Occupational Therapy Assistant



The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is a two-year program.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) works under the direction of an Occupational Therapist to provide rehabilitative services to persons with mental, physical, emotional or developmental impairments with the ultimate goal to improve the client’s quality of life and ability to perform daily activities. 

In 2007 occupational therapy assistants held approximately 25,000 jobs.  Employment is expected to grow much faster than average. The mean hourly compensation at the national level was $21.72 or a mean average salary of $45,180.  Source:  US Department of Labor.

Prerequisites
The student will need to demonstrate proficiencies in reading, English, and mathematics based on the COMPASS assessment test, ACT or SAT scores, or by taking the recommended/ required classes.  Some of the courses in this curriculum have specific prerequisites. 

Students must complete BIOL 111 General Biology prior to taking BIOL 257/258 Human Anatomy & Physiology/Lab.  Students must complete BIOL 257/258 Anatomy and Physiology/Lab prior to taking OTA 110 Human Structure and Function in OT. 

Program Outcomes
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the history and philosophical base of the profession of occupational therapy.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of occupation and activity, including the interaction of areas of occupation, performance skills and patterns, activity demands, context, and client factors.
3. Describe models of practice and frames of reference that are used in occupational therapy.
4. Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of occupational therapy interventions and procedures to enhance safety, wellness, and performance in activities of daily living (ADL).
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the occupational therapy assistant in care coordination, case management, and transition services in traditional and emerging practice environments.
6. Demonstrate the ability to effectively interact through written, oral, and nonverbal communication with the client, family, significant others, colleagues, other health providers, and the public in a professionally acceptable manner.
7. Describe the contexts of health care, education, community, and social models or systems as they relate to the practice of occupational therapy.
8. Identify the varied roles of the occupational therapy assistant as a practitioner, educator, and research assistant.

The occupational therapy assistant program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Developing Program Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. Once accreditation of the program has been obtained, its graduates 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 in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Course Sequence
The listing that follows is a required sequence of courses. The student should work with their advisor regarding their course schedule. 

Required Sequence of Courses
Developmental Reading/English, if test scores indicate need.

APPLY FOR OTA PROGRAM ACCEPTANCE

Semester II		Cr Hr
PSYC 263	Developmental Psychology	3
BIOL 257*	Human Anatomy & Physiology	3
BIOL 258*	Human Anatomy & Physiology Lab	2
OTA 100	Intro to Occupational Therapy	3
OTA 102	Occupational Therapy Skills Through the Lifespan	3
OTA 104	Occupational Disruption & Activity Analysis	3
Total		17

 

Semester III		Cr Hr
OTA 106	Core Skills & Modalities in Occupational Therapy Assistant	3
OTA 108	Fieldwork and Practice Issues – Level I	1
OTA 110*	Human Structure and Function	2
OTA 111	Human Structure and Function Lab	1
OTA 200	Mental Health & Psychosocial Practice	3
OTA 210	Theory and Practice in Physical & Occupational Disabilities	3
OTA 212	Management & Legal Issues in Occupational Therapy	3
Total		16

Summer		Cr Hr
SOSC 100	Introduction to Sociology	3
	Electives	2
Total		5
Semester IV
OTA 214	OTA Clinical Fieldwork – Level II A	3
OTA 216	Fieldwork in the Community – Level II B	4
Total		7

Total Program Credits  64

*Prerequisite required

 

For more information contact: Program Advisor Barbara Flett 785.242.2067 ext 306 bflett@neosho.edu