April is Occupational Therapy Month. Children who need the assistance of an  Akron occupational therapist may be diagnosed with any number of conditions, from down syndrome to autism spectrum disorder to traumatic injury. The goal of a pediatric occupational therapist is to help kids who struggle with everyday tasks due to poor motor skills. This can include tasks that are a part of learning and functioning well at school, home and recreation – anything from handwriting to walking to zipping their coats to staying on task.

As providers of occupational therapy to children in Akron, Cleveland, Brecksville and Broadview Heights, we are occasionally asked what is the difference between an “OTR” and a “COTA.” These are two different titles you may see after the names of your Akron occupational therapist.

Essentially, it comes down to education and training, though there are also differences in responsibilities too. OT(R) stands for Registered Occupational Therapist. Registration only happens after an occupational therapist passes the state boards following graduate school. It requires at least a 2.5-3-year Master’s or Doctorate degree in occupational therapy.

It’s not unheard of for experienced OTs to have a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy, but those programs were largely phased out some years ago.

COTA, on the other hand, stands for Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. To be a COTA, one must have a two-year associate’s degree.

Graduates of all programs are required to successfully demonstrate entry-level practice competency through 24 weeks of mentored practice experience, per AOTA.

Responsibilities of an OTR vs. COTA

Registered occupational therapists are responsible to perform patient evaluations, create plans of care (with goals), complete progress notes, process discharges and provide patient treatment.

COTAs, meanwhile, will be responsible to follow the plan of care set by the OTR. They’ll carry out treatment (interventions) aligned with the patient’s goals, as set by the OTR. They won’t be responsible for patient evaluations, plans of care or discharge paperwork, though they may be responsible to take detailed notes regarding what they worked on with the patient and the outcomes. This helps the OTR to determine whether certain interventions are working or whether there need to be updates to approaches or goals.

Occupational therapy is tailored to each child’s specific needs. Before it starts, an OTR will evaluate the child’s strengths and struggles. From there, they will design a program of activities to help the child work on key skill development. Some examples of things an Akron occupational therapist might help your child work on:

• Self-care routines, such as getting dressed, teeth brushing, etc.
• Writing and copying notes.
• Holding and controlling a pencil, scissors, etc.
• Catching and throwing.
• Organizing their school work.
• Appropriate reactions to sensory input (building self-regulation skills).