The occupational therapy field is constantly evolving. Members of an occupational therapy association can benefit by being kept up-to-date on the latest industry news, regulations and information. In addition, occupational therapy associations offer you the ability to expand your network, learn from peers and to mentor others.
National Occupational Therapy Association
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is a national professional association representing the interests and concerns of occupational therapy practitioners and students of occupational therapy. Their main focus is on ways to improve the quality of occupational therapy services. One great benefit of AOTA is that it offers a member-only forum to discuss topics of interest with other occupational therapy professionals.
The American Occupational Therapy Association offers members resources on many topics including:
- Advocacy and Policy - Find information about healthcare reform, issues in licensure, legislative matters and more.
- Education and Career - Need help bringing your career to the next level? AOTA offers leadership programs, as well as CEUs.
- Conferences and Event - From national events to local meetings, AOTA offers occupational therapy events across the country. The events include a range of topics such as general public awareness, student-focused content, specialty topics and more.
- Practice Specific Topics - Explore topics and tools that are specific to your area of practice.
State Occupational Therapy Associations
In addition to the national association, there are also state-specific associations focusing on occupational therapy. These associations offer many of the same resources as the national association but focus on more localized matters.
Some of the leading state occupational therapy associations include:
