Did you know that the average salary of an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) is pretty lucrative?
What’s even more impressive is that you only need an associate of applied science degree to become an occupational therapy assistant. This means, that in two years or less at Parker University, you could be ready to take the workforce by storm and earn a competitive paycheck.
Does this career path sound like an exciting opportunity to you?
What Are the Goals of an Occupational Therapy Assistant?
Occupational therapy was designed to help people who can’t perform routine tasks like getting dressed or driving. Occupational therapists meet with each patient to learn about their unique troubles and what they’d like to accomplish from their sessions. Once a treatment is prescribed, it’s the occupational therapy assistant’s job to guide the patient through each exercise and track their progress.
Since OTAs work with a lot of patients with troublesome conditions, it’s important to have the right type of personality for this role. Patience, compassion, and physical strength/endurance are a few skills OTAs must naturally have. Candidates must also be great at listening to patients and monitoring them to keep accurate records.
Where and When Do OTAs Work?
Most occupational therapy assistants work alongside occupational therapists in rehabilitation centers or hospitals. However, they also have the opportunity to work in patients’ homes, nursing homes, daycares, schools, and all kinds of facilities.
Although many OTAs work full-time, there are part-time positions available, too. To best accommodate patients’ schedules, many facilities offer evening and weekend appointments. If you have a tight schedule, you can research different occupational therapy assistant jobs to find a facility that can accommodate your preferred hours.
What Types of Patients Do OTAs Treat?
People of all ages can benefit from occupational therapy. If any type of illness, injury, or disability negatively impacts the quality of someone’s life, occupational therapy can help give them more independence and joy.
If you have a passion for working with a specific age, group, or treatment style, and now telehealth service, you can choose your method of delivery accordingly. OTAs who love kids can have a lot of fun nurturing them in school. OTAs who feel fulfilled helping the elderly can do great work in nursing homes.
Do You Want to Attend Parker University to Become an Occupational Therapy Assistant?
If being an occupational therapy assistant sounds like a rewarding job to you, there are plenty of job opportunities out there. Since people will always need medical services, health care providers will continue to be in high demand.
Before you can start working, you’ll need to get an occupational therapy assistant degree. At Parker University, our faculty provides students with valuable real-world learning experiences that help prepare you for your career. With no SAT or ACT scores required to apply and new classes that start each month, earning a degree at Parker University has never been more accessible or fun.
Check out our program to learn how we can help you succeed with our in-depth, flexible degree options.
