Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA)

Program Summary

**SCC is not currently accepting applications for this program at this time.

The Associate in Applied Science Degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant is offered at two community colleges through Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market.

12-13 students are admitted from each college for an entering total of 25. Admitted students take general education courses on their own campuses and OTA courses together in a central laboratory. After classes and fieldwork internship are completed, they graduate at their entering college.

The OTA courses have both lecture and hands-on laboratory components. The majority of the OTA courses are direct face-to-face classes.  One course in the first semester and one course in the fourth semester are online. During the program, students will develop entry-level competencies necessary to provide services to persons of all ages who have functional loss due to physical, neurological, social/emotional, cognitive, or developmental disabilities.

The profession tailors rehabilitation individually for each client. Through evaluation and treatment, it seeks to restore or improve function in occupational performance. Treatment is provided within the context of the client’s life environments and relationships. Occupation may be defined as the ordinary things people do each day to work, to play, and to take care of themselves. Occupational therapy is based on the idea that our personal identity and feeling of value is closely tied to what we are able to do. We all choose many “occupational” roles that are important to us and make us excited to engage in life. When our function becomes impaired, we may lose both our independence and sense of self-worth.

The practice of OT utilizes the therapeutic use of purposeful and meaningful occupations in treatment, as well as focusing on these occupations as the goal of treatment. OT intervention may include restoration of performance abilities; instruction in compensatory techniques; adaptation of tasks, processes, or environments; disability prevention techniques; and health promotion strategies. Occupational therapy assistants, under the supervision of an occupational therapist, will directly work with persons to achieve a maximum level of independent living by developing the capacities that remain after disease, accident, or other disability.

OT serves a diverse population in a wide variety of settings such as hospitals, clinics, facilities for rehabilitation, extended, and long-term care; sheltered workshops, schools, camps, private homes, physician’s offices, community programs, and private practice.

Program graduates will qualify to sit for the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) national certification examination. This computer-delivered examination will be delivered on-demand, after determining eligibility. Successful completion of this exam confers the title of Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Illinois and most states additionally require licensure to practice, usually basing this on the NBCOT exam results. A felony conviction may adversely affect ability to sit for the NBCOT exam and/or attain state licensure.

 

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 Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA 2237) Program Guide

Admission Requirements

Persons seeking admission to the Occupational Therapy Assistant program must meet the following criteria:

  • Meet all admission policies and complete all required admission forms of the college.
  • Be a graduate of an approved high school or demonstrate equivalent competency (GED examination).
  • Take the Health Occupation Aptitude Examination – Revised.
  • Submit a completed OTA application form and any official college transcripts to the college by March 31.
  • Submit to a criminal background check and drug testing after admission into the program.

First Year Courses

FALL SEMESTERCredit Hours
ENG 111English Composition I3
HIT 100Medical Terminology3
*OTA 100Intro to Occupational Therapy2
OTA 110Clinical Observation2
OTA 131Disease and Impact on Occupation3
OTA 132Occupational Development1
OTA 210Occupational Therapy Theory I4
TOTAL HOURS18
SPRING SEMESTERCredit Hours
*BIO 215Intro to Human Physiology4
OTA 112Activities of Daily Living3
OTA 120Occupational Therapeutic Media3
OTA 122OT Group Process2
OTA 133Clinical Rotation I1
OTA 134Occupational Therapy in Physical Disabilities3
PSY 211Introduction to Psychology3
TOTAL HOURS19
SUMMER SEMESTERCredit Hours
**MAT 121 or MAT 210Technical Mathematics or General Elementary Statistics3/4
SPC 111Speech3
TOTAL HOURS6/7

*Pre-requisite: *BIO 115-Human Biology and BIO 221-Anatomy and Physiology I. Individual campuses may require prerequisites for Anatomy and/or Physiology.

**MAT 210-Elementary Statistics should be taken by students wishing to transfer. MAT 121-Technical Mathematics is a non-transferable math.

Second Year Courses

FALL SEMESTERCredit Hours
OTA 200Psychosocial Therapy and Practice3
OTA 205OT in Pediatrics4
OTA 230Clinical Rotation II2
OTA 231Occupational Therapy Theory II1.5
OTA 232Aging and Impact on Occupational Performance1.5
PSY 218Child Psychology3
TOTAL HOURS15
SPRING SEMESTERCredit Hours
***OTA 217Fieldwork Experience I4.5
***OTA 218Fieldwork Experience II4.5
OTA 250OT Administration3
TOTAL HOURS12

*** Must be completed within 18 months of academic coursework.

All classes must be passed with a grade of C or better.

Possible Careers

Accreditation

ACOTE Logo

The SICCM Occupational Therapy Assistant Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200 North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929.

 301-652-6611
 accred@aota.org

Contacts

Admissions and Advising

618-634-3200
Toll Free 1-800-481-2242
admissions@shawneecc.edu

 

Elizabeth Wheeler

618-942-6902
ewheeler@siccm.com