Occupational therapy assistants and aides

Perform clerical tasks including scheduling appointments and answering telephones

AI scheduling assistants can manage appointment calendars, handle routine phone inquiries, send reminders, and route complex calls to appropriate staff with minimal human intervention, already being deployed widely in healthcare settings.

BLS evidence: Occupational therapy aides typically do clerical tasks, including scheduling appointments and answering telephones.

Assist clients with paperwork such as insurance forms and billing

AI can auto-populate insurance forms from client records, flag missing information, verify coverage details, and draft billing documentation with high accuracy, requiring only human review for completeness and submission authorization.

BLS evidence: Aides help clients complete paperwork, such as forms for billing and insurance, and may help clients complete insurance forms and other paperwork.

Record clients' progress and report to occupational therapists

AI can transcribe observations, structure progress notes according to templates, extract key metrics from session data, and generate draft reports for therapist review, substantially reducing the labor content while requiring professional oversight for accuracy and clinical judgment.

BLS evidence: Occupational therapy assistants typically record clients' progress, report to occupational therapists, and do other administrative tasks.

Prepare treatment areas and set up therapy equipment

Involves physical manipulation of varied equipment in clinical spaces, judgment about appropriate setup for individual client needs, and navigation of non-standardized treatment areas, though AI could assist with checklists and setup protocols.

BLS evidence: Occupational therapy aides typically prepare treatment areas, such as by setting up therapy equipment, and aides usually prepare materials and assemble equipment used during treatment.

Instruct clients in the use of special equipment and adaptive devices

Involves physical demonstration of adaptive equipment use, hands-on adjustment of devices to individual bodies, and real-time troubleshooting of fit and function issues, though AI could generate instructional content and videos to supplement human instruction.

BLS evidence: Assistants instruct clients in the use of special equipment—for example, showing a client with Parkinson's disease how to use adaptive devices to simplify meal preparation.

Clean treatment areas and equipment after therapy sessions

Involves physical cleaning and sanitization of varied equipment and surfaces in clinical settings, requiring manual dexterity and navigation of non-standardized spaces, though robotic cleaning systems could assist with routine floor and surface cleaning.

BLS evidence: Occupational therapy aides typically clean treatment areas and equipment, and after a therapy session, aides clean the treatment area and equipment.

Teach clients new ways of accomplishing everyday tasks and self-care activities

Involves demonstrating physical techniques, adapting instruction to individual cognitive and physical limitations in real-time, and providing tactile feedback during activities of daily living that require human presence and manual dexterity in varied home-like environments.

BLS evidence: Occupational therapy assistants teach clients to move from a bed into a wheelchair or to complete self-care activities, such as bathing and getting dressed.

Monitor client activities to ensure correct performance and provide feedback

Requires in-person observation of physical movements, real-time assessment of form and safety, and immediate corrective feedback with physical demonstration or adjustment that cannot be reliably done remotely or by AI in therapeutic contexts.

BLS evidence: Assistants help to coordinate client care by monitoring activities to make sure that clients do them correctly and providing feedback.

Guide clients in therapeutic activities such as exercises to improve motor skills and functional abilities

Requires real-time physical guidance, hands-on adjustment of client movements, and adaptive response to individual physical capabilities and pain responses in unpredictable ways that current robotics and AI cannot safely replicate.

BLS evidence: Occupational therapy assistants typically guide clients in therapeutic activities, such as exercises to improve motor skills and functional abilities.

Escort clients to and from treatment areas

Requires physical assistance with mobility aids, real-time safety monitoring during ambulation, and adaptive support for clients with varied physical limitations in clinical environments where autonomous robotics are not yet viable.

BLS evidence: Occupational therapy aides typically escort clients to and from treatment areas and may assist clients in moving to and from treatment areas.

Lead children with disabilities in play activities that promote coordination, socialization, and developmental milestones

Requires physical interaction with children, real-time assessment of safety during play, adaptive responses to unpredictable child behavior, and hands-on facilitation of motor activities that AI-robotics cannot safely perform in dynamic pediatric settings.

BLS evidence: Occupational therapy assistants lead children who have disabilities in play activities that promote coordination, socialization, and meeting developmental milestones.