OTAs and PTAs have fascinating roles in the healthcare field. OTA refers to Occupational Therapist Assistant, and PTA refers to Physiotherapist Assistant or Physical Therapist Assistant.
OTA and PTA Roles
Physiotherapy in Canada (CPA)
https://physiotherapy.ca/description-physiotherapist-assistants
This site provides a general description of the role of PTAs and may be helpful to share with anyone who is not clear on how physiotherapist assistants work in Canada. The site offers a wealth of practice and current professional development resources. A link to the Essential Competency Profile for PTAs in Canada (2011) is available from this website. For more information on how to join a branch of CPA or the National Physiotherapist Assistant Assembly (NPAA) post graduation, see: https://physiotherapy.ca/national-physiotherapist-assistant-assembly.
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT)
http://caot.ca/site/rfs/res_for_students?nav=sidebar
This is the official site for OTs ad OTAs in Canada. There are various links to current practice areas and related resources for OTs/OTAs. The link to the Practice Profile for Support Personnel in Occupational Therapy (2009) can be found on this site. To join CAOT as an OTA post graduation see: http://caot.in1touch.org/site/mbrp/otassistants?nav=sidebar
Three stories of occupational therapist assistants
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh3Ou5q8XTI&feature=youtu.be
This is a recent video produced by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) that may be helpful to highlight the unique role and contribution of assistants in occupational therapy settings.
Celebrating Intraprofessional Collaboration in Occupational Therapy
Celebrating Intraprofessional Collaboration in Occupational Therapy – Special Issue of the Occupational Therapy Now Practice Magazine (March, 2015, Vol 17, Issue 1). https://www.caot.ca/site/pd/OTNow?nav=sidebar
This special edition of OTNOW contains 14 articles that feature and highlight the work of OTAs. All members of CAOT can access these articles free of charge, or write to the managing editor at otnow@caot.ca.
Competencies
The official descriptions of OTA and PTA roles come from the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT). These agencies have developed practice profiles that explain the role of the assistant and the role of the therapist.
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) Practice Profile for Occupational Therapy Assistants: https://caot.in1touch.org/uploaded/web/Accreditation/OTAProfile_Update2018.pdf.
The Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) Essential Competency Profile for Physiotherapy Assistants: http://npag.ca/PDFs/Joint%20Initiatives/PTA%20profile%202012%20English.pdf.