Occupational Therapy Assistant
Prospective Students | Current Students
The two-year Occupational Therapy Assistant program provides classroom and clinical education required by Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) and prepares students for employment as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).
Graduates of the program can work with a registered occupational therapist to provide services in traditional and non-traditional settings, to clients in wellness or with physical, emotional or developmental disabilities, injuries or conditions.
Students interested in the program should seek a degree plan from the program director in advance of desired enrollment in OTA courses.
The official definition of Occupational Therapy as accepted by the Representative Assembly of the American Occupational Therapy Association is:
"Occupational Therapy is the use of purposeful activity with individuals who are limited by physical injury, psychosocial dysfunction, developmental or learning disabilities, poverty and cultural differences or aging process in order to maximize independence, prevent disability and maintain health. The practice encompasses evaluation, treatment and consultation. Specific occupational therapy services include: teaching daily living skills; developing perceptual-motor skills and sensory integrative functioning; developing play skills and prevocational and leisure capacities; designing, fabricating or applying selected orthotic and prosthetic devices or selective adaptive equipment; using specifically designed crafts and exercises to enhance functional performance; administering and interpreting tests such as manual muscle and range of motion; and adapting environments for the disabled. These services are provided individually, in groups or through social systems."