Occupational Therapy Assistants work under the direction of occupational therapists to help rehabilitate patients with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). They help patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working. Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people who are recovering from injuries to regain necessary skills, and providing support for older adults who are experiencing physical or cognitive changes.

Occupational Therapy Assistant occupational courses will be completed in four and a half (4.5) semesters. Curriculum is delivered in a combination of face-to-face and distance learning formats.

Faculty

Meet Dr. Shaffer
Amy Shaffer, Ed. D, COTA/L, CPAM – Program Director | Occupational Therapy Assisting

Meet Ms. Caldwell
Amanda Caldwell, OTR/L, CHT – Instructor | Occupational Therapy Assisting

Accreditation

The occupational therapy assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-6611 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.