Occupational Therapy Assistant Degree

Associate in Specialized Technology in Occupational Therapy Assistant

Occupational therapy is a challenging career field that can be extremely rewarding. If you would enjoy helping people overcome physical or developmental obstacles, you should consider a career as an occupational therapy assistant.

Occupational Therapy Career Outlook

Due to growth in the number of individuals with disabilities or limited function who require therapy services, employment for certified occupational therapy assistants is expected to increase nationally much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2020.* In the occupational therapy assistant program at Kaplan Career Institute in Pittsburgh, PA, you will have the opportunity to learn how to help people with varying levels of disabilities to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. In addition, you will gain real-world experience through externships in the community.

Career Responsibilities

While on the job, occupational therapy assistants may be called upon to:

• Administer tests such as functional muscle and range of motion
• Adapt environments for people with disabilities 
• Design, fabricate, and apply orthotic devices and equipment
• Help clients improve basic motor functions and reasoning abilities using specifically designed exercises
• Teach daily living skills to help clients lead more independent, productive, and satisfying lives

Programmatic Accreditation

The occupational therapy assistant program is accredited by The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA): 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449; Tel: 301.652.2682 (AOTA); Web: www.acoteonline.org.

Prepare for Certification Exams

Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).† After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA).

In addition, most states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or obtain state licensure.