See Why it’s Wise to Choose a 2-year Occupational Therapy Assistant School

You’ve heard the saying, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” right? The right first step for many people like you is to choose a 2-year occupational therapy assistant school and become an OTA – occupational therapy assistant. Those three letters after your name will allow you to make a difference in many people’s lives during your career.

Why It’s Wise to Become an OTA

OTAs are highly skilled, compassionate healthcare practitioners who work in partnership with occupational therapists (OTs) to help those with developmental, mental, emotional, physical, and sensory-affecting conditions achieve their life goals.

In short, graduates of an occupational therapy assistant school help people of all ages go from “I want to do this” to “Now I can do this.” Become an OTA, and you work one-on-one with people daily, encouraging, inspiring, and instructing. Best of all, you get to see their progress, making it a satisfying career.

What OTAs Do

Here are a few examples of how OTAs make a difference in people’s lives:

• Recovering from an injury. Beyond physical healing, those recovering from surgeries or injuries need to know techniques like how to get in and out of bed without putting undue stress on a body that’s healing or how to navigate steps safely.
• Overcoming mental/emotional difficulties. Someone with a mental or emotional health challenge may feel alone and isolated. An OTA might carry out a series of activities to improve self-esteem and increase their confidence in social or employment situations.
• Helping children succeed in school. Children who have fallen behind developmentally get frustrated because they struggle with completing school assignments or participating successfully in social activities. OTAs use the skills and knowledge from their occupational therapy assistant school training to help identify barriers to success in school and lead activities that compensate for or overcome those obstacles.
• Making life better for senior adults. Another focus of occupational therapy is to maintain and increase the quality of life of today’s senior adults. That’s a population segment projected to reach 83.7 million people by 2050, almost doubling the number from 2012.OTAs work with seniors in various ways, including advice on home modifications, teaching adaptions for daily living activities, and conducting therapies to improve cognitive skills.

2-year OTA Degree: A Faster Track to a Healthcare Career

Unlike many other healthcare degrees, most students can complete the OTA degree in two years through a year-round schedule.

The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in OTA encompasses classwork, collaborative group projects, practice in simulated living labs, and question-and-answer sessions with instructors and experienced occupational therapy professionals.

During occupational therapy assistant school, OTA students begin learning hands-on techniques as early as the second trimester. At the end of the OTA degree program, students move to guided fieldwork experiences. Students first observe how OTAs help clients in real-world scenarios and then begin applying their OTA skills and knowledge under the guidance of trained OTA evaluators.

The comprehensive education received at an occupational therapy assistant school prepares students to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam and become Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTA).

Two Years to a Competitive Salary

Occupational therapy assistants are right at the center of the expanding healthcare sector. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics sees a plus-25% growth for the profession through 2031.

According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), OTAs work with clients in hospitals, schools, outpatient centers, homes, and senior care/assisted living facilities.

In response to widespread demand, OTA salaries – especially considering the OTA degree is only two years – are impressive. According to the compensation-tracking site Salary.com, the salary for experienced OTAs in the midwest ranges from $53,345 to $59,213. The salary range for newly certified OTAs is $45,000 to $48,000.

Become an OTA at Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC)

Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC), a nonprofit, private, chiropractic and health sciences university in Overland Park, Kansas, offers a 2-year Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S. degree) in Occupational Therapy Assistant.

Our occupational therapy assistant program delivers classes in sequential 8-week modules year-round and includes four to five months of required fieldwork experience in our network of healthcare facilities.

Other features you’ll appreciate:

• Fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
• Includes the latest OT equipment and practices and an on-campus simulated living quarters lab
• Preparation for the national certifying exam to become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and meet state licensing requirements
• Class options start in spring and fall.

Request information today to learn about the 2-year occupational therapy assistant school education at CUKC, plus download a free eBook: Your Complete Guide to an Occupational Therapy Assistant Career.