Occupational Therapy Assistant Degrees

Becoming injured or ill to the extent that you can no longer perform your job or live an independent life is a depressing turn of events, and it is important to have access to proper rehabilitative care in order to make sure that you are able to regain the ability to take care of yourself and participate in activities that you love. Many people work with occupational therapists and their assistants when they have physical, mental, emotional, or developmental impairments that are preventing them from participating in their own lives. Although the therapist is responsible for devising a therapy plan for each patient, the occupational therapist assistant is always on hand to make sure that the patient understands the procedures, and that they keep up with their daily and weekly goals for rehabilitation. In order to become an occupational therapist assistant, students are required to complete a training program at a school approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). In most cases, this is a short preparation for a national certifying exam, and most of the hands on training will occur once the student has been accepted in a position. In the future, assistants and aides will be able to perform more occupational therapy duties, meaning that the number of jobs is expected to grow faster than the national average. The typical salary for an occupational therapist assistant is around $48,230.