Thinking Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree? You’ll Love the OTA Fieldwork Experience!

Two things to know about earning an occupational therapy assistant degree and becoming an OTA: (1) it’s a two-year degree program, and (2) the time in school includes guided fieldwork that introduces you to all that an OTA does. OTA students say the fieldwork the most valuable part of the degree because they are interacting with clients.

The Role of the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA)

You haven’t heard much about occupational therapy assistants. That’s OK. In many healthcare settings, they are the professional workforce helping clients live the most fulfilling life they can despite physical, having emotional, mental, rehabilitative, sensory, and developmental challenges. In many healthcare settings, they are the professional workforce helping clients live the most fulfilling life they can despite physical, emotional, mental, rehabilitative, sensory, and developmental challenges.

Occupational therapy includes an evaluation, a personalized plan to help clients achieve their goals, and outcome assessments to ensure progress toward goals.

OTAs work one-on-one with clients, leading the therapy activities designed to help the client achieve their goal. OTAs help people go from saying, “I want to do this,” to exclaiming, “Yes, I can do this.”

Examples of therapy activities an OTA might lead:

• They would instruct someone recovering from a hip replacement how to safely get in and out of bed or get dressed by themselves.
• They would lead constructive activities and coordinate resources for those with mental or emotional health conditions. This could include explaining to family members or caregivers how they can participate in achieving therapy goals.
• In schools, they would help children with developmental or other challenges through personalized therapies. Goals might include improved academic performance or feeling comfortable in social and recreational activities through new coping skills.

The Significance of Fieldwork in an Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree

When you realize the many different client populations OTAs serve, it’s easy to see the value of the four to five months of guided fieldwork. Realize that fieldwork is the final phase of the two-year Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Occupational Therapy Assistant degree program. According to a survey of currently working OTAs, more than 81% entered the workforce after earning this OTA degree.

Required courses are first up in the two-year A.A.S. program, such as psychology, English composition, and common health science terminology. These classes generally represent about one-third of the time in school.

The remaining time in school is a dive deep into professional OTA coursework, including individual instruction, group practice sessions, and guest speakers on various occupational therapy topics.  All these components prepare students to address actual client scenarios.

All About the OTA Fieldwork Experience

The goal of Level I fieldwork is to develop a comfort level with the techniques and methods to achieve an accurate understanding of clients’ needs. Students spend time observing and having discussions with other OTA students, certified OTAs, and supervising Occupational Therapists (OTs),

When the supervising fieldwork evaluator determines these introductory competencies are satisfactory, OTA students move on to Level II fieldwork.

Learning objectives for Level II fieldwork include:

• Gathering data on a client’s occupational performance that contributes to the client’s screening process
• Assisting in establishing client-centered objectives
• Assisting the occupational therapist (OT) in interpreting client assessments
• Participating in the planning and implementation of treatment programs that meet client goals.

Where Fieldwork Happens

Depending on the location of the university offering your occupational therapy assistant degree, you’ll have different options. OTA degree programs at a university in a major metro area will offer the most variety, especially when those metro areas already have a strong healthcare reputation.

Traditional places for fieldwork experiences include:

• Daycare centers
• Schools
• Mental health organizations
• Rehabilitation centers
• Shelters for specific audiences, such as battered women and the homeless
• Assisted living facilities.

In addition, some OTA degree programs will offer nontraditional fieldwork experience in community settings. Examples:

• Nonprofit organizations focusing on specific populations
• Doctor’s offices
• Senior adult day programs.

You’ll Like Being an OTA. You’ll Love the Career.

Those who choose the occupational therapy assistant degree as their outlet for caring about people also find the profession immensely fulfilling for themselves. The occupational therapy assistant profession now projects as the nation’s 4th fastest growing occupation for 2019-29, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Newly certified OTAs earn an average salary of about $45-$47,000 per year in the Midwest. OTAs with 3-4 years of experience have average salaries between $54,534 and $62,761, according to the data site salary.com.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree at Cleveland University-Kansas City 

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university in Overland Park, Kansas.

CUKC offers an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S. degree) in Occupational Therapy Assistant. Our two-year program delivers classes in sequential 8-week modules year-round. The OTA degree program includes the four-to-five months of required fieldwork experience, ensuring mastery of essential OTA skills and knowledge.

Other features of our A.A.S. in Occupational Therapy Assistant degree:

• Fully accredited by the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
• Includes a dedicated simulated living quarters’ lab for group and individual instruction
• Prepares you for the national certifying exam to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and meet state licensing requirements
• Preferred admission for eligible students who complete all required and prerequisite coursework at CUKC and meet all program and university considerations.
• Three class start options: spring, summer, and fall each year.

Request information today, plus download a free eBook about the OTA profession: Your Complete Guide to an Occupational Therapy Assistant Career.