If you’re considering or working toward an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) degree, you might be wondering what your options are after graduation. Some OTAs work as generalists for their whole careers, while others choose to specialize further in specific areas.
In this article, we’ll go over some OTA specialties and alternative jobs you can explore as you plan for your future career.
6 OTA Specialties You Can Pursue
Completing an OTA program can help prepare you to work with people who have different physical, mental, and developmental needs. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), most OTAs begin working as generalists after graduation. Once they have some experience, many choose to move into a specialty that interests them.
If you’re curious about the different career paths you can take as an OTA, here are six common specialties in the field:
1. Pediatrics
Pediatric OTAs work with infants, children, and adolescents to help them build the skills they need for daily life. In this specialty, you may help babies meet developmental milestones, like crawling or sitting up. You may also work with kids who have physical or developmental delays, showing them how to use adaptive equipment to perform tasks independently, such as dressing or bathing.
Dr. Vicky Vu, the Program Director of ACC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program, says pediatric OTAs can support children with a wide range of needs, including those with cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, and traumatic brain injury.
2. Gerontology
People experience different needs as they age. Geriatric OTAs work with older adults to help them continue to live safe, independent lives. As a geriatric OTA, you may help older adults transition from driving to taking public transportation, or you may work with them to learn about modifications they can make to stay in their homes safely.
This specialty can also involve supporting older adults who have additional challenges, such as vision loss or dementia. By instructing older adults on ways to adapt or modify their environments, you can help them participate meaningfully in daily living activities for as long as possible.
3. Mental Health
Some occupational therapy assistants specialize in helping people with mental health challenges, such as stress or depression. In this specialty, you’ll work closely with occupational therapists to identify and implement therapeutic treatments to improve people’s daily lives.
For example, you may work with people on ways to adapt tasks to be more independent, or you may help people develop life management skills, such as cooking healthy meals and developing a daily routine. Specializing as a mental health OTA can be a rewarding choice if you want to make a difference in people’s overall quality of life.
4. Physical Rehabilitation
Physical rehabilitation focuses on helping people regain or improve skills after an injury or illness, such as a stroke. This field involves working closely with individuals to teach them exercises and techniques they can use to rebuild their strength, coordination, and physical functioning.
As an OTA specializing in physical rehabilitation, you may lead people in guided exercises or instruct them on ways to use adaptive equipment for daily tasks, like eating. You may also educate individuals and their families about ways to modify their home or work environments to meet their needs.
5. Assistive Technology
OTAs specializing in assistive technology train people on tools they can use to live independently. This equipment can include both physical tools, like wheelchairs and hearing aids, and digital products, such as speech recognition tools.
According to the World Health Organization, over 2.5 billion people worldwide require assistive technology, including older adults and people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
In this field, you’ll teach people how to use assistive technology in their everyday lives. For example, you may help someone who’s had a stroke learn how to prepare food using adaptive kitchen tools. As an assistive technology OTA, you may help people of all ages, from young children to older adults.
6. Hand Therapy
Hand therapy is an area that focuses on helping people regain function in their hands and upper extremities after injuries or medical conditions. These OTAs may work with people who have carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, or fractures. They can also support people with rehabilitation after surgeries.
As a hand therapy OTA, you will guide people on therapeutic exercises to improve strength, coordination, or range of motion in their hands and arms. You may also help them use splints or adaptive equipment to support their independence. As a specialist in this field, you can have an impact on helping people relearn how to do everyday tasks, such as holding objects or writing.
Other Alternative OTA Careers
Beyond specializing in an area of occupational therapy, OTAs can also explore other career options. Many use their occupational therapy knowledge and skills to transition into other fields, such as health information technology, community health, and education.
These are just a few alternative jobs for occupational therapy assistants to consider:
- Activity director: An activity director plans programs in a nursing home, senior living facility, or rehabilitation center to encourage participation and improve people’s quality of life.
- Patient advocate: A patient advocate with a background as an OTA may help people navigate different healthcare services and access the therapies, resources, or accommodations they require.
- Adaptive equipment specialist: These specialists meet with people to understand their needs and then recommend adaptive equipment, like communication devices or workplace modifications.
- Corporate health consultant: A corporate health consultant recommends and implements wellness initiatives, ergonomic adjustments, or injury prevention strategies to support safe, healthy workplaces.
Start Your OTA Journey at American Career College
Earning an OTA degree can be the first step toward a fulfilling career that allows you to make a difference in other people’s lives. You can choose to specialize in an area like pediatrics, gerontology, or assistive technology, or you can transition into other healthcare roles, such as a patient advocate or health consultant.
At American Career College, our Occupational Therapy Assistant program is designed to help you build a foundation for exploring a range of OTA specialties. Through a blended learning format with both online coursework and in-person instruction, you can gain experience working with people of all ages and needs. Plus, you could complete this program in as few as 20 months!
Ready to learn more about pursuing an education in occupational therapy assisting? Reach out to request more information today!
