1. What does
an occupational therapist assistant (OTA) do?
The occupational therapy assistant utilizes purposeful activity with persons
who are limited by physical injury or illness, psychosocial dysfunction,
developmental or learning disabilities, poverty, cultural differences,
or the aging process. Specific occupational therapy direct services include
teaching daily living skills; developing perceptual motor skills and sensory
integrative functioning; and promoting play skills, vocational abilities,
and leisure
capacities. In addition, they fabricate and apply selected orthotic
devices and assistive technology; adapt work, home and school environments;
and administer standardized assessments.
2. Where are occupational therapist
assistants employed?
Occupation therapy assistants are employed in a variety of settings,
including:
Hospital and Clinics
Rehabilitation Centers
Public and Private Schools
Camps
Business and Industry
Community Facilities
Home Health Agencies
Nursing Homes and Residential Centers
Correctional Facilities
Mental Health Centers
Private Practice
The OTA is prepared to work with a variety of populations including,
but not limited to, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly in
areas of physical and mental health as well as emerging areas of practice.
3. What is the employment outlook
for occupational therapists?
The outlook is excellent. Employment if the field is expected to grow
faster than the
average for all occupations because of public interest in the rehabilitation
of disabled persons is high, the U.S. population is aging , and established
occupational therapy programs are highly successful.
4. How do I become an occupational
therapy assistant?
The University of Southern Indiana offers an occupation therapy assistant
associate degree.
Students enroll in 27 credit hours of core curriculum courses, and 49
credit hours of
OTA course work. The OTA course work includes 43 credit hours of didactic
coursework and six credit hours of clinical fieldwork. Clinical fieldwork
experience commence after all didactic coursework is completed. Fieldwork
is generally completed over a 16-week period, with the student working
and learning alongside an experienced occupational therapy practitioner
on a full-time basis for the duration, however, fieldwork may be complete
on a part-time basis with some limitations.
5. What kinds of OTA educational
programs are available?
To become an occupational therapy assistant, you may complete either
a two year associate
degree program or one of a limited number of 12 to 14 month certificate
programs. Each
type of program also includes a minimum of 4 months of supervised clinical
education or
internship. USI offers an associate of science degree.
Graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification for Certification
in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam,
the individual will have the title certified occupational therapy assistant
(COTA). Most stares require licensure in order to practice; however, state
credentials are usually based on the successful passing of the NBCOT certification
exam.
7. Is USI Occupational Therapy
Assistant Program accredited?
The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation
Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational
Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, PO Box 31220,
Bethesda, Maryland 20824-2682, 301-652- 2682.
8. How do I enroll in the USI Occupational
Therapy Assistant Program?
The program selects students for admission to the OTA program on the basis
of:
- Admission to University.
- Completion of OTA Core Curriculum, and a minimum
GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale.
- Submission of all materials in admissions packet by January 20 of year
planning to be admitted to the fall class.
- Interview with Occupation Therapists Admission Committee.
- The selection of students for admission to the program is based on a
combination score that includes the standardize interview with occupational
therapists (50%) and cumulative GPA (50%). Thirty students with the highest
scores are admitted to the OTA program.
10. What is the USI pass rate on the
NBCOT certification exam?
The pass rate average for the last three graduating classes 2004 –
2006 is 79% for first time test takers. The total number of test takers
was 43, with 34 students passing the first time. A total of 53 students
completed the OTA program during this time period.
11. Where do I go to get further
information about occupational therapy assistant and the University of
Southern Indiana’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program?
