Online courses for occupational therapy assistants prepare students to work under the guidance of licensed therapists. The main objective of these courses is to assist in rehabilitation. The different aspects of this job are going to be studied in these programs.
Coursework Overview
The subjects concentrate on helping people with physical, developmental or mental impairments. Schools for occupation therapy feature subjects like neuroanatomy, kinesiology and different rehab techniques. The other subjects will depend on what degree you are pursuing.
Other subjects that you may have to take up are fieldwork preparation, communications skills development, therapeutic modalities and medical conditions. You will also find courses focusing on pediatric issues, group dynamic therapy and many others. Not all of these subjects have to be studied. Depending on your specialty, only a few may be required to complete the degree.
Additional Details
OT assistant programs are usually included in a university’s health science division. You may be able to take an Associate in Science in OT assistant in colleges. These can be found in graduate or undergraduate academic programs. The number of classes you can take online varies. Most of these schools are hybrid. You can study lessons online but others have to be conducted in person.
Full time students can complete this program in two years. Part time students will take longer to complete. Further education is provided in these classes. Continuing education is provided for in many of these colleges. These are for professionals working in the field.
Other Information
After graduating from occupational therapy college, you can take a certification test. This is run by the National Board for Certifying Occupational Therapy.
While not mandatory, having a certification will enhance your credibility. General education courses are prerequisites. Other areas of study are psychosocial principles & techniques, medical terminology, theoretical concepts and skills building. Clinical training is conducted under the supervision of professional therapists.
CPR certification is needed before a student can engage in fieldwork. This takes place at the latter stages of the program. Other requirements may be imposed depending on the university. You can find this out at the university’s admissions link. All pertinent info will be there.
Online courses for occupational therapy assistants do not have the same sequence. The approach can vary differently among students. Examine the course outline to get an idea. These websites have different interfaces too. Some use images and text, while others rely on videos and multimedia.