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Occupational therapy assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Julie Estes,

Dr. Julie Estes

Occupational therapy assistant example skills

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical occupational therapy assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for occupational therapy assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 27.4% of occupational therapy assistant resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an occupational therapy assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 occupational therapy assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use patients:

Performed individual patient treatment under OT supervision Assessed and screened patients Assisted patients to achieve planned goals Properly documented patient's progress
Instructed, motivated, and assisted patients practicing exercised and functional activities, under direction and supervision of therapist.

2. Rehabilitation

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use rehabilitation:

Completed many quarterly interdisciplinary rehabilitation screens.
Implemented rehabilitation plan as developed by the OT, to individuals recovering from a variety of functional and developmental impairments.

3. Home Health

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use home health:

Provide quality care through prescribed skilled therapeutic intervention under supervision of Registered Occupational Therapist in Home Health environment.
Home Health therapy assisted with improving transition to home environment after hospitalization or decline in health.

4. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use patient care:

Provide direct patient care to geriatric population with orthopedic, neurological, degenerative diseases, amputations and medical complications.
Contract therapist providing specialty outpatient care with Wounded Warrior Program to include orthopedic hand diagnosis.

5. Therapy Programs

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use therapy programs:

Assisted occupational therapists in planning, implementing and administering therapy programs.
Follow instructions provided to administer therapy programs.

6. Acute Care

The branch of secondary healthcare which is responsible for giving short-term care to patients recovering from severe injuries or urgent medical problems is known as acute care. Acute care comprises multiple domains like; emergency care, urgent care, short-term stabilization, pre-hospital care, critical care, and trauma care.

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use acute care:

Performed skilled therapeutic treatments in an acute care setting under direct supervision of an Occupational Therapist.
Provided occupational therapy services for patients in Acute Care/Inpatient Rehab/TCU/ and Outpatient Rehab.

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7. Occupational Therapy Treatments

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use occupational therapy treatments:

Provide occupational therapy treatments to residents according to treatment plans developed by the occupational therapist.
Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures.

8. Adaptive

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use adaptive:

Educated patients and family members on the importance of using adaptive equipment and following proper safety precautions.
Ordered patient equipment as well as developing and fabricating inexpensive adaptive equipment for patients to use.

9. Quality Care

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use quality care:

Provided quality care while maintaining profitability.
Supervised technicians and equipped them with knowledge to provide quality care.

10. Self Care

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use self care:

Planned and implemented a variety of therapeutic interventions to maximize independence with self care.
Implement treatment according to diagnosis related to functional activities such as self care and other ADLS.

11. SNF

SNF is a kind of nursing home perceived by the Medicare and Medicaid frameworks as meeting long haul medical services needs for people who can work autonomously after a restricted time of care.

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use snf:

Provided Occupational Therapy under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist in SNF setting.
Facilitated and encouraged patient participation and improved occupational performance within the SNF environment.

12. Occupational Therapy

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use occupational therapy:

Designed and implemented individualized occupational therapy interventions.
Assisted in the developing and implementing a comprehensive occupational therapy program for two nursing homes as well as a retirement community.

13. Patient Treatment

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use patient treatment:

Obtained authorization with insurance companies for patient treatment and insured correct patient billing and bookkeeping.
Major duties include patient treatment, documentation requirements, and maintaining expected productivity levels.

14. Treatment Interventions

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use treatment interventions:

Direct evidence based treatment interventions and patient education.
Utilize clinical outcomes to assess and improve treatment interventions and programs.

15. Compassion

Here's how occupational therapy assistants use compassion:

Demonstrated compassion and empathy with both patients and their families while demonstrating fiscal responsibility for the company.
Demonstrate competency in providing quality care to patients according to their individualized needs with compassion.

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What skills help Occupational Therapy Assistants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on occupational therapy assistant resumes?

Dr. Julie Estes

Assistant Clinical Instructor, Northeastern State University

This would depend, is the OT was a new graduate or a practicing therapist? When looking at resumes from recent graduates, I look for participation in their programs clubs such as the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA), fieldwork experiences, and if they took additional opportunities to get experience through job shadowing outside of the program required fieldwork. When looking at resumes from practicing therapists, experience is also important, but I look to see how much time they have spent at their previous jobs. If the person's resume shows that they have a pattern of changing jobs every 1-2 years, that is a red flag. Continuing education and additional certifications also show that the therapist takes the initiative to hone their skills to benefit their clients.

What soft skills should all occupational therapy assistants possess?

Dr. Julie Estes

Assistant Clinical Instructor, Northeastern State University

Many soft skills are essential such as:

-Energy and enthusiasm for your field, loving what you do, and wanting to make a difference in clients' lives.

-Strong interpersonal skills and knowing how to relate to people from different backgrounds and cultures.

-Being sincere and knowing how to show empathy and compassion toward clients going through difficult challenges in their lives.

-Organizational skills: knowing how to organize a daily schedule in any setting is essential due to time constraints such as productivity. Allowing time to make sure each client is seen while sometimes working around others' schedules such as physicians, teachers, other therapists. OTs need to be present and provide treatment for each client while not disrupting the workflow of others, such as physicians, teachers, or other therapists.

-Flexibility, being prepared for each day (client, meetings, etc.), but knowing that things can change in an instant and having a backup plan. Going in with a plan A, but knowing you may have to use plan B, C or D. We work with people from all walks of life and stages of life; being okay with knowing that your plan may not go as expected is essential.

-Problem solving, we are professional problem solvers. The Department of Labor's ONet OnLine categorizes occupational therapy as an "investigative occupation." We look at an individual's daily routine, goals, and environment, identify barriers, and plan treatments that help modify, build, or restore daily living skills and independence.

What hard/technical skills are most important for occupational therapy assistants?

Dr. Julie Estes

Assistant Clinical Instructor, Northeastern State University

-Effective communication and collaboration: OT's work not only with clients but family members, doctors, other professionals such as occupational therapy assistants, physical therapists, and insurance companies in various settings. This job requires that we collaborate with various individuals for the benefit of the clients. Being able to communicate in written and verbal format is a vital component to team success. The ability to explain medical jargon to clients so they understand and proficiently write notes regarding client intervention detailing progress can make the difference in reimbursement and client discharge plans.

-Knowing medical terminology, physical and neurological needs of clients, including protocols for specific diagnoses and treatments, helps in planning intervention while preventing further injury to our clients.

-Good observational skills include looking at clients' complete daily tasks, breaking the activity down to identify barriers, and collaborating with the client to develop an effective treatment plan to help them return to what they find meaningful is our focus.

-Though our job is hands-on, we must also have technological skills for documentation purposes (electronic medical records). With COVID-19, understanding how to see clients virtually has been a learning curve for some.

What occupational therapy assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Nicole Scheiman DrOT, MHS, OTR/L, CLT-LANA, CES, CKTP, CEES-Advanced, CSST, CDCS, CORE

Department Chair/Program Director/ Professor, Huntington University

Occupational therapy is a rewarding profession to enter for several reasons: 1. Growing Demand, 2. Diverse Opportunities, 3. Holistic Approach, 4. Focus on Functionality, 5. Opportunities for Creativity, 6. Interdisciplinary Collaboration.

What technical skills for an occupational therapy assistant stand out to employers?

Julie Seidle Ph.D.

Instructor & Research Associate, Colorado State University

As a community-based practitioner and employer, I look for a practitioner that has a strong foundational knowledge of OT and the technical skills needed for the practice setting. But I am also looking for someone who has strong interpersonal skills and demonstrates openness and flexibility to an ever-changing practice space. I enjoy working with practitioners who are creative with their skill set and can adjust to a variety of client needs. Practitioners also need to be able to take initiative and work well with all levels of the client system.

Do you want to know more?

List of occupational therapy assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an occupational therapy assistant resume and required skills for an occupational therapy assistant to have include:

Patients
Rehabilitation
Home Health
Patient Care
Therapy Programs
Acute Care
Occupational Therapy Treatments
Adaptive
Quality Care
Self Care
SNF
Occupational Therapy
Patient Treatment
Treatment Interventions
Compassion
Physical Therapy

Treatment Programs
ADL
Social Work
Healthcare Professionals
Discharge Planning
Functional Mobility
Medicare
Fieldwork
Direct Supervision
Therapeutic Interventions
Physical Disabilities
Senior Care
OTR/L
Simplification
Joint Replacements
Splints

Patient Education
CVA
Treatment Sessions
Ultrasound
Family Education
Pulleys
Optima
Therapy Sessions
IEP
Amputation
Orthotics
Cota/L
Developmental Delays
Sensory Integration
Evaluation Process
Prosthetics

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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