Occupational therapists help individuals with
disabilities recover or maintain the physical skills they need to
function in daily life. Online graduate certificate programs teach
occupational therapists exercises and strategies they can use to assess
and improve clients' motor skills and habits.
Online Graduate Certificate Programs in Occupational Therapy Overview
Occupational therapists
help people compensate for many types of deficits brought on by injury
or disease. They also help those with mental, physical, developmental or
emotional disabilities. Therapies include exercises to improve
strength, range of movement, memory and visual acuity, and activities to
relearn how to dress, eat, solve basic problems and make decisions.
Certificate programs may offer concentrations in specialty therapeutic
areas, such as autism, assistive technologies, and neurological physical
therapy.
Most didactic courses for distance learning occupational therapy
certificate programs can be taken completely online without the need to
attend on-site classes. Depending upon the program or specialization,
schools may help students arrange for clinical practice experience at
therapy clinics near their homes.
Online students need access to a computer and a fast Internet
connection in order to remotely attend live classes, watch pre-recorded
lectures, review study material, submit assignments and keep in contact
with faculty and fellow students. Students will also have online access
to school library resources.
Applicants for a graduate certificate program typically need to have a
bachelor's degree in occupational or physical therapy. Certain programs
may restrict admission to students who currently work as occupational
therapists. Programs require between 10-17 semester credits, and
students should allow 12-18 months to complete all work.
The graduate certificate program in occupational therapy can be taken
alone or alongside a master's degree program. Those who complete the
program can also transfer credits to a master's program.
Evidence-Based Practice Course
Evidence-based practice is a treatment methodology that refines each
patient's treatment plan by continuously reevaluating the clinical
evidence, systematic research and the patient's goals and values. This
course helps identify the elements that make up the evidence-based
process and draws examples from real case studies.
Treating Older Adults Course
The treatment of geriatric patients centers around impaired mental
function and physical concerns like arthritis, osteoporosis, decreased
strength and reduced range of motion. Students learn common assessment
methods and therapies, then apply these ideas in field assignments.
Autism Course
Students in this course review commonly used assessment strategies
for autism, such as tests of social communication or responsiveness.
They then learn to develop treatments that suit the client's individual
needs.
Assistive Technologies Course
Assistive technologies are devices which can help individuals with
disabilities improve their functional capabilities. They span a range of
items from simple pencil grips and adapted spoons to high-technology
wheelchairs and voice synthesizers. Students are acquainted with
commonly used assistive technologies and are encouraged to devise and
adapt their own devices.
Neurological Physical Therapy Course
Students review the effects of neurological disorders, including
Alzheimer's, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and
impairments due to brain or spinal cord injury. Readings and lectures
present treatments and intervention strategies that might prove useful
for different types of neurological impairments.
As the population ages, medical conditions requiring occupational
therapy should increase the demand for therapists. According to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (
www.bls.gov), jobs for occupational
therapists are projected to grow 26 percent from 2008 to 2018, much
faster than the average rate of growth for all jobs. The median annual
salary for occupational therapists in 2009 was $69,630.
All 50 states require occupational therapists to have a license to
practice, and most require a master's degree or better to qualify. Some
states conduct their own licensure exams, and some rely upon voluntary
exam-based certification conducted by the National Board for Certifying
Occupational Therapy. The Board confers the designations Occupational
Therapist Registered (OTR) and Certified
Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA).
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