Occupational Therapist Aides

Career summary

Occupational therapist aides monitor patients' progress. They encourage patients to meet their therapeutic goals. They report to occupational therapists about patients' attendance, attitude, and accomplishments. Sometimes they help patients work on work assignments or craft projects.

Occupational therapist aides maintain work areas and prepare them for appointments. They help transport patients to and from occupational therapy areas. Aides instruct patients and families in work, social and living skills. They teach patients how to use adaptive eqiupment to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability. 

Occupational therapist aides assess the living skills of people who are disabled: 

• Physically
• Developmentally
• Emotionally

Related careers

This career is part of the Health Science cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Child Care Workers
• Hearing Aid Specialists
• Home Health Aides
• Licensed Practical Nurses
• Life Guards and Ski Patrollers
• Medical Assistants
• Occupational Therapist Assistants
• Occupational Therapists
• Personal and Home Care Aides
• Pharmacy Aides
• Physical Therapist Aides
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Psychiatric Aides
• Psychiatric Technicians
• Veterinary Assistants

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to occupational therapist aides.

• Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitude, and accomplishments.
• Assist occupational therapists in implementing treatment programs.
• Report patient progress to occupational therapists.
• Assist patients with work activities or craft projects.
• Demonstrate therapy techniques such as creative arts or games.
• Teach patients how to use adaptive equipment.
• Maintain equipment and work areas.
• Make sure educational and treatment supplies are stocked.
• Provide patients transportation when necessary.
• Record and maintain information in client records.

Common work activities

Occupational therapist aides perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Assist and care for others
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Get information needed to do the job
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Document and record information
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Perform for or work with the public
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Evaluate information against standards
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Process information
• Perform activities that use the whole body
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Handle and move objects
• Develop and build teams
• Analyze data or information
• Think creatively
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Coach others
• Inspect equipment, structures, or materials
• Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, occupational therapist aides:

Interpersonal relationships

• Are in contact with others each day by phone and in person.
• Have a high level of social contact.
• Work with patients and coworkers.
• Lead the work of others. Often work with patients on projects or work activities.
• Are responsible for the health and safety of patients.
• Are responsible for their work and the work of others.
• May be placed in conflict situations.
• Deal with unpleasant or angry people often.

Physical work conditions

• Often work indoors. Sometimes work outside when leading activities.
• Work very close to others.
• Are often exposed to contaminants, diseases, or infections when interacting with patients.
• Often wear safety gear, such as gloves, when working with patients.

Work performance

• Must be very exact in their work so patients reach therapeutic goals.
• Make decisions that greatly impact other assistants, therapists, and patients on a daily basis. They make most decisions without talking to a supervisor.
• Often repeat the same mental and physical tasks.
• Often must meet strict deadlines.

Hours/travel

• Work a regular schedule.
• Work full-time.

Physical demands

Occupational therapist aides frequently:

• Stand for long periods of time.
• Walk or run for long periods of time.
• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Bend or twist their body.
• Repeat the same movements.

It is important for occupational therapist aides to be able to:

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for occupational therapist aides to be able to:

• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.
• Be physically active for long periods without getting tired or out of breath.
• Bend, stretch, twist, or reach out.
• Coordinate movement of several parts of the body, such as arms and legs, while the body is moving.
• Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.
• Keep or regain the body's balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
• Use muscles for extended periods without getting tired.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Determine the distance between objects.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Use muscles to jump, sprint, or throw objects.
• Choose quickly and correctly among various movements when responding to different signals.

Skills and abilities

Occupational therapist aides need to:

Communicate

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand spoken information.
• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Understand written information.
• Read and understand work-related materials.

Reason and problem solve

• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Manage the time of self and others.

Work with people

• Look for ways to help people.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Teach others how to do something.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study to consider

• Health Aide
• Medical Assisting
• Occupational Therapy Assisting
• Physical Therapy Assisting

Training

To work as an occupational therapist aide, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
• complete short-term, on-the-job training.

Education after high school

No formal training is required beyond high school although occupational therapist aides often need certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic life support (BLS).

Work experience

Volunteering with an occupational or physical therapist is good preparation.

On-the-job training

Most aides receive on-the-job training that can last from several days to a few weeks. During training, you learn how to care for patients and assist patients with exercises.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum  may be different from your state's graduation requirements .

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Computer Applications
• Introduction to Health Care
• Nursing
• Psychology

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups  that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Occupational Therapy Aides 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Wages vary by employer and area of the country. Wages also vary based on level of education and experience.

Benefits vary by employer. Most full-time occupational therapist aides receive benefits. These include paid vacation, sick leave, and health insurance. Many part-time aides do not receive benefits.

Employment and outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• Occupational therapist offices
• Nursing and personal care facilities
• Hospitals

National outlook

Demand for this occupation will grow significantly. This is due to the increase in aging population. Occupational therapy aides will be needed to help occupational therapists care for an increasing number of patients.

Competition for occupational therapy aide positions will be strong since requirements for entry are low and there is a large pool of qualified people. However, aides with experience working in an occupational therapy office or other healthcare setting should have the best job opportunities.

Other resources

American Occupational Therapy Association 

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy 
One Bank Street, Suite 300
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
301.990.7979

References

Career cluster

• Health Science

Career path

• Social

O*Net  occupation

• Occupational Therapy Aides (31-2012.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 3 - Medium preparation needed. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.

DOT occupation

• Occupational Therapy Aide (355.377-010) 

Holland occupational cluster

• Social/Realistic

COPSystem

• Service Skilled