Will “Therapy Aide” be Automated?

Core Skills & Abilities

• Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.

• Instruct patients and families in work, social, and living skills, the care and use of adaptive equipment, and other skills to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability.

• Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.

• Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.

• Adjust and repair assistive devices and make adaptive changes to other equipment and to environments.

• Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.

• Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.

• Evaluate the living skills and capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.

• Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.

• Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games.

• Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.

• Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.

• Supervise patients in choosing and completing work assignments or arts and crafts projects.

• Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.

• Accompany patients on outings, providing transportation when necessary.