What do pediatrics, geriatrics and cardiology have in common?
Patients in these three very different branches of medicine can
benefit from occupational therapy. An occupational therapist
helps people with disabling conditions to recover or develop
daily living skills, such as dressing, cooking and eating. An
OT's right-hand man, or woman, is the occupational therapy
assistant. This versatile occupation is proving to be a
rewarding career choice for many who are returning to school to
heighten employment prospects. An OTA works under the direction
of an OT to provide the rehabilitative exercises and activities
prescribed in the therapist's treatment plan. The necessary
education toward becoming an OTA includes earning a two-year
associates degree instead of the master's degree necessary for
an OT position. Employment opportunities are expected to grow
much faster than average, or 30 percent through 2018, according
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS credits this high
projected growth to the increased el