Occupational Therapy Assistant - Associate In Science Degree

Occupational therapists (OT's) help people improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments. They work with individuals who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling. They also help them to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. Occupational therapists help clients not only to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function. Their goal is to help clients have independent, productive, and satisfying lives.

What can I do with my degree?
Graduates of our program engage in treating both the young and old. An OTA may work in the schools with children or young adults, in hospitals with those who have suffered a trauma or injury, in the home with a person who is striving toward independence or in the community addressing health and wellness needs. These are just a few of the options available for practice.

What can I expect after graduation?
Our graduates are earning an average salary of $18.00/hour and are finding jobs with a great deal of flexibility, good benefits and room for growth. The need for OTA's is growing exponentially as all graduates over the last five years continue to be gainfully employed.

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is accredited by Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, PO Box31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. AOTA's phone number is 301-652 AOTA. The web site is www.aota.org <http://www.aota.org>.

Graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this examination, the individual will be an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). Most states require licensure to practice, and state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Any arrest, charge, or conviction for a felony or a misdemeanor may not only affect a student's ability to attend certain clinical sites for clinical education and fieldwork, it may also affect a graduate's ability to sit for the certification examination or obtain state licensure.

NBCOT examination pass rates

The total number of River Valley Community College Occupational Assistant graduates who passed the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification examination as first-time new graduate test takers in 2009–2011 was 37 out of 38, which is a pass rate of 97%. During that 3-year time period, the program had 38 graduates.