Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree: Where Caring and Career Opportunity Meet

Do you want a career that brings together caring for people, a talent for being creative, showing others how they can achieve their goals, and having a competitive salary? Look into the two-year’s time it takes to earn the occupational therapy assistant degree.

The need for occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) will expand by more than 34% from 2020 to 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Why the Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree?

In occupational therapy, the focus is on addressing clients’ functional and social needs. What could be more rewarding than that?

The occupational therapy profession uses a combination of whole-health, instructive, and assistive therapies to help people with disabilities, injuries, and life-altering conditions live their best possible lives.

It’s an immensely satisfying profession because the “occupation” in occupational therapy health refers to doing the everyday things people want to do, such as

• Put on clothing by themselves
• Reach up into a kitchen cabinet without assistance
• Moving up and down stairs safely
• Following a daily schedule of medications.

The occupational therapy plan is personalized to the client’s development stage, habits, roles, lifestyle preferences, and his or her environment.

Occupational Therapy: Vital to Effective Patient Outcomes

Recent research by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has shown that occupational therapies significantly improve healthcare outcomes for those with developmental, emotional, mental, and physical conditions.

Research has shown that occupational therapies significantly improve 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. Whether assisting a child with autism or a senior adult regaining physical capabilities after a stroke, OTAs have compassion for those who need help and hope.

(Here’s a Q&A blog that offers 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: Some examples:

1. Working with the supervising occupational therapist, OTAs ensure clients have the skills and physical function needed to live as independently as they want to.
2. OTAs help evaluate whether clients can safely live independently or require further rehabilitation or assistive instruction.
3. OTAs introduce assistive devices and tools so patients can perform the activities of daily living they want to achieve. Examples include using a wheelchair, home modifications, and assistive technology.
4. Coordinate care with physical therapists or other specialists.
5. Offer recommendations and education for caregivers.

Is Earning an Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree for You?

Now that you realize the essential role occupational therapy assistants have in healthcare, how do you know you should become an OTA?

Here’s a checklist you can use to be confident in your 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 adjust therapies appropriately 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 are willing and able to follow a treatment plan’s requirements precisely.

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

A Vital Role for Occupational Therapy Assistants

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. 2021: 
The Top Health Care Support Jobs: Occupational Therapy Assistant is again in the top 10.

Thebestschools.org, May, 2022: 
The 25 Highest-paying Jobs with an Associate Degree: Occupational Therapy Assistant is in the top 20.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sept. 2021:
Fastest Growing Occupations: Occupational Therapy Assistant is the only healthcare-related profession in the top 15.

Finally, it’s impressive to know that OTAs are needed in many work settings. Many OTAs work in occupational therapy practices. OTAs are also sought after 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

ClevelandUniversity-Kansas City (CUKC) is a nonprofit, private, chiropractic and health sciences university in Overland Park, Kansas, a major suburban city within the Kansas City metro area.

CUKC offers an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S. degree) in Occupational Therapy Assistant that includes four to five months of fieldwork experience. This educational component helps ensure mastery of essential OTA skills and knowledge. Most students earn their OTA in two years through our year-round schedule.

Primary features of our Occupational Therapy Assistant degree program:

• Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
• Classes presented in sequential 8-week modules year-round
• On-campus simulated living quarters lab for hands-on instruction and practice
• Preparation for the national certification exam to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and satisfy state licensing requirements
• Class start options in the spring and fall.

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. You can also get an overview of the profession with this free eBook: Your Complete Guide to an Occupational Therapy Assistant Career.