Southeastern Illinois College MRI program

Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, and are directly involved in providing therapy to patients. Occupational therapy assistants need an associate's degree from an accredited program. There are roughly 200 occupational therapy assistant programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, a branch of the American Occupational Therapy Association. These programs generally require 2 years of full-time study and include instruction in subjects such as psychology, biology, and pediatric health. In addition to taking coursework, occupational therapy assistants must complete at least 16 weeks of fieldwork to gain hands-on work experience.

Licensure requires the completion of all fieldwork requirements, and passing the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam, in order to use the title Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). The median annual wage for occupational therapy assistants and aides was $54,520 in May 2015. Employment of occupational therapy assistants and aides is projected to grow 40 percent over the next 10 years, a fast-growing field with good opportunities, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.