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What does a certified occupational therapy assistant do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a certified occupational therapy assistant do

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants are professionals who work with licensed occupational therapists in providing therapy to patients. This therapy is usually related to the physical or mobility challenges of a patient. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants help patients retain their skills, improve on their challenges, and eventually recover. They record the patient's progress after every therapy session. They may also help out in creating treatment plans for the patient. Since they spend a lot of time with patients, their inputs and recommendations are valuable in crafting and adjusting the treatment plan.

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Certified occupational therapy assistant responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real certified occupational therapy assistant resumes:

  • 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.
  • Perform OT treatment under the supervision of an LOTR in a SNF setting.
  • Complete multiple evaluations, screenings and discharges as well as supervised a COTA.
  • Supervise COTA and conduct weekly meetings on each student treatment caseload, and any additional OT concerns.
  • Develop forms for PPS tracking, evaluation, daily progress notes, monthly statistics, and scheduling.
  • Used evidence base therapy to treat children with various problems including SPD, autism, ADHD, etc.
  • Create programs for individuals with behavioral deficits, autism fine/gross motor skills, sensory integration, and body perception.
  • Implement therapeutic interventions under the supervision of an OTR/L for children with developmental disabilities in a school base setting.
  • Treat patients with different diagnosis such as; rotator cuff, amputation, strokes back injuries and multiple fractures.
  • Evaluate the need for splints and positioning devices to preserve joint integrity and protect skin from breakdown due to prolong pressure.

Certified occupational therapy assistant skills and personality traits

We calculated that 25% of Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants are proficient in Patients, Rehabilitation, and Home Health. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Physical strength, and Compassion.

We break down the percentage of Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Patients, 25%

    Utilized purposeful activities within a JACHO accredited facility to enable physically and/or psychologically impaired patients to gain and maintain living skills.

  • Rehabilitation, 21%

    Provided occupational therapy and physical rehabilitation to geriatric group Conducted education and counseling for families and caregivers of patients with neurological diagnosis

  • Home Health, 14%

    Provide therapy services within an outpatient rehab and home health services to geriatrics with various neurological or orthopedic impairments.

  • Patient Care, 7%

    Apply concepts of infection control and universal precautions in coordinating and performing patient care activities.

  • Occupational Therapy, 4%

    Provided individualized occupational therapy to developmentally disabled youth.

  • Occupational Therapy Treatments, 3%

    Provided occupational therapy treatment services in a private clinical setting to children and maintain written records.

Common skills that a certified occupational therapy assistant uses to do their job include "patients," "rehabilitation," and "home health." You can find details on the most important certified occupational therapy assistant responsibilities below.

Detail oriented. The most essential soft skill for a certified occupational therapy assistant to carry out their responsibilities is detail oriented. This skill is important for the role because "occupational therapy assistants and aides must quickly and accurately follow the instructions, both written and spoken, of an occupational therapist." Additionally, a certified occupational therapy assistant resume shows how their duties depend on detail oriented: "detailed documentation of daily therapy sessions for all patients. "

Physical strength. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling certified occupational therapy assistant duties is physical strength. The role rewards competence in this skill because "assistants and aides need to have a moderate degree of strength because of the physical exertion required to assist patients." According to a certified occupational therapy assistant resume, here's how certified occupational therapy assistants can utilize physical strength in their job responsibilities: "collaborate with occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech/language pathologist to ensure cohesive therapy sessions. "

Compassion. certified occupational therapy assistants are also known for compassion, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to certified occupational therapy assistant responsibilities, because "occupational therapy assistants and aides frequently work with patients who struggle with many of life’s basic activities." A certified occupational therapy assistant resume example shows how compassion is used in the workplace: "provide compassionate occupational and physical therapy to inpatients at hackley and mercy campus hospitals to help patients achieve their goals. "

Interpersonal skills. A big part of what certified occupational therapy assistants do relies on "interpersonal skills." You can see how essential it is to certified occupational therapy assistant responsibilities because "occupational therapy assistants and aides spend much of their time interacting with patients and therefore should be friendly and courteous." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical certified occupational therapy assistant tasks: "established excellent interpersonal working relationships with facility staff and other therapists. "

All certified occupational therapy assistant skills

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Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume

Compare different certified occupational therapy assistants

Certified occupational therapy assistant vs. Rehab technician

A rehab technician's role is to assist physical therapists and patients in a hospital or similar facility. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around gathering a patient's personal information and medical history, escorting them to corresponding rooms, and conducting initial tests and assessments. It is also essential to maintain records of all transactions, updating medical accounts promptly and accurately. Furthermore, a rehab technician may also perform basic treatments under the supervision of a physical therapist. There are also instances when they have to sanitize and clean therapy equipment, all in adherence to the facility's safety regulations and policies.

We looked at the average certified occupational therapy assistant salary and compared it with the wages of a rehab technician. Generally speaking, rehab technicians are paid $22,367 lower than certified occupational therapy assistants per year.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between certified occupational therapy assistants and rehab technicians are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like patients, rehabilitation, and home health.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, certified occupational therapy assistant responsibilities require skills like "patient care," "occupational therapy treatments," "snf," and "adaptive." Meanwhile a typical rehab technician has skills in areas such as "customer service," "cpr," "cleanliness," and "direct supervision." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Rehab technicians really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $29,851. Comparatively, certified occupational therapy assistants tend to make the most money in the education industry with an average salary of $51,821.rehab technicians tend to reach similar levels of education than certified occupational therapy assistants. In fact, rehab technicians are 2.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Certified occupational therapy assistant vs. Rehabilitation aide

A rehabilitation aide is responsible for assisting patients with injuries, mental disorders, and illnesses in their treatment plans and medications. Rehabilitation aides monitor the patients' progress and update attending physicians regarding their conditions. They also prepare treatment rooms, including the materials and equipment for the medical procedures, and discuss the process with the patients. A rehabilitation aide must be highly organizational, especially in attending to different patients' needs and ensuring the safety and security of all facilities and assets.

On average, rehabilitation aides earn a $22,588 lower salary than certified occupational therapy assistants a year.A few skills overlap for certified occupational therapy assistants and rehabilitation aides. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "patients," "rehabilitation," and "home health. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, certified occupational therapy assistant responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patient care," "occupational therapy treatments," "snf," and "adaptive." Meanwhile, a rehabilitation aide has duties that require skills in areas such as "cpr," "direct supervision," "cleanliness," and "data entry." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, rehabilitation aides earn a lower salary than certified occupational therapy assistants. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, rehabilitation aides earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $29,100. Whereas certified occupational therapy assistants have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $51,821.In general, rehabilitation aides achieve similar levels of education than certified occupational therapy assistants. They're 2.6% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Certified occupational therapy assistant vs. Student assistant technician

A physical therapy technician supports both the physical therapists and their physical therapy assistants in planning and implementing patient care. You are expected to perform varied duties and responsibilities that include responding to patients' requests for assistance, assisting with patient preparation before treatment, and maintaining the equipment used by the physical therapist during treatment sessions. In addition, you will be responsible for maintaining patient satisfaction and patient confidentiality. A physical therapy technician will also perform some administrative tasks such as overseeing inventory and scheduling appointments and treatments.

On average, student assistant technicians earn lower salaries than certified occupational therapy assistants, with a $21,027 difference per year.certified occupational therapy assistants and student assistant technicians both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "patients," "rehabilitation," and "patient care," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a certified occupational therapy assistant is likely to be skilled in "home health," "occupational therapy treatments," "adaptive," and "compassion," while a typical student assistant technician is skilled in "fieldwork," "mental health," "vital signs," and "level ii."

Student assistant technicians typically earn similar educational levels compared to certified occupational therapy assistants. Specifically, they're 2.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Certified occupational therapy assistant vs. Physical therapy technician

Physical therapy technicians typically earn lower pay than certified occupational therapy assistants. On average, physical therapy technicians earn a $15,711 lower salary per year.While their salaries may vary, certified occupational therapy assistants and physical therapy technicians both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "patients," "rehabilitation," and "patient care. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between certified occupational therapy assistants and physical therapy technicians, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a certified occupational therapy assistant might have more use for skills like "home health," "occupational therapy treatments," "snf," and "adaptive." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of physical therapy technicians require skills like "customer service," "treatment rooms," "traction," and "cpr. "

Physical therapy technicians enjoy the best pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $32,442. For comparison, certified occupational therapy assistants earn the highest salary in the education industry.The average resume of physical therapy technicians showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to certified occupational therapy assistants. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 1.2%.

Types of certified occupational therapy assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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