Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides

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Duties

These are typical OT assistant tasks:

• Encourage patients to do therapeutic stretches.
• Engage children with disabilities in activities that improve their motor and social skills.
• Persuade patients to complete all scheduled tasks
• Teaching a Parkinson's patient how to use a device that makes eating easier is a good example.
• Assist occupational therapists by reporting to them and recording patient progress.

An OT assistant's main duties are:

• Install therapeutic equipment in treatment areas.
• Patients are moved.
• Maintain treatment areas and equipment.
• Help patients with insurance and billing paperwork.
• Make appointments, answer phones, and do clerical work.

Occupational therapy assistants help occupational therapists develop and implement patient treatment plans. As part of the program, patients will learn how to transfer from a bed to a wheelchair and stretch. In order to compensate for a lack of physical strength, occupational therapy assistants can assist injured workers. They can also help people with learning disabilities improve their quality of life by teaching them new skills.

In order to ensure proper patient care, assistants monitor patients. In order to modify the treatment plan if needed, they must keep track of the patient's progress.

Their duties include preparing and building treatment materials and equipment. Patients may benefit from their help getting to and from treatment. Aides clean up after each therapy session, putting away equipment and washing hands.

Occupational therapy assistants also complete insurance applications and other paperwork, among other duties.

Education

An associate's degree from an accredited college or university is required. Occupational therapy assistant programs are available at many community and technical colleges. The ACOT has approved over 200 occupational therapy assistant programs as of 2017.

These programs usually last two years and cover topics like psychology, biology, and pediatric health. Occupational therapy assistants must complete 16 weeks of fieldwork to gain expertise.

Occupational Therapy Assistants should study biology and health in high school. Volunteering at an occupational or physical therapy clinic can help students get into a community college or technical school program.

Occupational therapy assistants commonly have high school diplomas. They learn on the job from more experienced assistants or aides. Infection control and therapeutic equipment setup are just two of the many topics covered in training. Previous experience in the healthcare industry may help you get hired.

Occupational therapy assistants and aides must have CPR and BLS certifications. 

Important traits

Adaptability. Adaptability is required when working with patients. Working with occupational therapists requires assistants to think outside the box to find the best treatment for each patient.

Compassion. Occupational therapy assistants and aides frequently help patients who have difficulty performing daily tasks. So they must be compassionate and able to inspire others.

Dedicated to precision. Occupational therapists must give written and verbal directions to occupational therapy assistants quickly and correctly. For example, an aide must pay close attention when assisting a patient with insurance paperwork.

Interaction with others. Occupational therapy assistants and aides must be friendly and courteous when dealing with patients. They should also be able to communicate effectively with patients and their families.

Pay

The median annual wage for occupational therapy aides was $37,370 in May 2024. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,970, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $65,580.

Job Projections

Overall employment of occupational therapy assistants and aides is projected to grow 21 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.