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Occupational Therapy Assistant

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AVG. SALARY

$62,250

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EDUCATION

Associate's degree

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JOB OUTLOOK

Increasing

Interviews

Insider Info

When Vicki Dronsfield walks into work on Monday morning, she doesn't know what to expect. "I don't actually have a typical day," she says. "When I came here, I asked the same thing, and everyone laughed."

Dronsfield is living proof that OTAs are in hot demand. She landed her job at the Acquired Brain Injury Outreach Association shortly after she completed her training.

Since then she's worked with clients who have suffered brain aneurysms and partial paralysis. Once, she worked with a man who suffered a brain aneurysm. He was living in a personal care home that offered a handicapped transit service, but he wanted to use city transit.

"We mapped out the bus schedule and I went with him to wait for the bus and do the transfer. He knows when his stop is coming up, but the transfer in the middle remains difficult," she says. "A lot of people with brain injury have problems with confusion and poor judgment skills."

Dronsfield also helped a man in his 40s regain his independence. He was in an elderly care facility and just didn't fit in. Dronsfield, working with the rest of the team, helped him get into a hostel where he now has his own room, own bathroom and makes his own breakfast. "It took months to get that move," she says.

Helping people improve their situation is one of the biggest rewards of the job, agrees Gerome Higgins. Higgins is certified as an occupational therapist assistant stationed at the Academy of Health and Science in San Antonio, Texas. He's been with the military for the last 16 years, and spent 14 of those years as a certified occupational therapist assistant in addition to teaching others interested in entering the field.

Higgins uses his training to work with both civilian and military clients ranging in age from children to the elderly. Working with people who have physical handicaps to overcome has made an enormous difference in his life.

"This job has enlightened my family about a lot of different things," says Higgins, who has had his children join in some of his work with youngsters. "I watched a physically handicapped child I worked with graduate from high school. I helped adjust the school program for them, took them on field trips and to the Special Olympics. I involve my own children. It helps my children become humble."

Another big part of the job is advocacy. Higgins recalls a case where a young woman who was serving with the military began complaining of physical problems. Her superiors thought she was just trying to get a discharge, but with the help of Higgins and the team of people he works with, she went through four months of tests and was diagnosed with a rare form of dystrophy.

"You really do have a role with people," he says.

One of the challenges in working as an OTA in the military is that Higgins is continually on the move -- about once every three years he gets transferred. That means that he has to rebuild not only his personal ties, but also his professional relationships with other members of the team and contacts inside the community.

Higgins is also one of the few men who enter this field. "Men should feel more confident in this. There's a spot for them in this field. I don't even think about it anymore."

Teamwork is another important skill, says Dronsfield. You need to work closely with the occupational therapists. "Most of them are really glad to have an assistant that's trained in the theory of things, and not just the practice."

One of the tricky parts of the job is learning to communicate well with the clients. "Sometimes the clients can be very manipulative," she says. "One client might tell you they don't need you to help them because a friend is already coming in. Then you learn that there is no friend. But people generally are like that -- we don't want to admit that we need help. But if they don't get the help, then they can crash and burn."

But it's not just a matter of learning what patients mean on a psychological level. Higgins says aspiring students shouldn't forget about the very real skill of speaking a second language. Multilingual students would even have a better chance for success. This is of real value when you're working with clients from all backgrounds.

Whether you're working in a private practice or in the military, hands-on work with clients is the biggest part of the job, as is getting them integrated into the community. Dronsfield described her work as being a facilitator between the client and the community. She helps them become independent and brings in extra resources when necessary.

Dronsfield goes to clients' homes along with the occupational therapist. The therapist does the assessment and then Dronsfield makes sure the recommendations are carried out. She recalls one case where a client needed work done on his range of motion in his arms and legs.

"He lives with his mom and he had no motivation to work with her. The team figured that if a new person comes in, he may get motivated again," she said.

"There's a lot of people out there who are stuck. They're just sitting around and don't know what to do. But they can do things, they just need to get out there!" The variety of the job also appeals to Dronsfield. One day she could be working at the center, the next day in someone's home helping them negotiate their stairs.

The work has made Dronsfield appreciate and understand the hardships other people have to live through.

"It was shocking to see all the wheelchairs, and people who couldn't move their arms and legs. But having worked with these people it makes you more accepting of everybody. Instead of seeing the wheelchair or the awkward walk, I realize how much work it took them to be able to do that. It really changes your perspective."

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