How to Become an Occupational Therapy Assistant

So you want to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant; well CBD College could help you achieve this goal. Before you begin your educational journey toward becoming an occupational therapy assistant, ensure that this is the career choice for you. Working closely with others, and helping patients is something that you will be required to do in this profession. If you enjoy those things, this is a smart career option.

What Does an Occupational Therapy Assistant Do?

You know that you work with others, and that you help patients, but what is the detailed version of what an occupational therapy assistant does? You will be responsible for helping a patient develop, recover, and improve the skills that are necessary in daily living, in addition to those skills that the patient needs to use in her work environment.

You will have a variety of duties, including:

• Helping patients perform therapeutic activities (including exercises)

• Administrative tasks

• Keeping records of a patient’s progress

• Promoting and coordinating socialization with children who have developmental disabilities

• Instructing patients on how to use special equipment (For example, showing patients who are suffering from Parkinson’s how to use devices that will make eating easier)

• Providing assistance to an occupational therapist as needed

You may also be required to transport patients, and prepare treatment areas. If a patient needs assistance with billing and insurance forms, you may be required to help that patient fill these forms out properly. As an occupational therapy assistant, you may also need to schedule appointments for patients, or answer telephones for the medical facility that you work in.

What Education and Training is Necessary to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant?

Before you can begin performing those duties associated with an occupational therapy assistant, you will need to enroll in an occupational therapy assistant program available at an approved technical school or community college. You will generally need to complete two years in an Associate degree program before you can begin your career. Be prepared to study pediatric health, psychology, biology, and more. In addition to classroom instruction, you will need hands-on-experience outside of the classroom. The hands-on training that you receive will include various topics, such as therapy equipment set-up, procedures that pertain to infection control, and more.

You will need to ensure that the program you enroll in is approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education; if not, you will not be eligible to receive licensure as an occupational therapy assistant. CBD College has an accredited occupational therapy assistant Associate’s degree program that you could sign up for.

Licensure for an Occupational Therapy Assistant

Although it is not always a requirement, most states will require that you are certified before you can begin practicing as an occupational therapy assistant. After you have successfully completed the occupational therapy assistant program at CBD College, in addition to any required fieldwork, you can take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam. When you pass this exam, you will receive your occupational therapy assistant certification.

Call CBD College now to learn more about the occupational therapy assistant Associate Degree program. You will be one step closer to becoming an occupational therapy assistant!