AOTA and ACOTE Entry Level Education Update (10/17/2018)

ACOTE and AOTA's Board of Directors have been engaged in a dialogue on the entry point for the occupational therapy profession.

In July 2018 the AOTA Board of Directors passed a resolution that the OTD and OTA mandates be placed in abeyance so that further investigation of issues related to the mandates be completed and recommendations be forwarded to the Representative Assembly for consideration. AOTA and ACOTE are aware that the apparent conflict was causing concern and confusion among many occupational therapy stakeholders. Therefore, while ACOTE continues to believe that the doctoral level is the appropriate entry point for the profession, in order to protect the interests of the occupational therapy profession, ACOTE on September 27, 2018, accepted AOTA's abeyance of the 2027 mandate requiring all entry occupational therapy programs to transition to the doctoral level.

AOTA will continue to update the membership about the discussions surrounding the entry point for the occupational therapy profession and pending motions in the Representative Assembly as it is available. ACOTE will provide additional details about the implementation of the abeyance decision to its stakeholders as they become available.

Timeline

August 10, 2018: ACOTE’s Update on Entry-Level Education

August 10, 2018: ACOTE Actions Announcement

March 8, 2018: Take the ACOTE® OTA survey by July 15, 2018

December 6, 2017: ACOTE responds to requests for an abeyance of the OTD mandate

December 6, 2017: ACOTE will continue to hold OTA mandate decision in abeyance, announces process for stakeholder feedback

November 22, 2017: ACOTE shares OTD mandate decision background materials

October 17, 2017: ACOTE holds the OTA mandate decision in abeyance, seeks feedback by Nov. 5

August 2017: ACOTE 2027 Mandate and Frequently Asked Questions About the Mandate.