How To Become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Key Steps To Become a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

1. Explore Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Education

   If you're interested in becoming a certified occupational therapy assistant, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 10.1% of certified occupational therapy assistants have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.7% of certified occupational therapy assistants have master's degrees. Even though some certified occupational therapy assistants have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

   Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a certified occupational therapy assistant. When we researched the most common majors for a certified occupational therapy assistant, we found that they most commonly have occupational therapy, psychology and health sciences and services.

   Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Degrees

   Associate

   83.7 %

   Bachelors

   10.1 %

   Certificate

   3.5 %

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   Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Major	Percentages
   Occupational Therapy	83.40%
   Psychology	2.10%
   Health Sciences And Services	2.00%
   Business	1.70%
   Other Degrees	10.70%

2. Develop Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Skills

   It'll be a good idea to develop certified occupational therapy assistant skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in certified occupational therapy assistant job descriptions:

   Skills	Percentages
   Patients	24.62%
   Rehabilitation	20.53%
   Home Health	13.98%
   Patient Care	6.53%
   Occupational Therapy	3.68%

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3. Complete Relevent Training/Internship

   Certified occupational therapy assistants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. During this time, new certified occupational therapy assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their specific job and employer. The chart below shows how much time it takes to gain competency as a certified occupational therapy assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real certified occupational therapy assistant resumes.

   Average Amount Of Time At Training

   None

   Less than 1 month

   1-3 months

   3-6 months

   6-12 months

   2-4 years

   %

   20%

   40%

   60%

   80%

   100%

4. Obtain The Necessary Licensing

   Becoming a licensed certified occupational therapy assistant usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed certified occupational therapy assistant in most of states. 37 states require certified occupational therapy assistants to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

   State	Education	Exam	License Url
   Alabama	-	-	Licensed Occupational Therapist Assistant
   Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Occupational Therapy Assistant
   Arkansas	Specific course required	State exam required	Occupational Therapist Assistant (OTA)
   California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Occupational Therapy Assistant
   Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Occupational Therapy Assistant

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5. Research Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Duties

   When you decide to become a certified occupational therapy assistant, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most certified occupational therapy assistant jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:

   • Achieve advance clinical competency in UE splinting.
   • Rotate between acute care, SNF and rehab services with a variety of diagnosis.
   • Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
   • Assist occupational therapists in implementing and administering therapy programs to restore and enhance performance, using select activities and adaptive equipment.
   • Provide client, family and caregiver education in adaptive equipment, durable medical equipment, home exercise programs and compensatory strategies.
   • Enact treatment plans for patients with neurological diagnoses particularly CVA.

6. Prepare Your Resume

   Finally, when you already have checked the skills and responsibilities for this role, you can start creating your resume. Everything that goes into creating a perfect resume can take hours, days, or even weeks. No worries, we created a resume builder to make this process as easy as possible with tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and a summary.

   Choose From 10+ Customizable Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume templates

   Build a professional Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant resume.
   

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7. Apply For a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Job

   With your ready resume, it's time to start searching for a new job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams

   Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs

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