Online Occupational Therapy Assistant Certification Info

Occupational therapy assistants have two primary professional certification options. Certification exams can be completed partially or entirely online, after an applicant has met all requirements of certifying organizations.

Occupational Therapy Assistant Online Certification Options

Occupational therapy assistants must be licensed by whichever state in which they decide they will practice. In some states, certification by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), which provides the primary professional certification for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, may be enough to satisfy state licensure requirements. However, some states require additional state licensing exams.
The NBCOT certification exam relies on the Internet for most of the application process and the test; however, the exam utilizes proctored testing at specific centers. The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA) also offers certification for occupational therapy assistants. The AOTA certifications are specialty certifications that examine only a particular competency area of an occupational therapy assistant's capabilities, and are not full professional certifications.

Certification Requirements for Occupational Therapy Assistants

NBCOT Certification Requirements

In order to be certified with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, occupational therapy assistants must fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

• First, they must graduate from an occupational therapy assistant program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), part of the AOTA. This must be verified with NBCOT before occupational therapy assistants may complete their application for certification.
• Second, they must complete all fieldwork requirements, as well as proper evidence. For graduates of U.S. degree programs, this is only true when fieldwork is not a required part of the degree.
• Third, they must submit an application for examination and receive authorization from NBCOT to be tested. This may not be done until an applicant has been cleared to graduate by their college.
• Forth, they must agree to abide by the NBCOT candidate code of conduct. This code includes promises to submit accurate information in areas required by the NBCOT, to work in compliance with the law and not to engage in behavior that is harmful to their colleagues, students or the recipients of therapy.

AOTA Certification Requirements

The AOTA offers specialty certification to occupational therapy assistants to show their competence in particular areas, including providing occupational therapy in community mobility; feeding, eating and swallowing; environmental modification and low vision. Requirements for AOTA certification are as follows:

• Applicants must show that they have a technical or professional degree that qualifies them in occupational therapy or as an occupational therapy assistant.
• They must demonstrate that they have obtained certification or licensure from a credentialing or regulatory organization.
• They must show experience that includes a minimum of 2,000 hours work in occupational therapy, and 600 hours working specifically in the specialty area in which they wish to be certified.