Occupational Therapy Assistant

An occupational therapy assistant treats patients using purposeful and meaningful activities. The treatment is holistic including focus on the patients’ physical, cognitive and psychological abilities. Occupational therapists (OT) and occupational therapy assistants (OTA) aid individuals of any age to regain skills needed to participate in productive, satisfactory and meaningful living. Under the supervision of an occupational therapist, an assistant can treat clients with cognitive, physical, emotional and/or developmental disabilities in a variety of healthcare and other settings. After successfully completing an accredited Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, the graduate is eligible to take 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 COTA. In addition, most states including Ohio require licensure to practice; however, Ohio and most other state licenses are based on passing of the NBCOT exam. After achieving licensure, the individual will be a COTA/L.

Career Opportunities

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of occupational therapy assistants is expected to grow due to the increased demand for rehabilitation and long-term care services.  Average starting salaries for OTAs in the United States are $38,430 (2004).  According to the 2007 Rhodes State College Graduate Survey of OTA graduates (who returned the survey) had an average starting salary of $40,691.

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the: Accreditation Council for Occupation Therapy Education (ACOTE) 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, (301) 652-2682, e-mail: www.aota.org.  This program has been accredited since its inception in 1997.

NOTICE TO PROSPECTIVE OR CURRENT OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENTS

You are at risk if you have been convicted of a prior felony and/or some misdemeanors.  You may not be able to participate in clinical education experiences at some hospitals or other clinical sites; therefore preventing you from completing the program.  A felony conviction may affect your ability to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant (NBCOT exam) or attain state licensure.

Technical Standards

All applicants accepted to Rhodes State College must be able to meet the technical standards of the program of study for which they enroll.  Students are asked to review the standards and to sign a form certifying that they have read, understand, and are able to meet the standards.  Students are to be provided the technical standards information upon selection of their program of study.  A list and more detailed explanation is available on pages 48-49 of the College catalog.

Qualification Requirements

1. A composite ACT score of 21 or above with individual scores of 18 in English and social science and 20 in math and science or appropriate test scores/ developmental coursework.  (See 1a under Acceptance into an Allied Health Major on page 47 of the college catalog).
2. Must have basic computer skills prior to admission to the program.  This can be satisfied through high school experiences, life experiences, or completion of CPT-104 or equivalent.
3. A 2.5 grade point average in all previously completed college work based on a 4.0 scale.

Requirement 4 must be met by the time of enrollment in the first Occupational Therapy Assistant course. 

4. Twenty hours (20) of documented work/volunteer experience in an Occupational Therapy department/office.

Requirements 5, 6, and 7 must be met by the beginning of the second quarter of the program (prior to the beginning of supervised clinical practice.)

5. Satisfactory physical examination results from a physician to include specified laboratory tests and immunizations.  Validation of this requirement must be received by the OTA Chairperson.
6. Current basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation qualifications from the American Heart Association (BLS, health Care Provider, CPR), American Red Cross (infant, child, and adult CPR; choking victim; AED), or American Safety & health Institute (Professional Level/AED).  Must be maintained through graduation.
7. Completion of criminal background check to meet the specifications of some clinical sites.  It is each student’s individual responsibility to have this report available to the clinical site when requested. Applicants who do not meet academic requirements may plan a program of study under the guidance of the Academic Advisor for Allied Health to prepare for possible admission to the program.  Admission to this program is limited; therefore, it is advisable to submit application materials as soon as possible.

Program and Graduation Requirements

Credit HoursGeneral Education (40 Credit Hours)
Writing/Communications (10 credits)
COM-111		English Composition	5
COM-211		Public Speaking	5
Mathematics (5 credits)
MTH-126		Statistics	5
Social and Behavioral Sciences (15 credits)
PSY-101		General Psychology	5
PSY-173		Abnormal Psychology	5
SOC-101		Sociology	5
Sciences (10 credits)
BIO-111		Anatomy and Psychology I	5
BIO-112		Anatomy and Psychology II	5
Related (Basic) Studies (13 Credit Hours)
BHS-133		Foundations in Pharmacology	2
BHS-139		Medical Terminology	3
BHS-222		Human Development	4
HUM-217		Dynamics of Mental Illness	3
SDE-101		First Year Experience	1
Technical Studies (57 Credit Hours)
OTA-101		Occupational Therapy Principles and Practice	3
OTA-102		Occupational Therapy Process	4
OTA-103		OTA Activities	3
OTA-104		Developmental Dysfunction	4
OTA-105		Human Anatomy	3
OTA-106		Clinical Conditions in Occupational Therapy	4
OTA-114		OT Therapeutic Procedures I	4
OTA-210		Psychosocial Dysfunction	3
OTA-213		OT Therapeutic Procedures II	4
OTA-214		Therapeutic Procedures III	4
OTA-215		Group Dynamics	3
OTA-217*		Clinical Applications I - 8 Weeks	7
OTA-218*		Clinical Application II- 8 Weeks	7
OTA-219		Seminar in Professional Issues	2
OTA-220		Seminar for OTA	2
TOTAL PROGRAM CREDIT HOURS =   110

= Portfolio course     = Capstone course

* These courses involve full-time field work in clinical sites and  must be completed no later than 18 months after completion of academic preparation.

The “C” grade policy applies to all OTA courses, BIO-111, Bio-112, and BHS-222.  Courses are sequential and must be completed with a “C” or better to continue in the program.

COURSE SEQUENCE: All courses must be taken in the following sequence.  Non-OTA courses may be taken previous to the quarter identified.

First Year Fall Quarter
OTA-101, OTA-105, PSY-101, BIO-111, SDE-101 First
Year Winter Quarter
OTA-102, OTA-114, BHS-222, BIO-112 BHS-133
First Year Spring Quarter
OTA-103, OTA-106, OTA-213, PSY-173
Summer Quarter
OTA-214, BHS-139, HUM-217, SOC-101
Second Year Fall Quarter
OTA-104,  OTA-210, OTA-215, COM-211. MTH-12
Second Year Winter Quarter
OTA-217, OTA-219
Second Year Spring Quarter
OTA-218,  OTA-220

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Updated 9/08 Information subject to change without notice.