How To Become an Occupational Therapy Aide
Summary. We reviewed real candidate profiles to learn the best path to become an occupational therapy aide. We'll guide you through the education, experiences, and skills hiring managers look for in an occupational therapy aide.
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Most companies require a occupational therapy aide to have a bachelor's degree degree in a related field, such as occupational therapy or psychology.
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It's important to have relevant work experience, with typical job requirements ranging from 6-12 months in related fields.
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The Occupational Therapy Assistant license requirements vary by state. 37 states require barbers to have licensure for their work.
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Common job titles before becoming an occupational therapy aide include occupational therapist, volunteer, and internship.
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Hiring managers expect an occupational therapy aide to have soft skills such as detail oriented, physical strength, and compassion.
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Once you have all the required skills and experience, it takes an average of less than 1 month of job training to become an occupational therapy aide.
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Getting a certification as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) will help you to earn more as an occupational therapy aide.
We've found that 65.0% of occupational therapy aides have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 15.3% earned their master's degrees before becoming an occupational therapy aide. While it's true that most occupational therapy aides have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every eight occupational therapy aides did not spend the extra money to attend college.
Those occupational therapy aides who do attend college, typically earn either occupational therapy degrees or psychology degrees. Less commonly earned degrees for occupational therapy aides include kinesiology degrees or health sciences and services degrees.
How to become an Occupational Therapy Aide in 6 steps:
- Step 1: Explore occupational therapy aide education
- Step 2: Develop occupational therapy aide skills
- Step 3: Complete relevent training/internship
- Step 4: Obtain the necessary licensing
- Step 5: Research occupational therapy aide duties
- Step 6: Prepare your resume
Key Steps To Become an Occupational Therapy Aide
Explore Occupational Therapy Aide Education
If you're interested in becoming an occupational therapy aide, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 65.0% of occupational therapy aides have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 15.3% of occupational therapy aides have master's degrees. Even though most occupational therapy aides 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 an occupational therapy aide. When we researched the most common majors for an occupational therapy aide, we found that they most commonly have occupational therapy, psychology and kinesiology.
Occupational Therapy Aide Major Percentages Occupational Therapy 29.40% Psychology 17.80% Kinesiology 16.80% Health Sciences And Services 5.40% Other Degrees 30.40% Develop Occupational Therapy Aide Skills
It'll be a good idea to develop occupational therapy aide skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in occupational therapy aide job descriptions:
Skills Percentages Patients 33.39% Rehabilitation 10.09% Patient Care 6.56% CPR 6.24% Occupational Therapy 4.64% Complete Relevent Training/Internship
Occupational therapy aides spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. During this time, new occupational therapy aides 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 an occupational therapy aide based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real occupational therapy aide resumes.
Average Amount Of Time At Training
Obtain The Necessary Licensing
Becoming an licensed occupational therapy aide usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed occupational therapy aide in most of states. 37 states require occupational therapy aides 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 Research Occupational Therapy Aide Duties
When you decide to become an occupational therapy aide, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most occupational therapy aide jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:
- Achieve advance clinical competency in UE splinting.
- Observe occupational therapy sessions in inpatient dementia, pediatric, geriatric ward; outpatient ward; and senior rehabilitation center
- Integrate theory into evaluation, intervention and discharge planning in outpatient rehabilitation for adults with orthopedic and neurological conditions.
- Assist occupational and physical therapists with maximum assistance transfers, adaptive equipment use and prevent falls of patients during strenuous activities.
- Plan and conduct individualized occupational therapy programs to help patients develop, regain, or maintain ability to perform daily activities.
- Assist clients with their ADL's, strengthening, splinting and motor skills.
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 Occupational Therapy Aide Resume templates
Build a professional Occupational Therapy Aide 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 Occupational Therapy Aide resume.Apply For an Occupational Therapy Aide Job
Occupational Therapy Aide Jobs
