Occupational Therapy Assistant, A.A.S.

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Program Code: OTA.AAS.OTA or GNS.AA.OTA for applicants

This program prepares graduates for jobs as occupational therapy assistants. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Blvd., Ste. 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number is 301-652-6611 and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program are 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, graduates become certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs). In addition, states require licensure in order to practice. However, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction could affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification exam or attain state licensure.

Pre-Occupational Therapy Assistant Courses

Remaining Courses

Fall

Spring

Summer

Fall

Spring

Symbol(s)

* This course has a prerequisite.

♦ This course can be taken before being accepted into the program.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program should be able to:

Engage and recognize the value of lifelong learning;
Understand physical and psychological development across the lifespan;
Understand the theory and practice of how engagement and occupation across the lifespan give meaning, fulfillment and quality to an individual’s life by focusing on occupational therapy’s practice framework and using the performance areas of occupation for intervention with individuals;
Demonstrate competency in the skills of an entry-level occupational therapy assistant, including observing patient performance, interpreting performance, implementing activity analysis, understanding and taking vital signs, understanding and working with groups of patients, constructing and/or modifying a splint and prioritizing treatment goals;
Demonstrate the ability to assist with assessment and provide treatment for range of motion, muscle testing and strengthening, adaptations, gradation, activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, cognitive skills, sensory skills, tactile skills and fine motor performance;
Advocate for the client and profession of occupational therapy;
Demonstrate and use evidence-based practice and occupational therapy techniques;
Comply with the code of ethics and standards for the practice of occupational therapy;
Demonstrate collaborative relationships with occupational therapists and other health care team members; and
Successfully complete the national occupational therapy assistant certification exam.