and understanding, and responding appropriately to questions and concerns.

• Creativity: 
  You can appropriately adjust therapies as needed to ensure a client’s progress toward goals.
• Physical Ability:
  You’re willing to assist patients when necessary physically. Expect your day to involve kneeling, bending, and standing.

• Attention to Detail:
  You have the willingness and ability to follow a treatment plan’s requirements precisely.

• Patient Confidentiality: You’re able to fully respect a patient’s privacy and confidentiality regarding medical records and conditions.

An Exciting Outlook for the Occupational Therapy Assistant Career

Statistics and job rankings tell a compelling story about why the timing is right to earn an occupational therapy assistant degree.

U.S. News & World Report, Jan. 2022:
The Top Health Care Support Jobs of 2022: Occupational Therapy Assistant is again in the top five.

Business Insider, Aug. 2019:
The 25 Highest-paying Jobs with an Associate Degree: Occupational Therapy Assistant is #16.

While many OTAs work in occupational therapy practices, OTAs also are employed by schools and school districts, rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing and assisted living centers, and home healthcare organizations.

The 2-Year Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree at Cleveland University-Kansas City

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a private, nonprofit, healthcare-focused university in Overland Park, Kansas, within the Kansas City metro. Our two-year Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Occupational Therapy Assistant degree consists of 15 core courses and includes the four-to-five months of fieldwork experience.

Other elements of the CUKC degree program include:

• Prerequisite and professional skills classes
• Personalized practice sessions in our on-campus skills lab
• Group learning
• Presentations by experienced OTAs. 

 Our program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). After graduation, our students are eligible for national certification to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) – the preferred standard of OTA employers.

To learn more about our occupational therapy assistant degree, request information here, and get an overview of the OTA career with this free eBook: Your Complete Guide to an Occupational Therapy Assistant Career.