Ultimate Occupational Therapy Assistant Flashcards
7 cards from real OTA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ultimate Occupational Therapy Assistant flashcards as text
An OTA is reviewing a client's chart and notices a wound on the client's sacrum during a dressing session. What is the FIRST action the OTA should take?
Answer: Notify the supervising OT and appropriate medical staff
An OTA must immediately report unexpected clinical findings such as a wound to the supervising OT and relevant medical staff to ensure appropriate care.
Which splint design is MOST appropriate to prevent a boutonniere deformity from worsening in a client with rheumatoid arthritis?
Answer: PIP joint extension splint
A PIP joint extension splint maintains the proximal interphalangeal joint in extension, directly preventing progression of boutonniere deformity.
A client with Parkinson's disease is having difficulty with micrographia. Which intervention BEST addresses this occupational performance issue?
Answer: Provide a thicker-barreled pen and practice with larger letter templates
A thicker pen reduces grip effort and practicing with larger templates provides visual and motor cues to counteract micrographia in Parkinson's disease.
When using a gait belt to assist a client with transfers, where should the OTA position themselves?
Answer: On the client's weaker or affected side
Standing on the client's weaker side allows the OTA to provide support where the client is most at risk for losing balance during a transfer.
Which assessment is specifically designed to measure an older adult's ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)?
Answer: Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale
The Lawton IADL Scale specifically assesses complex daily tasks such as managing finances, telephone use, and medication management in older adults.
A pediatric client with autism spectrum disorder frequently elopes during therapy. Which environmental modification BEST addresses safety?
Answer: Use visual schedules and structured predictable routines in the therapy space
Visual schedules and structured routines reduce unpredictability and anxiety that often trigger elopement behavior in children with ASD.
An OTA notices a client's performance has plateaued and goals are no longer being met. What is the MOST appropriate next step?
Answer: Communicate findings to the supervising OT for re-evaluation and plan modification
When progress plateaus, the OTA must communicate this to the supervising OT, who has the authority to reassess and modify the plan of care.