How to Become an Occupational Therapist for Children in Houston

Each year thousands of children are born with disabilities that limit their reasoning abilities and basic motor functions. It is the job of occupational therapists to work with these children to help minimize, and hopefully overcome these limitations. An occupational therapist works with infants, toddlers and young children. His daily duties include working on the basic motor functions of patients. A therapist, on the other hand, works with teen clients to help them learn to manage daily tasks and responsibilities. Occupational therapists require a lot of education and experience, which is why there are several steps involved in how to become an occupational therapist for children in Houston.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Master's Degree
• Occupational Therapy License from the state of Texas

1. Graduate with your bachelor’s degree. Since a bachelor’s degree isn’t offered in occupational therapy, students wanting to work with children in Houston often opt to get their undergraduate degree in education, human development/family studies or health. However, other degrees can apply for a master’s program as long as the student has the science and child development classes that serve as prerequisites.

2. Earn your master’s degree in occupational therapy. There are three universities that offer programs in this field, one is even located in Houston. These three universities are: Texas Women’s University (Houston and Dallas campuses), Texas Tech University, and the University of Texas (El Paso, Galveston, San Antonio and Edinburg campuses). While it is not mandatory to graduate from a Texas program in order to be licensed to work in Houston as an OT, you must graduate from a comparable program.

3. Complete six months of supervised fieldwork in Houston. Once you have completed your master’s degree in occupational therapy, you will need to find a location in Houston where you can perform fieldwork. This should be in a setting with children, under the guidance of an OT with a current license from the state of Texas to supervise your experience. You may want to complete your fieldwork at a facility where you can later gain employment once you are officially licensed.

4. Complete an application with the state of Texas to become an occupational therapist in Houston. The Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners is the state organization that oversees licensing for OTs. Your application for your license should be sent to in with a $120 application fee, along with a recent, color photograph of yourself that is approximately the size of a passport photo.

5. Take the Texas Jurisprudence (JP) exam. This exam is required of all occupational therapists that want to be licensed in Houston, and it is available online at the website of the state licensing agency. The exam is an open book test, and it ensures that all OTs applying for a license are familiar with the laws in the state of Texas that govern their profession.

6. Pass the national occupational therapy exam. While the state of Texas requires the JP exam to ensure you are familiar with the laws of the state, they also require you to pass the national OT exam before you can be licensed to serve as an occupational therapist for children in Houston. The exam is offered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), and your scores are forwarded to the state of Texas once you complete the test.

7. Find an occupational therapist position in Houston that allows you to work with children. Since Houston is a large city with many suburbs, the area has many children that need services and assistance. The Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, general hospitals, schools, and even private practices need occupational therapists to work with children. You can even apply to be an OT at the Kids Developmental Clinic, which specializes in child rehabilitation.

8. Keep your license to work in Houston as an occupational therapist current. Since new research is being conducted on a daily basis in the occupational therapy field, it is critical that all current OTs remain updated on the latest developments. This is why it is required by the state of Texas for Houston occupational therapists to renew their license every two years. The renewal can be done by submitting a renewal application and proof of 30 hours of continuing education.

Tips & Warnings

• You can prepare for the NBCOT exam by taking practice tests and exam prep on their website.
• It is illegal to practice as an occupational therapist in Houston if you are not licensed by the state of Texas.

Resources

• Texas Occupational Therapy Association
• American Occupational Therapy Association
• The Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners (licensing agency for Texas)
• National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy

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[southernotmom]

on 7/31/2009 Glad to see all of the steps listed out to becoming an OT as the steps involved have changed in the last 10-15 years. I am an OT w/ 15 yrs of experience who has a bachelor's degree in OT and a master's degree in another area. Thanks for outlining all of this!