Occupational Therapy Assistants

What the job really is

Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, direct activity programs, and document the progress of treatments. Generally requires formal training.

At a glance

• Sector: Healthcare Support
• O*NET-SOC code: 31-2011
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.
• Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.
• Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.
• Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently.
• Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement.
• Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.
• Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities.
• Attend continuing education classes.
• Aid patients in dressing and grooming themselves.
• Evaluate the daily living skills or capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.
• Communicate and collaborate with other healthcare professionals involved with the care of a patient.
• Work under the direction of occupational therapists to plan, implement, or administer educational, vocational, or recreational programs that restore or enhance performance in individuals with functional impairments.

Tools and technology

Facebook, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, eClinicalWorks EHR software, Accounting software, Alternative computer keyboards, Arm braces

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Occupational Therapy Aides
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Physical Therapist Aides
• Psychiatric Technicians
• Respiratory Therapists
• Acute Care Nurses
• Radiation Therapists
• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Occupational Therapy Assistants — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.