Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant
About The Position
Provide occupational therapy services to children in the school setting under the direction of a registered occupational therapist (OTR). This role involves addressing sensory strategies, executive functioning, social skill development, fine and gross motor activities, and assistive technology access as related to IEP goals. The position requires maintaining records, collaborating with staff, training other personnel, and assisting with progress monitoring. The Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) will also troubleshoot assistive devices, facilitate technology use, implement student-specific plans, collect data, and provide direct support to individual students, including carrying out tasks related to acute student medical needs. The role may also involve supervising students and paraprofessionals.
Requirements
- Associate's Degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant.
- Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
- Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from students, staff, administrators, and parents.
- Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference.
- Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical solutions.
- Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
- Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
- Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory to instructional program; ability to apply lessons based on building and district objectives and the needs and abilities of the students.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, staff, parents, and community.
- Ability to communicate effectively.
- Ability to use computers and other technology to accomplish job responsibilities.
- Ability to deal with people, direct others, and influence people in their attitudes, opinions, and judgments.
- Directly responsible for the safety and well being of others.
- Regularly required to talk or hear, and use hands to finger, handle, or feel; frequently required to walk and stand, and the employee may frequently bend or twist at the neck and back.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and peripheral vision.
- The employee may occasionally lift up to 100 pounds.
- Must possess and maintain or be eligible to obtain a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction School Occupational Therapist Assistant, code 0052.
- Must possess a valid driver's license.
- Shall complete a physical examination as required by Wisconsin Statute 118.25.
Responsibilities
- Provide occupational therapy services to students by direct or consultation to address sensory strategies and techniques, executive functioning, social skill development, fine and gross motor activities and assistive technology access as related to IEP goals under the supervision of an OTR.
- Maintain daily records of treatments and document progress notes.
- Consult and collaborate with teachers, other service providers and teams by suggesting ideas for classroom interventions.
- Train other staff as needed.
- Assists in progress monitoring for IEP goals and treatment plan including data collection, analysis and qualitative reporting.
- Troubleshoots problems with assistive devices (e.g. computer technology, etc.) for the purpose of ensuring that equipment is in proper working order and/or providing alternative strategies.
- Facilitate the use of technology tools in classroom situations.
- Implement student specific plans for cognitive regulation, social skill development and self-regulation.
- Collect skill specific data related to IEP goals.
- Facilitate social interactions and skill building including small groups
- Provide direct support to individual students through prompting, behavior replacement and regulation support.
- Carry out tasks related to acute student medical needs
- Performs such other tasks and assumes such other responsibilities as the Director of Special Education may from time to time assign or delegate
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Associate degree
