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Occupational Therapy Assistants Occupation Detailed Description

Occupational Therapy Assistants career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Occupational Therapy Assistants

The main tasks and work activities of Occupational Therapy Assistants are to monitor patient progress or responses to treatments, maintain medical records, record vital statistics or other health information, encourage patients during therapeutic activities. In general, for the Occupational Therapy Assistants, active Listening, speaking, reading Comprehension, social Perceptiveness and other 13 skills are required.
Occupational Therapy Assistants Job Description
EducationMost occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related ExperiencePrevious work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
ExampleThese occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Occupational Therapy Assistants jobs.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
0.00%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
0.00%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
81.61%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
18.39%

Tasks and Work Activities of Occupational Therapy Assistants

  • Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.
  • Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.
  • Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement.
  • Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities.
  • Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.
  • Evaluate the daily living skills or capacities of physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled clients.
  • Aid patients in dressing and grooming themselves.
  • Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently.
  • Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.
  • Alter treatment programs to obtain better results if treatment is not having the intended effect.
  • 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.
  • Design, fabricate, or repair assistive devices or make adaptive changes to equipment or environments.
  • Assemble, clean, or maintain equipment or materials for patient use.
  • Teach patients how to deal constructively with their emotions.
  • Perform clerical duties, such as scheduling appointments, collecting data, or documenting health insurance billings.
  • Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
  • Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual or creative arts or games.
  • Order any needed educational or treatment supplies.
  • Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.
  • Communicate and collaborate with other healthcare professionals involved with the care of a patient.
  • Assisting and Caring for OthersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Performing General Physical ActivitiesPerforming physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicPerforming for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
  • Maintain medical records.
  • Record vital statistics or other health information.
  • Encourage patients during therapeutic activities.
  • Develop patient therapy programs.
  • Teach medical procedures or medical equipment use to patients.
  • Teach basic living or other adaptive skills to patients or caregivers.
  • Administer screening tests to determine abilities or treatment needs.
  • Assist patients with daily activities.
  • Implement therapeutic programs to improve patient functioning.
  • Communicate patient status to other health practitioners.
  • Prepare medical reports or documents.
  • Make patient-assistive devices or device models.
  • Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
  • Prepare medical instruments or equipment for use.
  • Clean medical equipment.
  • Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
  • Process medical billing information.
  • Perform clerical work in medical settings.
  • Move patients to or from treatment areas.

Skills and Abilities for Occupational Therapy Assistants

  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Static StrengthThe ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Finger DexterityThe ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Time SharingThe ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Keyboardse.g. Alternative computer keyboards
  • Arm orthopedic softgoodse.g. Arm braces
  • Adaptive communication switches for the physically challengede.g. Augmentative communication systems
  • Commercial use dishwasherse.g. Automatic dishwashing systems
  • Back or lumbar or sacral orthopedic softgoodse.g. Back braces
  • Balance beams or boards or bolsters or rockers for rehabilitation or therapye.g. Balance boards
  • Bead accessoriese.g. Beading needles
  • Braille devices for the physically challengede.g. Braille writers
  • C clampse.g. C clamps
  • Canes or cane accessoriese.g. Canes
  • Clay or modeling toolse.g. Ceramic modeling tools
  • Kilns for firing ceramicse.g. Ceramics kilns
  • Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packse.g. Cold packs
  • Commercial use ovense.g. Commercial cooking ovens
  • Commercial use microwave ovense.g. Commercial microwave ovens
  • Letter or symbol boards for the physically challengede.g. Communication boards
  • Vascular sequential compression devices or tubinge.g. Compression devices
  • Vascular or compression apparel or supporte.g. Compressive garments
  • Continuous passive motion CPM devices or accessoriese.g. Continuous passive motion CPM equipment
  • Crochet hookse.g. Crochet hooks
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • PsychologyKnowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Therapy and CounselingKnowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Medicine and DentistryKnowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.