Occupational Therapy Assistant
Occupational therapy is one of the newer specialties in the health recovery tool kit.
OT began with growing industrialization and has continued in the wake of modern warfare. OT assistants (OTAs) help people with disabilities in numerous ways, from work or war related injuries, to clients of all ages with every kind of disability: heart problems, cerebral palsy, arthritis, serious physical injuries, aging, mental retardation, emotional and neurological disorders. The list goes on.
OTAs are heroes to those they serve. They help people return to productivity—but in a new form.
At L&C we train you as an OTA to literally help patients create a new life of maximum independence. This includes self-care, daily living, leisure and work. The program is a combination of academic preparation and supervised clinical practice. You will study and practice a range of treatment modalities: from daily living training to splinting, environmental modifications to safety training, wheelchair modifications to sensory integration, life skills training, job site analysis, energy conservation techniques, cognitive retraining and neuromuscular retraining techniques for those who have lost functional use of a limb. You work in tandem with families, doctors, nurses, case managers, social workers and other therapists.
OTAs work in a variety of settings under the supervision of an occupational therapist: hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, school systems, mental health centers, rehabilitation hospitals, residential care facilities, home health settings, work hardening centers and non-medical settings.
The program can be completed in two years and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Graduates are qualified to sit for the national certification examination for the Occupational Therapy Assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).