Occupational Therapy Assistant

Occupational therapy assistants work under the direction of occupational therapists to provide services to persons whose lives have been challenged due to injury, illness, developmental deficits or aging. Occupational therapy assistants view individuals in a holistic manner and help people prevent, lessen or overcome disabilities so they are able to function more independently in every aspect of daily living. Occupational therapy assistants use therapeutic activities and exercises to improve a client's skills for performing a variety of important everyday tasks safely and independently in their role at work, home, school, and in the community. Students in this program receive fundamental skills in occupational therapy and extensive clinical training. Successful completion of the program prepares students for careers as occupational therapist assistants in hospitals, out-patient clinics, rehabilitation centers, mental health centers, assisted living and nursing care facilities, and school systems.

Prerequsities

1. Have completed high school or earned a GED, and be at least 18 years of age or have program director's permission.
2. Meet the pre-determined COMPASS levels in reading,writing, and math.
3. Successfully complete the following courses at the 100 or greater level: anatomy and physiology (BIOL& 175 or BIOL&231 and 232 or BIOL& 241 and 242), medical terminology and English composition (ENGL&101).
4. Provide documented evidence of medical and dental health clearance, current immunizations and medical insurance.
5. Provide documented evidence of liability insurance coverage ($1 million).
6. Provide documented evidence of current health care first aid & CPR training and HIV training.
7. Pass a national criminal background check.

Entry date: Spring quarter

Program Length: Seven quarters (approximate)

Associate of Technology Degree: 117 Credits

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS	CREDITS
BIOL 170 Medical Terminology BIOL& 175 Anatomy and Physiology PSYC 270 Developmental Psychology ENGL& 101 English Composition I MATH 100+ Mathematics	2 5 5 5 5
REQUIRED COURSEWORK	CREDIT
BIOL 170 Medical Terminology BIOL& 175 Anatomy and Physiology* OTA 101 Introduction to Occupational Therapy OTA 102 Health and Wellness and the OTA OTA 103 Functional Movement OTA 104 Therapeutic Use of Self OTA 105 Nervous System Functioning OTA 106 Therapeutic Activities and Performance I OTA 107 Developmental Disabilities and OT OTA 108 Applied Experience - Developmental Settings OTA 109 Adaptive Technologies OTA 110 Documentation Skills OTA 201 Therapeutic Activities and Performance II OTA 202 Psychosocial Dysfunctions: Treatment Principles and Applications OTA 203 Applied Experience - Mental Health Settings OTA 204 Seminar - Applied Mental Health OTA 210 Physical Disabilities: Treatment Principles and Applications OTA 211 OTA and Special Settings OTA 212 Applied Experience - Physical Rehabilitation Settings OTA 213 Seminar - Applied Physical Rehabilitation OTA 214 Professional Issues for the OTA OTA 220 Clinical Fieldwork Level II - Rotation A OTA 221 Clinical Fieldwork Level II - Seminar A OTA 222 Clinical Fieldwork Level II - Rotation B OTA 223 Clinical Fieldwork Level II - Seminar B *This course may be substituted with BIOL& 231 and 232 or BIOL& 241 and 242.	2 5 4 3 5 5 4 5 5 1 5 3 5 8 1 1 8 3 1 1 3 11 1 11 1

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Bates has applied for accreditation with the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220 Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE's phone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-AOTA. Once accreditation of the program has been obtained, our graduates 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 Certificate Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.