AHEC Connecticut
THERAPY & REHABILITATION - Occupational Therapist
To be a successful Occupational Therapist you should...
- be able to work with a wide variety of people with different illness and impairments
- be able to motivate patients
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What will my job be like?
Occupational therapists assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that help restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to disabled persons.
Occupational therapists (OTs) use many techniques to help people learn or re-learn to carry out the activities of daily living, such as eating, dressing, writing, cooking, and going to work. They work with people whose functioning is impaired by physical or mental illness, by injury, or by old age or developmental disabilities. OTs evaluate functional skills, train people to do such things as dress or drive a car in a new way, identify barriers to meaningful activities, and help people adapt activities or use adapted equipment to achieve self sufficiency.
Other specialties:
- Developmental Disability
- Educational
- Gerontology (Elderly)
- Home Health
- Mental Health
- Neonatology
Where could I work?
The largest number of jobs was in hospitals. Other major employers were offices of other health practitioners (including offices of occupational therapists), public and private educational services, and nursing care facilities. Some occupational therapists were employed by home health care services, outpatient care centers, offices of physicians, individual and family services, community care facilities for the elderly, and government agencies.
What is the average annual salary?
$64,242
What is the future of this career?
Employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014.
What type of education and/or training do I need?
Beginning in 2007 a master's degree or higher will be the minimum education requirement. As a result, students in bachelor's-level programs must complete their coursework and fieldwork before 2007.
Where can I get the education and/or training?
- Quinnipiac University, Hamden
- Sacred Heart University, Fairfield
- University of Hartford, West Hartford
Do I need a license or certification for this career?
Licensure is required in the state of Connecticut. Prerequisites: An approved degree. Licensing requires 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork experience and successful completion of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy certification examination.
Where can I get more information?
American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
4720 Montgomery Lane
PO Box 31220
Bethesda, MD 20824
(301) 652-2682
www.aota.org