Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS

Put your compassionate nature and great interpersonal skills to work in a career that is dynamic and creative as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). As an OTA you may help patients develop or recover the skills they need to perform everyday tasks as you:

• Administer treatment after injuries
• Provide ongoing rehabilitation
• Work in geriatrics
• Work in pediatrics
• Encourage independence

The Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS program is designed to prepare you to function as a professional OTA in a variety of health care settings including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, and school settings under the supervision of a Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR).

Program Accreditation Status - The Occupational Therapy Assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

Graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapy assistant 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). Successful certification permits the graduate to apply for licensure as required by the State of Illinois. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

Requirements and Guidelines

What makes MCC's Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS program better than or distinct from similar programs at other institutions?

At MCC, instructors emphasize focus on the community, cultural sensitivity, professionalism, and clinical reasoning in every aspect of the program. MCC's OTA program incorporates technology, evidenced-based information, and current trends to provide you with hands-on experiences to assist in the learning process. Many aspects of the program include working with community partners to encourage more application-based learning within the curriculum. 

What job opportunities are available to someone with an Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS?

This AAS degree prepares you to function as a professional OTA in a variety of health care settings including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, and school settings under the supervision of a Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR).

How will MCC's Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS program prepare me for my career or connect me to opportunities?

Gain real-world experience and network in the community as you complete your fieldwork experiences and through application-based curricular activities.

By the Numbers:

• Occupational Therapy Assistant is ranked #1 Best Health Care Support Job and #12 in The 100 Best Jobs by U.S. News
• The job market for Occupational Therapy Assistants is expected to grow by 41% from 2012 to 2022

What have graduates gone on to do?

MCC OTA students have been hired by locals school districts, skilled nursing facilities, and local children's outpatient clinics throughout the area.

Outside of the Classroom

• Join MCC's Student Occupational Therapy Assistants and learn about shadowing and volunteer opportunities!
• American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
• Illinois Occupational Therapy Association(ILOTA)

• Mission

  The McHenry County College OTA Program will prepare individuals to function as entry-level certified occupational therapy assistants (OTA). Working in partnership with the occupational therapist, graduates will plan and implement goal-directed therapeutic occupations uniquely designed to help patients and clients achieve optimal performance in their daily life roles.

  As means to implement the mission, the occupational therapy assistant program will provide:

  • A comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes understanding of the development, achievement, or restoration of adaptive occupational performance for the unique needs and diversity of each individual.
  • Excellence in didactic knowledge and professional skills instruction with an emphasis on learning in community contexts.
  • A foundational understanding of the basic tenets and clinical reasoning of occupational therapy and its application to those who seek to live productive lives.
  • Opportunities to succeed and grow as lifelong learners, and as professional and ethical members of society.
• Program Learning Objectives

  Graduates of the program will:

  • Demonstrate understanding of human growth and potential within the context of environment and culture.
  • Use clinical reasoning skills and meet objectives of an occupational therapy intervention plan and recognize the need for adaptations, adjustments, and restructuring of a plan with the guidance of the occupational therapist.
  • Function as a professional and ethical member of a healthcare delivery team reflecting a range of models and systems.
  • Demonstrate effective oral and written communications with supervisors, colleagues, and consumers and their families.
  • Act in an ethically responsible way with regard to legal obligations applicable in practice environments.
  • Respect all people and cultures while providing services to clients in a variety of settings.
  • Demonstrate attitudes, values, and behaviors congruent with the profession’s standards and ethics.
  • Demonstrate strategies utilizing personal strengths as agents of therapeutic change.

Additional Information