Occupational Therapy Assistants
Overview
SaveJob 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, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, 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.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $84K |
| Median: | $62K |
| Low: | $43K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.
- Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently.
- Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.
- Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement.
- Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.
- Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.
- Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities.
- Aid patients in dressing and grooming themselves.
- Attend continuing education classes.
- Communicate and collaborate with other healthcare professionals involved with the care of a patient.
- Evaluate the daily living skills or capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.
- 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.
- Alter treatment programs to obtain better results if treatment is not having the intended effect.
- Assemble, clean, or maintain equipment or materials for patient use.
- Design, fabricate, or repair assistive devices or make adaptive changes to equipment or environments.
- Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
- Attend care plan meetings to review patient progress and update care plans.
- Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual or creative arts or games.
- Teach patients how to deal constructively with their emotions.
- Order any needed educational or treatment supplies.
- Perform clerical duties, such as scheduling appointments, collecting data, or documenting health insurance billings.
- Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
94%
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.
Psychology
86%
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
78%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language
75%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Therapy and Counseling
75%
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Public Safety and Security
69%
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.
Administrative
63%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Sociology and Anthropology
63%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Computers and Electronics
61%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Medicine and Dentistry
61%
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.
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.
Service Orientation
78%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness
78%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking
78%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension
73%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Time Management
70%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Critical Thinking
68%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring
68%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Learning
65%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Instructing
65%
Teaching others how to do something.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity
75%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Written Expression
75%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Written Comprehension
73%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Near Vision
70%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Deductive Reasoning
68%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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.
Inductive Reasoning
65%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Top 10 Work Activities
Assisting and Caring for Others
96%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
96%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Documenting/Recording Information
96%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Thinking Creatively
92%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
90%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
87%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
85%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
84%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Performing General Physical Activities
84%
Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
82%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Detailed Work Activities
- Teach basic living or other adaptive skills to patients or caregivers.
- Teach medical procedures or medical equipment use to patients.
- Encourage patients during therapeutic activities.
- Prepare medical reports or documents.
- Communicate patient status to other health practitioners.
- Implement therapeutic programs to improve patient functioning.
- Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
- Record vital statistics or other health information.
- Maintain medical records.
- Develop patient therapy programs.
- Attend educational events to update medical knowledge.
- Assist patients with daily activities.
- Administer screening tests to determine abilities or treatment needs.
- Confer with other professionals to plan patient care.
- Clean medical equipment.
- Prepare medical instruments or equipment for use.
- Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
- Move patients to or from treatment areas.
- Make patient-assistive devices or device models.
- Teach medical procedures to healthcare personnel.
- Inventory medical supplies or equipment.
- Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
- Perform clerical work in medical settings.
- Process medical billing information.
Education
Interests
Social
90%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Conventional
55%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Realistic
53%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Investigative
50%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Artistic
31%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Enterprising
16%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
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.
Colleges
SAGE Scholars Member Schools that offer majors leading to this career.
Check out the College Search to see the full list of schools with majors for this career.