Hands-on
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Explore a possible path
Occupational Therapy Aides
Under close supervision of an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing patient and treatment room.
How does this connect to your interests? →A look at the work
- Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
- Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
- Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
- Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
- Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
- 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.
- Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games.
A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.
Interests involved in this work
These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.
3.9 / 7
Investigative
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Creative
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Helping people
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Enterprising
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Organizing
2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert
Skills to explore
Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
2020-08
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
2020-08
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
2020-08
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2020-08
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
2020-08
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
2020-08
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
2020-08
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
2020-08
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
2020-08
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
2020-08
Plan a small next step
Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.
Source preparation category: Job Zone 3 of 5 · 2020-08. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.
Related study fields
Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.
Explore all related study fields →Source & methodology
O*NET-SOC code 31-2012.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.
How interest exploration matching works →Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.