Cabarrus College of Health Sciences offers a two year associate degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant.

Occupational Therapy Assistant’s help adapt work and physical environments to promote independence; analyze and train in daily living and homemaking skills; fabricate and apply splints and orthotic devices; and use activities, therapeutic exercise, and crafts to promote independence and wellness.

OTA’s have many work environment opportunities that include acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centers, long term care facilities, out patient clinics, school districts, industry, well baby clinics and day care centers.

Occupational therapy assistants work with people of all ages who, because of illness, injury, and developmental or psychological impairment, need specialized assistance in learning skills to enable them to lead independent, productive and satisfying lives. Services that a COTA may provide include: analysis and training in activities of daily living skills (ADL’s) and homemaking tasks, fabrication and application of splints and other orthotic devices, use of therapeutic crafts, activities, exercises, and physical agent modalities combined with meaningful occupation, training for productive work, adaptation of physical environments and architectural barriers for the physically challenged, and application of group processes.

Cabarrus College of Health Sciences offers a state of the art student learning centered environment that is focused on student success in the health sciences. The average class size is 20 students allowing for one-on-one interaction with instructors in the classroom and in hands-on skills lab instruction.



Program Outcomes for the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

The program outcomes of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences are that graduates will:

1.  Secure employment in an entry level occupational therapy assistant position.

2.  Create a personal professional development plan for lifelong learning to maintain licensure, board certification and ongoing competence.

3.  Apply the college level core concepts of critical thinking, communication, collaboration and contemporary issues as evidenced by positive evaluations from students, graduates and employers.

4.  Meet appropriate criteria to sit for certification and to obtain licensure for occupational therapy assistant.

Educational Goals for the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

The educational goals of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences are that graduates will:

1  Demonstrate skills sets and competencies required of a generalist in an entry level occupational therapy assistant position.

2.  Use critical thinking skills integrating evidence based research and knowledge from the sciences, arts and the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process into holistic and client centered occupational therapy assistant practice.

3.  Document and report appropriate information for multiple clients in an organized and concise manner.

4.  Demonstrate an understanding of the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and legal responsibilities appropriate for safe entry level occupational therapy assistant practice.

5.  Identify and articulate the role of the occupational therapy assistant and occupational therapist roles in the screening and evaluation process, and in the delivery of service.

6.  Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to incorporate available technology and resources to support maximal client outcomes.

Curriculum Design

The content and scope of the OTA program curriculum design is multidimensional including:

• Accreditation Standards for an Occupational Therapy Assistant as outlined by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) 2006,
• Mission, goals and vision of the Cabarrus College of Health Sciences,
• Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Occupational Therapy Assistant Strategic Plan,
• North Carolina Occupational Therapy Practice Act Article 18D,
• North Carolina Rules and Regulations and
• Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process (AOTA, 2002)
• Guidelines for Supervision, Roles and Responsibilities During the Delivery of Occupational Therapy Services (AOTA, 2005b

The common threads of the College’s and OTA program’s mission, philosophy, program and learning outcomes have resulted in an eclectic base for the design of the curriculum, its rationale, sequencing of courses and progression.

The conceptual framework for the organization and progression of the curriculum consists of the following themes:

• The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process
• Holistic, Client Centered, Occupational & Evidence Based Interventions
• Professional Behaviors for Occupational therapy Practice
• OTR and COTA Role Delineation
• Clinical Reasoning and Problem Solving
• Documentation and Quality Assurance
• Active and Life-long Learning Processes

The concepts listed above are interwoven throughout the design of the curriculum in a progressive nature through which students gain new knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote and encourage new behaviors and develop clinical reasoning skills.