Essential Requirements
The OTA Program Essential Requirements List refers to the specific technical standards and skills required of students in the program. The decision to enroll in the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Program should be made after considering these Essential Requirements.
It is the responsibility of the program applicant to carefully review the Essential Requirement List and ask questions if the individual is not familiar with the standards and skills listed. Certain chronic or recurrent illnesses or problems that interfere with patient care or safety may be incompatible with occupational therapy training and clinical practice. Additionally, any condition that may lead to a high likelihood of student absenteeism should be carefully considered. Deficiencies in knowledge, judgment, integrity, character, professionalism or demeanor that may jeopardize patient care can result in course or clinical rotation failure, leading to possible dismissal from the OTA Program. Each applicant to the program must have the ability to meet the standards and skills in the OTA Program Essential Requirements list in order to complete the academic objectives, physical actions and professional training necessary for the Associate in Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant degree program.
If a student cannot demonstrate the standards and skills without accommodation, it is the student’s responsibility to request an appropriate accommodation with the Coordinator for Disability Services (in the Student Services Department) before the beginning of the school term. The College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity (as defined in the Polk State College Catalog/Student Handbook) and provides reasonable accommodations as long as these do not fundamentally alter the nature of the program offered, and if the accommodations do not compromise patient safety, impose an undue program hardship (e.g., those that require significant expense), or unduly disrupt the educational process.
