Essential Functions of the Profession

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In addition to educational and professional standards, Occupational Therapy Assistant students encounter physical, cognitive, communicative, and environmental factors in the classroom, internal and external labs, field trips, and fieldwork.

 

The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) bans discrimination of persons with disabilities. In order to identify essential performance components, which may challenge the success of a student in becoming an Occupational Therapy Assistant including participation in the academic activities of the classroom and fieldwork education, the student needs to carefully review the essential functions. Although the performance requirements may vary depending on the specific area of practice, the most common physical, cognitive, and communicative, and environmental requirements are listed here.

 

If a student is unable to perform a requirement as listed, the student should see the ADA coordinator to identify eligibility for accommodation(s) and the steps in obtaining accommodation(s). Eligibility for accommodation requires professional documentation.

 

PHYSICAL FACTORS

SPEECH
Communicate/Clarity			Always (76-100%)	Daily	Job Essential
HEARING
Conversation			Always (76-100%)	Daily	Job Essential
Telephone	Sometimes (1-30%)
SIGHT
Natural or Corrected			Always (76-100%)	Daily	Job Essential
Depth Perception			Always (76-100%)	Daily	Job Essential
Color Vision		Frequently (31-75%)		Daily	Job Essential
MOBILITY
Lift, Push, or Pull 40 lbs.			Always (76-100%)	Daily	Job Essential
Lift, Push, or Pull 75 lbs.		Frequently (31-75%)		Daily	Job Essential
Standing		Frequently (31-75%)		Daily	Job Essential
Move about facility			Always (76-100%)	Daily	Job Essential
Bending		Frequently (31-75%)		Daily	Job Essential
Crawl, stoop, or crouch		Frequently (31-75%)		Daily	Job Essential
Kneeling		Frequently (31-75%)		Daily	Job Essential
Running	Sometimes (1-30%)
Walking		Frequently (31-75%)		Daily	Job Essential
CLIMBING
Stairs	Sometimes (1-30%)				Job Essential
Others	Sometimes (1-30%)				Job Essential
JOINT MOBILITY
Neck			Always (76-100%)	Daily	Job Essential
Arms/Hands			Always (76-100%)	Daily	Job Essential
Trunk/Pelvis			Always (76-100%)	Daily	Job Essential
Hips/Legs			Always (76-100%)	Daily	Job Essential

 

COGNITIVE / MENTAL / ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

REASONING	Job Essential: Yes/No
Deal with abstract and concrete variables, define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.	Yes
Interpret instructions furnished in oral, written diagrammatic or schedule form.	Yes
Deal with problems in standard situations	Yes
Carry out detailed, simple-to-complex written or oral instructions	Yes
MATHEMATICS	Job Essential: Yes/No
Simple skills - add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers and fractions, calculate time, simple measurements, percentages, and norms	Yes
READING	Job Essential: Yes/No
Complex skills - comprehend medical records, documents, evaluations, manuals, journals, instructions in use and maintenance of equipment, safety rules, and procedures	Yes
WRITING	Job Essential: Yes/No
Complex skills - Patient documentation using behavior objectives, technical terminology, and functional outcomes for reimbursement	Yes
Simple skills - complete English sentences with correct medical terminology for medical records documentation	Yes
REPORTING	Job Essential: Yes/No
Oral reports at team conferences, staffings, family conferences, and family/staff/caregiver education sessions	Yes
PERCEPTION	Job Essential: Yes/No
Spatial - ability to evaluate and treat visual perceptual skills in the areas of visual discrimination, figure-ground, spatial relations, position in space/form consistency, visual memory and visual sequential memory	Yes
Form - ability to perceive pertinent details in objects, models, or in pictorial or graphic material, and visual sequential memory	Yes
CLERICAL	Job Essential: Yes/No
Ability to perceive pertinent detail in verbal and tabular material; to observe differences in copy, to proof-read words and numbers, and to avoid perceptual errors in arithmetic	Yes
DATA	Job Essential: Yes/No
Synthesizing	Yes
Coordinating	Yes
Analyzing	Yes
Copying	Yes
PERSONAL TRAITS	Job Essential: Yes/No
Ability to comprehend and follow instructions	Yes
Ability to perform simple and repetitive tasks	Yes
Ability to maintain a direct care work load of average 6 hours/day	Yes
Ability to make generalizations, assessments, or decisions without immediate supervision	Yes
Ability to relate to other people, including diverse populations, beyond giving and receiving instructions	Yes
Ability to motivate people	Yes
Ability to perform complex and/or varied tasks	Yes
Ability to accept and carry out responsibility for direction, control, and planning	Yes
Ability to adapt approach to individual needs of clients	Yes
Ability to maintain poise and flexibility in stressful or changing conditions	Yes
Ability to conduct self in accordance with professional ethics	Yes
Manage time/rationale in efficient manner	Yes
WORK	Job Essential: Yes/No
Work outdoors	Yes
Work indoors	Yes
Exposure to extreme hot or cold temperatures	No
Work at unprotected heights	No
Be around moving machinery	Yes
Exposure to marked changes in temperature/humidity	No
Exposure to dust, fumes, gases, odors, mists, or other irritants	Yes
Exposure to excessive noise	No
Exposure to solvents, grease, or oils	Yes
Using computer monitor	No
Working with explosives	No
Exposure to vibration	No
Exposure to flames or directed heat	Yes
Work around others	Yes
Work with others	Yes
Exposure to slippery or uneven surfaces	Yes
Work in confined spaces	Yes
TRAVEL	Job Essential: Yes/No
By car	Yes
By car in high traffic	No
By car for 6-hour days	No
SAFETY EQUIPMENT (REQUIRED TO WEAR)	Job Essential: Yes/No
Safety glasses	Yes
Face mask/face shield	Yes
Ear plugs	No
Hard hat	No
Protective clothing	Yes
Protective gloves	Yes
Exposure to blood and other body fluids, including potentially infective materials.	Yes

 

Download OTA Essential Job Functions »

 

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