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Associate of Occupational Science, Occupational Therapy Assistant

Overview

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP): 51.0803 (Occupational Therapist Assistant)

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 31-2011.00 (Occupational Therapy Assistants), 31-2012.00 (Occupational Therapy Aides)

Quarter Credits: 98.0

Clock Hours: 1780

Method of Delivery: Blended

Number of Weeks: 80*

*Weeks May be Extended Depending on Holiday and Break Schedules

Career Training Objective

The students in the Occupational Therapy Assistant (Associate of Occupational Science) program are educated to practice as occupational therapy assistants (OTA). The OTA works under the supervision of the occupational therapist (OT). Throughout the curriculum, OTA students are exposed to traditional areas of practice where occupational therapy professionals deliver their services. These areas of practice include, but are not limited to: working with children and youth in clinical inpatient outpatient services, as well as in schools; working with adults in clinical inpatient outpatient services, as well as in work hardening programs; working with older adults in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and in adult day care centers; and working with adults with mental health and behavioral challenges who receive OT services in behavioral clinics, acute care community hospitals, and state hospitals. The students will have exposure to emerging practice areas, specifically to the driver rehabilitation program.

The OTA program teaches students to implement occupational therapy treatment care plans, train and educate clients and their caregivers, collaborate with clients in designing therapeutic activities, be sensitive to clients’ different cultural backgrounds, embrace occupation-based practice as “the means and the end” of the OT practice, and to collaborate with other health care professionals to provide excellent, occupation-based and client-centered care.

The OTA program curriculum, in congruency with our philosophical belief that humans are active beings, encourages students into becoming active in their own process of learning. The curriculum is organized following a human developmental model (biological and psychological) as the conceptual curriculum framework and the three domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains as the categories of educational activities. The human developmental model is used to guide students in learning and understanding the impact of challenges on occupational performance during the life span of individuals, as well as developing their clinical skills. The three domains of Bloom’s taxonomy (knowledge, skills, and attitude) are applied throughout the curriculum. The curriculum involves the acquisition of knowledge and the development and shaping of intellectual skills as students begin to recognize facts, procedural patterns, as well as concepts that help in developing cognitive skills. The acquisition of skills pertinent to the profession, such as practice of hands-on activities, is of utmost importance and is used extensively in the curriculum. Personal attitude is very important in the delivery of health care. As such, OTA students’ awareness of their own behavioral strengths and weaknesses and how that affects their attitude is strongly emphasized from day one of the program. This is accomplished through self-assessment of behavior using a modified form of the Generic Abilities Assessment tool.

The program is 98 quarter credits to be completed in twenty months. The last four months of the program are dedicated to a full time Fieldwork experience (clinical education under the supervision of an OTA or OT professional).

Graduates of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program will be eligible to take 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 and licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to perform fieldwork, take the NBCOT certification examination, and attain state licensure.

Instructional Equipment List

  • Fully equipped functioning kitchen
  • Two fully equipped bathrooms
  • Functioning washer-dryer station
  • Typical bedroom
  • Adaptive equipment for bathing
  • Adaptive equipment for dressing
  • Adaptive equipment for grooming
  • Adaptive equipment for feeding
  • Adaptive equipment for cooking
  • Anatomical charts and models, skeleton
  • Balance equipment for adults and children
  • Hand evaluation kits with dynamometer, pinch meter, and goniometers
  • Sensation tests
  • Electrotherapy, cryotherapy, ultrasound, hydrocollator, paraffin modalities
  • Resistant equipment, bars, balls, bands for hand and arm exercise
  • Handwriting training supplies and adaptive equipment
  • Projectors, computers, and monitors for presentations
  • Pulse oximeters and blood pressure kits
  • Sensory modulation supplies for adults and children
  • Fully equipped children’s therapy area including a swing with attachments
  • Toys and games for children
  • Transfer boards, tub benches, commode chairs
  • Treatment tables, mats, bolsters, wedges, mirrors
  • Wheelchairs with position equipment
  • Children's seating and positioning equipment
  • Climbing wall, ramp, and monkey bars
  • A variety of walkers and canes
  • Computer games
  • Computerized assessments for cognitive screening
  • Fully equipped splinting center
  • Wide variety of developmental, sensory, motor, cognitive, and functional assessments
  • Games, workbooks, arts and crafts supplies
  • DVDs of educational and popular videos
  • Patient education reference materials
  • Home safety cards
  • Online access to OT instructional videos (ICE Library)

 

Program Outline

Program Location: Orange County

General Education Courses

Course Number

Title

Clock Hours

Quarter Credits

ANAT200 Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology 20 2.0
ANAT200-L Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology Lab 40 2.0
ENGL100 Written Communications I 40 4.0
MATH100 College Mathematics I 40 4.0
PSYC100 Introduction to Psychology 40 4.0
 

Totals

180

16.0

Course Number: ANAT200

Title Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology
Clock Hours20
Quarter Credits 2.0

Course Number: ANAT200-L

Title Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology Lab
Clock Hours40
Quarter Credits 2.0

Course Number: ENGL100

Title Written Communications I
Clock Hours40
Quarter Credits 4.0

Course Number: MATH100

Title College Mathematics I
Clock Hours40
Quarter Credits 4.0

Course Number: PSYC100

Title Introduction to Psychology
Clock Hours40
Quarter Credits 4.0

TOTALS

Clock Hours

180

Quarter Credits

16.0

Core Courses

Course Number

Title

Clock Hours

Clinical Hours

Quarter Credits

ANAT206 Anatomy and Physiology for Rehab Professionals 60 0 4.0
OTA100 Principles of OT 20 0 2.0
OTA130 Conditions in Occupational Therapy I 60 0 4.0
OTA200 Therapeutic use of Occupations 60 0 4.0
OTA170 Conditions in Occupational Therapy II 60 0 4.0
OTA210 Human Structure and Function in Occupational Therapy 60 0 4.0
HP215 Professional Communication for Health Professionals 60 0 4.0
OTA220 Group Dynamics and Leadership 30 0 2.0
OTA225 Introduction to Fieldwork 20 0 1.0
OTA245 Occupational Performance from Birth to Adolescence 80 0 5.0
OTA230 Level I Fieldwork 80 60 3.0
OTA250 Occupational Therapy Services in Psychosocial Settings 60 0 4.0
OTA260 Occupational Performance in Adulthood 80 0 5.0
HP220 Inter-professional Collaborative Practice & Cultural Competence in Healthcare 40 0 3.0
OTA270 Occupational Performance in the Elderly 80 0 5.0
OTA280 OTA Clinical Competency 30 0 2.0
HP230 Business Concepts in Healthcare 20 0 2.0
OTA290-A Level II Fieldwork A § 350 330 12.0
OTA290-B Level II Fieldwork B § 350 330 12.0
 

Totals

1600

720

82.0

Course Number: ANAT206

Title Anatomy and Physiology for Rehab Professionals
Clock Hours60
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits4.0

Course Number: OTA100

Title Principles of OT
Clock Hours20
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits2.0

Course Number: OTA130

Title Conditions in Occupational Therapy I
Clock Hours60
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits4.0

Course Number: OTA200

Title Therapeutic use of Occupations
Clock Hours60
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits4.0

Course Number: OTA170

Title Conditions in Occupational Therapy II
Clock Hours60
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits4.0

Course Number: OTA210

Title Human Structure and Function in Occupational Therapy
Clock Hours60
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits4.0

Course Number: HP215

Title Professional Communication for Health Professionals
Clock Hours60
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits4.0

Course Number: OTA220

Title Group Dynamics and Leadership
Clock Hours30
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits2.0

Course Number: OTA225

Title Introduction to Fieldwork
Clock Hours20
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits1.0

Course Number: OTA245

Title Occupational Performance from Birth to Adolescence
Clock Hours80
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits5.0

Course Number: OTA230

Title Level I Fieldwork
Clock Hours80
Clinical Hours60
Quarter Credits3.0

Course Number: OTA250

Title Occupational Therapy Services in Psychosocial Settings
Clock Hours60
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits4.0

Course Number: OTA260

Title Occupational Performance in Adulthood
Clock Hours80
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits5.0

Course Number: HP220

Title Inter-professional Collaborative Practice & Cultural Competence in Healthcare
Clock Hours40
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits3.0

Course Number: OTA270

Title Occupational Performance in the Elderly
Clock Hours80
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits5.0

Course Number: OTA280

Title OTA Clinical Competency
Clock Hours30
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits2.0

Course Number: HP230

Title Business Concepts in Healthcare
Clock Hours20
Clinical Hours0
Quarter Credits2.0

Course Number: OTA290-A

Title Level II Fieldwork A §
Clock Hours350
Clinical Hours330
Quarter Credits12.0

Course Number: OTA290-B

Title Level II Fieldwork B §
Clock Hours350
Clinical Hours330
Quarter Credits12.0

TOTALS

Clock Hours

1600

Clinical Hours

720

Quarter Credits

82.0

Courses offered in a blended format, a combination of online and on ground.
§ Courses offered on ground.

TOTAL CREDIT HOURS: 98.0

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