Program Contact: Nancy Green, Program Coordinator Phone: 704-403- 3599 Email: ngreen@cabarruscollege.edu
	Frequently Asked Questions about the OTA Program (PDF)	Nancy Green
OTA brochure	Request an Admissions Information Packet Facilities Available for Observation Observation Questions List OTA Observation Hours Verification Sheet

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

• be prepared for employment in beginning positions in a variety of healthcare settings, which include: hospitals, home care, long term care facilities, school systems, outpatient clinics, community based programs and rehabilitation facilities and industrial settings;
  
  
• demonstrate a beginning level of competency in restorative, adaptive and preventative therapies for persons with a variety of disabilities and limitations;
  
  
• be prepared to integrate biological and behavioral sciences and clinical reasoning skills in identification, assessment and development of the plan of care and delivery of healthcare services;
  
  
• demonstrate an understanding of the ethical and legal responsibilities appropriate for their level of practice;
  
  
• meet appropriate certification and/or licensure requirements for Occupational Therapy Assistants.

Classic students with a classic car: Occupational Therapy Assistant students receiving scholarships in the 2006-07 year pose with program coordinator Nancy Green's 1957 Studebaker.

Graduates of the Cabarrus College of Health Sciences' OTA program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, many states require the results of the NBCOT Certification Exam. The conviction of a felony may affect a graduates ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Some of the services COTAs may provide include: analysis and training in daily living skills (ADLs) and homemaking tasks; fabrication and application of splints and other orthotic devices; use of therapeutically analyzed crafts; analysis of therapeutic activities or exercises and physical agent modalities; task analysis and training for productive work; adaptation of the physical environments and architectural barriers for the physically disabled; and application of group process and/or individual skills for the emotionally disturbed and psychosocially impaired persons.

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

• OTR/COTA Role Delineation
  
  
• Characteristics of Clinical Reasoning and Problem Solving
  
  
• The Model of Human Occupation
  
  
• Life-long Learning Process
  
  
• Documentation and Quality Assurance
  
  
• Wellness/Holistic Treatment Intervention

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.

For admission into the Occupational Therapy Assistant Associate of Science Degree program, applicants must meet the admission criteria to the College AND must submit:

• an official transcript showing evidence of completion of either high school or college level algebra I, algebra II, and either geometry or a math with algebra II as a pre-requisite, chemistry and biology with a preferred minimum grade of “C”;
  
  
  • two references which speak to academic ability or work ethic;
  
  
  • acceptable scores on either the ASSET test (42 - writing, 42 -reading and 36 - numerical), the SAT I ( 480-critical reading (verbal) and 440-math ) OR the ACT (composite score of 19);
  
  
  • evidence of rank in the upper half of high school class;
  
  
  • students must submit evidence of current Heartsaver AED CPR;
  
  
  • a minimum of 25 hours of observation in an OT setting.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Curriculum Plan

A minimum of 69 semester hours are required to earn an Associate of Science Degree in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.

All occupational therapy students must complete Level II fieldwork within one year of the required academic course work.

Accreditation Note: The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is accredited by The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), located at The American Occupational Therapy Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, PO Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, Phone (301) 652-AOTA (2682).