Occupational Therapy Assistants
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience
Previous 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.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job Training
Employees 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.
Examples
These 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.
Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, direct activity programs, and document the progress of treatments. Generally requires formal training.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $43K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $53K
Median Salary: $62K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $74K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $84K
Demand
Core Tasks
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.
Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.
Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.
Aid patients in dressing and grooming themselves.
Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently.
Communicate and collaborate with other healthcare professionals involved with the care of a patient.
Evaluate the daily living skills or capacities of physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled clients.
Attend continuing education classes.
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.
Teach patients how to deal constructively with their emotions.
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.
Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual or creative arts or games.
Perform clerical duties, such as scheduling appointments, collecting data, or documenting health insurance billings.
Assemble, clean, or maintain equipment or materials for patient use.
Attend care plan meetings to review patient progress and update care plans.
Order any needed educational or treatment supplies.
Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.
Design, fabricate, or repair assistive devices or make adaptive changes to equipment or environments.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
82%
Knowledge 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.
English Language
77%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Psychology
77%
Knowledge 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.
Education and Training
76%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Therapy and Counseling
76%
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Medicine and Dentistry
71%
Knowledge 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.
Sociology and Anthropology
60%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Clerical
58%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Computers and Electronics
55%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Public Safety and Security
55%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
78%
Giving 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.
Speaking
75%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension
73%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Social Perceptiveness
73%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management
73%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing
73%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Service Orientation
70%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Judgment and Decision Making
68%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring
68%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination
65%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension
78%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Problem Sensitivity
78%
The 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 Comprehension
75%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
75%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Near Vision
70%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Information Ordering
68%
The 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 Clarity
68%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
68%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Deductive Reasoning
65%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Top 10 Work Activities
Assisting and Caring for Others
95%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Getting Information
89%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Documenting/Recording Information
87%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
86%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Performing General Physical Activities
86%
Performing 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 Relationships
84%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
81%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
81%
Performing 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 Knowledge
80%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
79%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Detailed Work Activities
Develop patient therapy programs.
Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
Encourage patients during therapeutic activities.
Teach basic living or other adaptive skills to patients or caregivers.
Teach medical procedures or medical equipment use to patients.
Record vital statistics or other health information.
Maintain medical records.
Assist patients with daily activities.
Implement therapeutic programs to improve patient functioning.
Confer with other professionals to plan patient care.
Administer screening tests to determine abilities or treatment needs.
Attend educational events to update medical knowledge.
Prepare medical reports or documents.
Communicate patient status to other health practitioners.
Teach medical procedures to healthcare personnel.
Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
Perform clerical work in medical settings.
Process medical billing information.
Clean medical equipment.
Prepare medical instruments or equipment for use.
Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
Inventory medical supplies or equipment.
Move patients to or from treatment areas.
Make patient-assistive devices or device models.
Work Context
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Education
Interests
Social
100%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic
62%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
48%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic
43%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Conventional
39%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising
24%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Top 10 Work Styles
Integrity
94%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Adaptability/Flexibility
92%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Self Control
90%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Dependability
89%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation
88%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attention to Detail
87%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Concern for Others
86%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Social Orientation
86%
Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Stress Tolerance
81%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Initiative
79%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Work Values
Relationships
86%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
69%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Support
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
39%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
