Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapist - What You Need To Become One

If it is in your nature to help people and you want to find a career that will allow you to do so, consider working as an occupational therapist. You can make a big difference in someone's life by going into occupational therapy, and there are many occupational therapist schools across the country and online that can get you your degree and prepare you for this new endeavor.

What Is The Occupational Therapist Job Description?

An occupational therapist works with people who have mental or physical disabilities that prevent them from being independent. In this line of work you will help them improve their motor skills and understanding in their home and work environments so they can function for themselves. Specifically this could mean you'll be helping with simple tasks like dressing, eating and washing to computer skills; anything they need to live their lives.

You could also perform strength and dexterity exercises, work on memory related tasks and games, and even help them with reasoning, problem solving and to make decisions. For patients who are permanently disabled, like with cerebral palsy or any spinal cord injuries, you will also have to teach them to use their equipment, such as electronic wheelchairs, and aids for eating dressing and using the computer.

In a work setting, if a client's abilities are imparied, you could work on getting them appropriate employment, organize work activities and monitor the progress. The tasks vary according to the needs of your client, and you can choose if you want to focus on one age group or one set of special needs.

Where Can You Work?

With an occupational therapy degree, you can choose to work in schools helping teachers and nurses with children of all ages, in nursing homes helping the elderly or in hospitals. You can find a job in a rehabilitation centers or mental health facility, helping patients with addictions, stress, abuse or depression.

You will work with these individuals on managing and controlling their lives, and basic functions like shopping, using public transportation and budgeting. You can even work privately, going to the client's home and helping them with daily tasks and assessing the safety of the environment. The job requirements will change drastically according to the environment you choose to work in.

What Are The Requirement?

If you are considering later getting an occupational therapy degree, you will need to start preparing in highschool by taking the right classes. You will need to take biology, chemistry, healthy and art. In college, you should major in subjects like biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology or anatomy to later pursue your master's.

You should also consider doing volunteer work in any health care facility to improve your chances of acceptance in the field. It is a very competetive program, so a GPA of at least 3.3 is also recommended.

Master's Degree

The minimum occupational therapy degree you can get to enter the field is a master's degree. In this program you will take courses in psychology, sociology, ergonomics, rehabilitation, special education, ethics, testing methods, counselling and environmental health. You will also need to 6 months of clinical fieldwork to graduate.

Why Become An Occupational Therapist Assistant?

If you want to start in the field before completing your master's degree, you can get a 1 year certificate, enabling you to become an occupational therapist assistant, or a 2 year associate's degree to become an assistant. Many occupational therapist tasks are being done by assistants these days, while licensed occupational therapists are taking on more management and administrative roles.

Can You Complete Your Degree Online?

It is quite common to find occupational therapy degree online programs for certificates and associate's degrees, enabling you to be an aide or assistant. As long as these programs are accredited, you will be able to enter the field upon completion at your own pace. Penn Foster Career School has an aide program, as does Quinnipiac University.

The master's or doctorate degree programs are also available as distance learning, but they usually also require a certain number of actual classroom hours. You can get an online MS from Boston University, AT Still University of Health Sciences or Florida International University.

Do You Need A License To Practice?

Once you have graduated from one of the many accredited occupational therapy programs, you will need to become licensed in order to practice. Each state regulates the licensing of workers, however you will first need to pass a national certification exam. Once you do, you will be given the Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) title and can seek employment. In most states, once you have become licensed, you will still need to take continuing education to maintain this status.

How Lucrative Is This Career?

Although it is common for many occupational therapists to have more than 1 job, usually in hospitals, the amount of jobs available are growing, with an expected increase of about 23% from 2006-2016. This is due to the significant influx to the 75 + age group, the main target group for occupational therapy.

The average occupational therapist salary ranges between $50,450 and $73,710, but some of the highest positions in 2006 paid more than $89,000. Your place of employment and experience will affect the salary, with private care paying higher than work in elementary schools or hospitals.

Occupational therapy is a crucial, rewarding position, that is not only lucrative and stable, but will give you a sense of accomplishment and pride by helping those who need you. This career is in high demand and can bring you so much more than financial success, so research different occupational therapy schools today and take that step to becoming an occupational therapist.

Occupational Therapy Training