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Benefits of AOTA Membership)

Colleen Beck OTR/L
Colleen Beck, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist and the owner and author of The OT Toolbox website. She manages all of The OT Toolbox social media accounts and runs the popular newsletter. Colleen created The OT Toolbox in 2011 and since then has written thousands of blog posts designed to support therapy providers, educators, parents, counselors, admin, and caregivers in promoting the healthy development of kids. Check out Colleen's blog posts below:

There are SO many reasons to have an AOTA membership! One of those reasons is the annual conference where members can learn, join in the community, and join in the excitement of thousands of professionals. Want a chance to WIN an All Access Pass to AOTA INSPIRE? Scroll to the bottom of this page and enter to win!

AOTA Conference GIVEAWAY

I am SO beyond excited to announce a NEW giveaway. This one is REALLY big. ONE winner will receive an all access pass to AOTA’s 2021 Annual Conference, Inspire!

I love attending AOTA’s annual conference for the community, energy, and the education. This year brings us a new and innovative spin on the annual occupational therapy conference…it’s completely virtual, so you can attend any of the 500+ educational sessions from the comfort of your home, office, or classroom. The on-demand sessions will be available through June 30, so you’ll have lots of time to explore all that AOTA INSPIRE has to offer.

AOTA membership and Inspire conference
AOTA membership benefits and resources in the AOTA Inspire conference.

AOTA Membership

Today, we are talking about all of the benefits of an AOTA membership. This is one annual membership that I adore being a part of. So, what are the benefits of an AOTA membership for occupational therapists? Let’s chat!

Benefits of AOTA membership for occupational therapists

AOTA Membership Benefits…it’s Big!

I absolutely love maintaining my AOTA membership. Here’s a few reasons why I make the effort to pay this annual expense.

Occupational therapists gain so many benefits from being an AOTA member

1. The massive number of resources on The AOTA Website

The amount of resources, articles, worksheets, handouts, and special area resources are just some of the benefits of being an AOTA member. Members also have access to education, and research information via OT Practice magazine, OT Practice Online, American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT), AJOT Online, the OT Practice Pulse, and AOTA Alerts e-newsletters, and even blog posts. Not only that, the Special Interest Sections (SISs) are options for customized resources that meet your specific needs. Membership appreciation events includes opportunities to access free webinars for continuing education credits as well as celebratory events.

2. AOTA Membership Supports the Occupational Therapy Profession

Through advocacy, research, and promotion, AOTA is a source of support for all OT professionals. When one of our fellow professionals makes their way into the news, AOTA shares and promotes this media, helping to make others aware of the OT profession. The association works toward public policy, scope of practice, and licensure issues. There is so much work being done behind the scenes, from advocacy for health care reimbursement to protect our profession. Here’s the thing: we NEED them to advocate for us. We NEED help to lobby for issues like Medicare changes or licensure concerns. In order to do these vital tasks, AOTA needs our our membership money or other funding to pay for lobbyists.

One specific advancement of our profession is the development of an Occupational Therapy Compact, allowing therapists the privilege and opportunity to practice across state lines. What a fantastic advancement that will provide so many opportunities for OTs while keeping our profession current with the practice of other professions such as medical, physical therapy, nursing, and other health professions.

3. Discounts Through AOTA Membership

By being a member of AOTA, OTs gain discounts on continuing education opportunities, conferences, books, and retailer. Other discounts include deals on professional liability, disability, life, medical coverage, and student and personal loan refinancing. Want to branch out and start your own business or private practice? AOTA can support you with those insurance and financing opportunities.

4. Connection and Collaboration with AOTA Members

By being an AOTA member, occupational therapists have the opportunity to connect with others in the field on www.CommunOT.org. Have a question or want to connect with others in your field of practice? The social networking forum is your opportunity.

As an AOTA member, you receive a discounted price on the annual AOTA conference…and with it, the prospect of meeting thousands of OTs from all over the country. The collaboration and networking is substantial. This conference is the highlight of my year…if you’re going, let me know! I would love to connect!

5. Leadership Oppourtunities with AOTA

Leadership is just one means of giving back to the profession and battling that therapy professional caregiver stress and burnout. It’s true! Volunteering has been proven to benefit individuals in both mental and physical health. Volunteers gain self-confidence, self-esteem as practitioners, and satisfaction in their life and job. The duties of a volunteer role provide a sense of purpose, pride and identity. As therapists, we KNOW the power in that! What better way to combat burnout and job fatigue than with a volunteer or leadership role that serves our profession?

AOTA members have the opportunity to participate in volunteer roles on the Coordinated Online Opportunities for Leadership database; committees; and more. Want to see a change in the profession? You have a chance to step up and speak your voice!

Students have the opportunity to take part as a volunteer for AOtA through the Assembly of Student Delegates as they represent their school on a national level.

Sort through the vast number of leadership and volunteer roles that AOTA offers here.

6. Student Resources

Student members of the national OT association benefit from many resources and tools. Students can join at a discounted rate and gain all of the benefits listed above as well as resources to learn, become involved in the profession, stay up to date on research, prepare for fieldwork, study for the NBCOT examination, and even find a job.

Find resources on fieldwork, job placement, leadership opportunities, exam prep tools, and more. Students will love the the OT Student Pulse, a monthly e-newsletter for AOTA student members created by the Assembly of Student Delegates. The resource is a newsletter written by students for students, and includes relevant and effective information on occupational therapy issues along with news, resources, and opportunities.Students even have the opportunity to submit an article idea or share a student accomplishment that will be blasted out in the newsletter. I wish the OT Student Pulse was around when I was a student!

7. AOTA Provides Career Advancement Opportunities

From professional development, specialty certifications, job placement or a change in area of practice, AOTA offers the tools and resources needed to advance one’s career. Clinicians can participate in board certifications or specialty certifications as a means to promote proficiency while highlighting your professional and personal accomplishments as an occupational therapy professional.

For those therapists who want to advance their career through post-professional degrees or training, AOTA The association also offers its Fellowship Program as a means to cultivate and recognize post-professional training programs that advance the knowledge and skills of licensed occupational therapists in focused areas of practice.

So, what do you think? Are you an AOTA member?

Some of the smartest and most creative folks I know are the readers of The OT Toolbox. I asked readers to tell me the biggest value they personally find in having an AOTA membership. Scroll through the comments…you might just find a new reason to join the profession’s leading advocacy association! We can always learn from one another!

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374 thoughts on “Benefits of AOTA Membership)”

  1. The most beneficial part of being a member to me is the discussion posts available. I love collaboration and learning from others, and I always keep an eye out for new ideas others are willing to share

  5. I would love access to resources, blogs and ongoing professional development opportunities available through a membership!

  6. I’ll be happy to become an AOTA member. Scientific literature on OT field and practical tools are precious for me.

  9. I love AOTA membership for all of the resources and for the communities of practice where I can share and learn from other practitioners but mostly I find it essential as a practitioner to support our professional organization for their legislative and regulatory policies. Debbie schwind, DHSc, OTR/L, SCSS, BCP

  10. It is so valuable to be an AOTA as it provides therapists multiple resources, learning opportunities and to grow as a professional.

  11. One can never have access to too many resources when working with children and families! I would love in on this one!

  15. I love having access to forums and research articles! AOTA has done a wonderful job of creating a place with a wealth of information about OT.

  16. I like reading the latest research and sharing the information with the OT staff at our school meetings.

  17. My favorite part is the research articles, handouts and resources available. I love to use them to stay evidence-based in my practice and I like to use the handouts to provide clear information to the families I work with.

  18. I love being a member because I can use the membership to access research articles to help me to make sure I’m up to date with all the latest knowledge and best practice.

  19. I love all the resources available as a memeber of AOTA. The conferences are a lot of fun to. It allows you to network with OT/OTA from all over. They also have free CEU courses available. This association helps promote the profession on a national scale.

  21. I love AOTA because of all the amazing school based resources and research I can share with my coworkers! I also love AOTA member appreciation week!

  23. I love all of the resources and handouts…plus a discounted conference rate so I could finally attend my first conference in NOLA this past April was a nice perk!

  26. AOTA resources for evidence based articles are a blessing. My OTR is sharing new information with me about group and concurrent expectations and the clinical decision by the therapist for the appropriate mode of therapy for the patient. The articles published are wonderful tools to keep you up to date and educated. Thank you!

  28. The most beneficial part of being a member of AOTA are the resources available. I use AJOT for the most current research.

  29. I am not a current member, but the resources of intervention ideas, interaction with peers, and ease of access to evidence-based practices would be beneficial! I’m considering joining even if I do not win the giveaway!

  30. I’m not currently a member, however will be stepping into a new OT role and would love to access the resources to support me to provide best care and practice to clients!

  33. AOTA Membership helps us stay strong as a collective group organization as well as they provide invaluable resources that help promote our profession.

  34. The most beneficial part and what interests me the most is the continuing education opportunities and career advancement.

  36. I love being apart of AOTA for the amazing resources as well as for the great opportunities they provide to volunteer through COOL!

  37. I love having access to all the research articles and studies! It was super helpful in grad school and I continue to use it as a new grad!

  40. The best thing about being an AOTA member is the research articles…so that my practice is incorporating the latest and greatest techniques. I also love the collaboration available to me.

  41. I like that I have numerous resources available to me that can be accessed from one website and the free continuing education courses.

  42. I will admit that I’m not a member, but AJOT access would be amazing! The discount toward conference would be perfectly timed, as I’m working on getting my boss to send me this year.

  44. I love being an AOTA member to read about updated resources, ideas for OT- staying connected with other professionals in the same field. Also using the evidence based practice in my own news letters for parents.

  46. I have been a member in the past but the pst severs years I have had to forgo the cost of membership due to working only part-time while I raise my children. I am returning to full-time practice next year and would love to have access to all the research materials again.

  49. I LOVE being able to use AJOT through having an AOTA membership. Being evidence based is very important to me and having access to so many resources and research articles that are specific to OT is AWESOME!

  51. I would love access to resources, blogs and ongoing professional development opportunities available through an AOTA membership! In addition, there’s a wealth of resources for fieldwork educators that would be helpful.

  52. I am apart of Childhood Trauma Community of Practice and Autism Community of Practice and these have been extremely wonderful space to learn, network, connect, and be a part of a broader community all the while building on our expertise as therapists with research, discussion and collaboration!

  53. I let my AOTA membership slide and I can kick myself for doing it! I appreciate the CEU opportunities and best practices guides.

  55. I am in my last fieldwork before graduation and my AOTA membership has been SO beneficial! The articles, and information on there are super helpful!

  56. I loved having AJOT at my fingertips as a student and now I LOVE attending the AOTA conference… SO much knowledge in one place.

  58. I would like the discount on continuing ed and workshops to keep my license up to date! I love to learn new things!!

  60. It is a great one stop shop to find all of the resources you may need on a specific topic with evidence based practice, group discussion posts, continuing education credits and so on!

  61. In the schools, I feel very alone without much opportunity to work with other OT’s. Being an AOTA member helps keep me connected and motivated. Not to mention the discount for the annual conference 🙂

  64. The most beneficial part of being a member is access for LEARNING AND RESEARCH on all levels of this great profession!! It is a wealth of information that would enhance my OT skillset.

  65. I love that AOTA provides resources to make advocacy easy! AOTAPAC puts together information about current bills in Congress and makes advocating easy!

  66. When money was an issue this was one one of the resources that I had to get rid of. I missed the wide range of information, up to date research, and evidence base practice information.

  68. As an OT student, I feel like I am on AOTA’s website almost every day! I love having access to the latest updates in OT research and using their handouts to advocate for our profession.

  70. As a newer grad, I find all of the research articles extremely helpful as I try to provide evidence based practice. It also help me problem solve how to approach clients or situations that I haven’t come across yet!

  73. I think the resources & continuing education that is offered through AOTA would be a great perk for having a membership.

  74. I love the pediatric articles. The site really provides the most current information on issues that are observed in the school based profession today and the materials and suggestions are greatly appreciated. It is definitely a “go to” resource!

  75. Collaboration, resources, continuing education opportunities, and interesting articles that inspire me to explore new areas for treatment.

  78. I am not a member yet but I would love to have access to resources and a discount for professional development opportunities!

  82. I love being a member because I love the access to various journal articles. In pediatrics, we often have til defend certain decisions to other professional or provide supporting documents to families regarding evidence based practices!

  83. I like the resources available, especially the fact sheets that are more easily understood by my parents and clients. I’ve been using these resources since college (a few years ago)!

  84. I enjoy my AOTA membership for access to research and collaboration with others in the profession. It is a great way to stay connected and stay current with the vision and purpose of our profession!

  85. I am not currently a member, but would love to utilize the online resources and have collaboration with other OT’s! Thanks for the chance!

  86. I enjoy my daily emails from Commun-OT. I get many great intervention ideas, and it helps me maintain my evidence based practice. I also love utilizing AJOT to support my team in research-backed interventions and approaches!

  89. I was an AOTA member as a student, and need to renew my membership as a new grad/entry-level clinician. I love that AOTA is a rock solid organization advocating for the OT profession. Because OT incorporates such a vast expanse of skills, specialties, populations served, practice settings, etc. we are often categorized with other disciplines, particularly Physical Therapy. It is SO important that we spread the word about the wonderful profession of OT and how it differs from other professions, and AOTA is a great “boots on the ground” effort to do so.

  93. I loved being a member of AOTA because of the ability to read up to date research, collaborate with peers and reduced cost to attend conferences. I am looking to rejoin as an independent contractor to further that conversation and attend upcoming AOTA events.

  95. What looks exciting about having an AOTA a membership is having access to EBP to further educate myself on techniques and tools to use during my treatments. Also, it would be helpful to have another resource to connect with other OTs and learn from them.

  98. I love the resources provided by AOTA as well as the great advocacy work for the OT profession they do on our behalf!

  99. I love attending AOTA conferences. I get to meet several awesome Occupational Therapists and learn new ideas and strategies.

  102. I haven’t been a member since I was a student and I miss using AJOT and feeing part of a larger community. I work in the schools and I would love to have access to the latest research and to join groups to see what everyone else is doing in their schools!

  103. Being a new OT field, I love having access to my AOTA membership to learn about the most current evidence based research and being able to implement those findings into my daily practice in the school setting!

  105. I like that the AOTA offers career advancement opportunities. I have a degree in Psychology but have bounced around applying my skills through the education sector. I love the opportunity to grow, learn and expand my knowledge and skill sets.

  106. I love the discounts and resources. I found great liability insurance through the AOTA site and I’ve also downloaded a lot fo information for parents in my practice.

  107. I love AJOT and seeing the most up to date research articles. I also like their information for fieldwork instructions.

  108. I value so much about being a member of AOTA – the CommunOT boards, the offered CEUs, the opportunities to advance professionally in our fields and learn about other settings if we’d like a change, the research available, the opportunities for certifications, the articles! I am usually able to find the answer that I need as a fairly new practitioner. I am a school based OT who doesn’t make a salary I had expected upon graduating (perhaps like others), a free membership would be so helpful! Or, perhaps a new setting after I get a little more experience here. 🙂

  110. I LOVE being an AOTA because as a student, I get access to current research to provide the best evidence-based/client centered practice during fieldwork and having access to this research has helped tremendously while in school.

  111. I think that the most helpful benefits to being a member are access to teaser games and the community available for networking purposes!

  112. When I was a member I look for research to help support my evidence based treatments. Unfortunately due to financial reasons I let my membership lapse. I would love to renew.

  114. I like the resources AOTA provides as well as the collaboration with other members to expand knowledge and the profession of OT.

  118. I love the educational resources that AOTA has. I have learned so much from just reading articles and enjoy staying up to date with AOTA members current practice!

  121. The most beneficial part is furthering my education and career with the ability to take continuing education courses for a discounted rate, as well as collaborating with other OTs across the country. I also am interested in the opportunity to receive discounted items that I will be able to utilize with my children on a daily basis.

  124. The most beneficial part about being an AOTA member is all the information you can access on AJOT and other things such as legislation regarding OT. It also is a good source for continuing education. I have been a member since I was a student.

  125. I love being an AOTA member for the access to all of the journals-especially now that they’ve joined up with the Australian, British, and Canadian journals! The fact sheets and CEU discounts is also incredibly beneficial!

  127. I have been a member since 2010. I find the access to research articles, updates on the changes affecting our profession, and the FACT sheets very helpful in my practice. The FACT sheets were especially helpful in my transition from geriatrics to a school setting.

  128. When I was a member of AOTA I loved getting the magazines in the mail with research and treatment ideas. It opened my eyes to new ideas I might have never seen or used before. I have all my magazines still to look through periodically.

  129. I used to be a member years ago but let it lapse, and though I have thought about renewing several times since just have not done it. I love all the resources it offers for education and professional development and am excited to see new things like the OT compact. The ability to connect with others in the field for discussion and sharing was always a highlight of membership.

  131. I am not a current AOTA member, however, it is something that I have wanted to pursue. The professional development, research, new tools and techniques are such a great asset to help expand our knowledge and skills in Occupational Therapy.

  132. Being a member of AOTA has so many benefits I love: the opportunities to network with so many other great OTs, the advocacy, and the research are just a few of the reasons it’s such a great contribution to our field!

  136. Not currently a member, but definitely think I should be! Seems like there are massive amounts of resources (research articles, handouts, collaboration) that could be SO beneficial!

  137. The biggest benefit for me would be the resources and handouts. I am not a member of AOTA yet. I’ve been practicing in a pediatric clinic for a little over a year now. I often find myself doing a lot of research on ways to help my kiddos and their parents on various sites. There’s a lot of information on the internet that is questionable. It would be nice to have valuable material all in one place.

  139. Staying informed on the latest research and having access to all previous research articles has been the most valuable for me.

  142. I used to be a member of AOTA. I loved all the resources and that i could provide more evidence based practice with the access to research articles.

  144. I would absolutely love to win this!! I am not yet a member and would love to be able to use this membership for continuing education opportunities and as a valuable resource in providing the optimal care for my clients!!!

  146. I love that AOTA advocates for the profession of OT and OT professionals! Allowing access to client-centered researched based interventions and articles also helps a ton as a new grad trying to give the best treatment sessions I can for our clients!

  147. The reason I appreciate being a member of AOTA is that you can connect with a community of wonderful people who share that same love you do about helping individuals live their best life! There are also wonderful resources available to you to continue becoming a better therapist and/or assistant (whether you are new to the field or a seasoned therapist). You can also share specific resources they provide with others who may not know much about what we do to help educate them on how we can assist in living one’s life to its fullest.

  148. AOTA is a great avenue for accessing current research. It is also a great way to stay up to date with current events in the therapy world.

  150. I am a new grad and so being a member of AOTA is so great because I can stay up to date with all of the research as well as reach out to other OTs through the discussion boards. These benefits allow me to make sure I am providing evidence based practice which is so important!!

  153. My favorite part about being a member is the ability to attend the conferences and getting access to the latest articles and discussions going on in the field.

  154. I am a member to be update on evidence based practice. The membership has improved my data collection and clinical reasoning for entry/exit criteria for school based therapy! It’s also an important way to advocate and secure our profession!!

  155. The biggest benefit of AOTA membership is the resources available for continuing ed and staying up to date on best clinical practice.

  158. I am not currently a member, but I was once upon a time. I most valued the research and evidence based articles!

  160. The best part is being able to access current research. It is helpful in my practice to have evidence to show parents why we are doing certain things.

  162. As an OTA student, I have used AOTA’s website greatly throughout my program. It gives up to date information on legislation, links to evidence-based practice articles, ways to get involved and discussion boards to talk with and share ideas with other members. For someone starting out in this career, it’s a great resource to use!

  163. I love the articles and continuing ed opportunities, and I have been interested in the specialty certifications.

  164. I joined as an OT student but have not renewed it since graduating in 2015, primarily due to expense. I appreciate the conferences, research articles, and advocacy they do for the OT profession.

  169. The AOTA has been an invaluable resource for me! As an OTA student, I love having access to the OT Journal for the evidence based articles.

  171. I teach a mixed bag of children with learning disabilities. Our school is in Solomon Islands on the island of Guadalcanal. My budget is limited and good quality resources are hard to find. I love the OT toolbox.

  172. There are so many benefits you gain with your AOTA membership but my favorite is I found my current job (which I love!) via the Joblink board :):)

  174. I have been a member of AOTA since 1998 when I was a student, but I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated AOTA as much as I have in the past year when I entered a new practice area. I was no longer in my “comfort zone” in my new job, but have been blown away by all the high quality resources AOTA has to help me to develop and sharpen my evidence based practice skills in my new area. Maybe I even took AOTA for granted for a while, but now that I am back using it regularly again it makes me excited to be an OT!

  175. I would love to join AOTA. They have so many beneficial resources and I like their discussion posts. Learning from each other and exchanging ideas along with finding resources to share for parents and other educators are few of the main reasons I would like to be a member.

  176. I have joined AOTA as a student and first year as a practitioner but have not renewed this year mainly due to expense. I would absolutely appreciate having my membership covered for next year! I plan on attending the next upcoming conference in Boston and would love to go to the one next year in San Diego!

  177. Advocacy for our profession…we wouldn’t be where we are today without AOTA! Loved having access to AJOT and continuing education discounts a PLUS!

  178. I am an OT from Australia and I love being an OT. So connecting and networking with OTs from America would be so amazing. Engagement in professional development, reading new evidence based literature and supporting fellow OTs of similar experiences and fields inspires, motivates and excites me

  179. A benefit I look forward to is being on the forefront of evidence based practice and being able to collaborate with other professionals across the country.

  180. I Love it for the resources and learning opportunities! I went to the AOTA conference this year and I’m looking to going next year!

  185. The benefit I would most look forward to is the online EBP resources and journal articles. I’ve had to let my membership lapse for financial reasons, and one of the things I fee guiltiest about is that I know membership helps pay for people to lobby for our best interests.

  190. I love the resources and opportunities to learn more about the latest research in occupational therapy to apply to my intervention sessions!!

  191. The advocacy and promotion of OT. As a school-based therapist in NY, we are raising the issue of making OTs more recognized and with similar benefits to pedagogical staff. AOTA’s support is critical!

  192. AOTA is one of the first stops I go to when looking for accurate information about the OT profession. I love the articles and how they advocate for our field!

  194. It is really important for me to stay current with OT research and my AOT A membership helps me do that!

  195. I love being an AOTA Member because I know the organization works so hard to increase public awareness of OT and protect the work that we do!

  196. I love all of the benefits that AOTA offers. It provides an opportunity to knit a community of occupational therapists. AOTA provides steller opportunities for access to evidence base practice, extraordinary benefits, and an opportunity to network with OT’s in similar practice areas. AOTA has a strong presence in the legislative to continue to make occupational therapy a top leading profession.

  197. The most beneficial part of being an AOTA is access to continuing education courses geared towards OT! This allows me to continue improving and learning to be a great practitioner.

  202. The most beneficial part and what interests me the most is the continuing education opportunities and access to journal articles to keep up to date on the latest research in the OT field.

  203. My AOTA membership helps me keep up with what is going on in the OT world and keeps me inspired to be the best OT I can.

  204. I love knowing that we are supporting evidence based practice with an AOTA membership! I also love using the communOT page to connect with other OTs and get great advice.

  205. Every year I look forward to the Member Appreciation week and the free resources such as the webinars that come along with it.

  207. Pingback: Therapy Tools Giveaway - The OT Toolbox

  208. Having access to AJOT to be able to quickly access the latest evidence I need to best serve my students!

  209. AOTA’s yearly Conference and Expo has been refreshing and life-giving every time I have gone. I also super value AJOT and the current research articles it provides to help guide our profession.

  210. I am currently an OTA student but I find the most beneficial part of being a member to me is the discussion posts available. I love reading the OT Practice magazine.

  211. I have started a sensory room at my school. I am a Counselor but we work as a team at our school. Having a membership would help us to continue to create and grow our space.

  212. I look forward to all of the articles and access to current information and research in the field of OT. The amount of resources is truly incredible!

  213. An AOTA membership allows me to stay informed on new research,changes within the practice, and legislative bills /proposals. AJOT has proved useful for showing families and students the research behind interventions !

  218. As an OT student member, I appreciated having easily accessible resources & articles online, and I was even able to go to an AOTA conference where I was able to connect with others in the profession and expand my learning experience outside of the classroom! As a new (one year in!) practitioner, AOTA will continue to be an invaluable resource for me.

  219. As a school based therapist, I would love to rejoin and once again have access to resources, AJOT and OT Practice. I just joined my state OT association so AOTA would compliment that nicely.

  223. I love that it allows therapists to stay up to date on the latest evidence as well as a source of advocacy for our profession!

  224. I love being an AOTA member because they keep me up to date with the latest research and there are forums to collaborate, network, and discuss with other members.

  227. Being an AOTA member was incredibly beneficial to me as a student for resources and as a first year practitioner to get my feet off the ground not only through articles for evidence based practice but also OT job link and even allowing me to consider a fellowship opportunity (still debating). Being a member also made it possible for me to attend the centennial conference when I was a student and present the following year! This is something I would definitely love to continue being a part of.

  235. I love how AOTA keeps you up-to-date with policies and politics surrounding the profession! It allows members to get involved in the issues and rally for positive changes in the profession.

  236. I definitely agree! I love having access to AJOT for research and expanding my clinical knowledge in school!

  240. I am not currently a member but I think I would love the resources available and to connect with the community for ideas.

  243. I enjoyed having access to all the recent research in OT, allowing me to serve my clients in the best way possible. That research also gave me great information to pass onto those children’s parents, teachers, and other professionals to assist in both educating and advocating for occupational therapy.

  244. I love AOTA because of the continuing ed opportunities and discussion boards. Unfortunately due to financial reasons I did not renew my membership. I would love to renew.

  248. Sadly I let my AOTA membership go years ago. I needed money for other things and this did not seem like a necessity. I feel remiss as I have not kept up with legislative issues unless brought up at my state meeting. I also miss reading articles on new techniques and staying up to date on what is new in the field.

  249. I have been a practicing COTA for nearly 3 years now, but I have forgotten to renew my membership, and the cost is what usually stops me, as I need the money for other bills at the moment. A membership would be great for articles, information, and EBP!

  251. Clear and up to date information about rules, EBP, and healthcare mandates as well as CEUs and a day to connect with peers!

  256. I love the opportunities for collaboration, the access to targeted OT articles, and the annual conference every year!

  257. The most beneficial part of being a member of AOTA would be the access to resources, being able to keep up with the latest laws in OT and collaboration with other therapist.

  258. I love the access to research articles to ensure that I am providing the most up to date researched based therapy in my sessions.

  259. I am not currently a member but was early on in my career. The available resources have grown over the years which I feel would be beneficial to have access to.

  260. Being a part of AOTA would be beneficial to receive access to research articles to ensure I am providing the highest quality evidenced based practice

  261. I love keeping up to date by being an AOTA member and reading journal articles and seeing what others are doing in the field.

  264. I love being a member of AOTA because it keeps me up to date in my area of practice, I can easily access resources for promoting OT to colleagues and families I work with as well as have continuing education opportunities at my fingertips. Being a member, it’s great that I get discounted CEU’s as well!

  268. I would love to be part of AOTA for the continuing education opportunities, the collaboration with fellow OTs and the access to research.

  269. I LOVE getting my OT practice in the mail, so I can stay up to date on all the new treatment ideas and research.

  270. I love being an AOTA member because of the wonderful magazines that I get in the mail. I love reading the articles and looking for evidence based research when I need it.

  271. I have been a member of AOTA since 1996 when I was in OT school. It is a great resource for so many reasons! A few that come to mind is the support and advocacy for our profession, resources for therapists, innovativeness, continuing education, so much more.

  272. Hands down, I love having access to journals! It is so helpful to hop on, search for a topic I’m interested in, and find some new (or old too), relevant research!

  275. I became a member of AOTA when I was a student in the early 80’s and have maintained my membership since then. AOTA has helped in so many ways I am not able to list them all but a few include developing a cadre of school based therapists, ability to call and speak to a specialist at AOTA when questions arise, discounts for CE, ongoing educational materials to support our practice and allowing me to be the best therapist I can be!

  279. I love all the resources AOTA has to offer about our profession, especially access to the journals and articles. I am also happy that AOTA advocates for our profession.

  281. I enjoy reading studies relating to my current work setting. I also enjoyed getting a reduced rate when going to my first AOTA conference!

  282. My AOTA membership allows me to learn from others’ input on the discussion boards to become a better therapist.

  283. I love the support! AOTA gives us support in so many ways from new research and education to politically promoting the profession. I will always be an AOTA member!

  289. Not currently a member, but have been in the past. I love access to all the amazing resources and continuing education materials!

  291. I would love an AOTA membership in order to connect with other members – networking! Also, for the access to current research articles.

  292. I miss being a member, with a recent career change (still OT) and recent life changes I wasn’t able to afford the membership these past couple years, but I loved the access to the most update knowledge and resources.

  293. I am not currently member, BUT would love to be in order to have access to all of the great resources and continuing education opportunities that I know are available through AOTA!

  294. I have been a member of AOTA since I was a student in my Master’s OT program. It has so many benefits! As a clinician, my favorite is having full access to AJOT so I can stay up to date with evidence based practice.

  295. I love being a member of AOTA for the EBP, research, CommunOT and for the promotion and advocacy for our profession that AOTA provides!

  298. I like having access to AJOT to stay up-to-date on current research. I also like having access to CommunOT to connect with other therapists for resources and information. AOTA also provides so many resources to practitioners that are invaluable when dealing with day to day practice, such as information sheets for families, reimbursement issues, etc.

  299. The most beneficial part of being a member of AOTA is the vast array of research articles posted regrading all topic areas. I also love the special interest sections, as it helps me identify the latest on specific areas of my practice (i.e. feeding, sensory integration, etc.).

  301. The most beneficial part of being a member is having access to the latest research and the continuing education.

  302. I love being an AOTA member because it has so many resources to explain what OT is in different settings. It was also great in school because it provided access to AJOT which was (and still is!) very helpful for researching various techniques. Also, I love that being an AOTA member allows me to go to the conference. I’ve been to two of the past three and am looking forward to Boston!

  303. I love reading new materials and research posted. When I was a student it was cheaper to be a part of the association.

  309. Hands down my favorite part of being an AOTA member is the access to latest research! I think it is essential to being an evidence-based practitioner.

  311. The abundant resources and support from providers shows that evidence based research and advocacy is the foundation of our profession.

  312. I enjoy the research articles and the special interest areas that help to keep me up to date on what is important and new in the OT world. I do not subscribe every year due to the cost, but love the years I am able to.

  313. I am not currently an AOTA member, but I find the resources and the ability to collaborate with other therapists as a huge bonus to this membership.

  314. I love that they have discounts on textbooks and other resources, provide access to the latest research, and keep members informed on upcoming policies and legislation which impact the profession.

  316. I am not an AOTA member but I would love to be! It would be nice to just be supported. We are few far and in between here in Eastern Oregon!

  317. I use my membership to stay current in providing evidence based practice, and news/trends in the profession.

  318. I am currently not a member but would love to have access to all their online resources – especially the journals and articles. I am a relatively new OT and would love to learn more evidenced-based, clinically sound treatments and interventions!

  319. I would love to have access to OT Practice and all of the latest evidence-based research to use in my practice.

  321. I used to enjoy AJOT as well as the online references, but I have not budgeted to be a member for the past couple of years when my husband went out on disability. To whoever wins this, I sincerely hope they find it to be a valuable resource.

  322. Being a member of AOTA provides great access to so much important information about our amazing field and helps therapists to keep current on new information as well as a great reference tool

  323. I was a member at one time but am no longer. I loved the continuing education and information on student fieldwork. I’d love to be able to access the information on the AOTA website again!

  326. Our facility is going through some significant changes related to service delivery. AOTA has provided a wealth of resources to help us navigate these changes.

  330. I may not be in the USA, but being a member would facilitate access to journals and research to keep me up to date with current practice with our friends over the pond. ASI is much more readily accepted in the USA and is still somewhat of a battle to be heard over here….as much as I am stubborn and stand my ground. I realise US folk will be a priority to win….but you have to be in it to win it….so here I am.

  331. I like that there is always relevant research and information available in all areas where OTs practice and getting the SIS magazines can be very helpful, especially when dealing with school teams/parents/advocates.

  332. I would love to win a membership to AOTA because at the top of my list is the access to all of the resources. I would like easy access to resources to identify those therapy strategies that have been shown to be most beneficial to use with my caseload.

  333. I’d like to get access to all the research articles and the discounted items. I’m not currently a member, but was in the past.

  336. As a new director of a new clinic, I rely on AOTA’s legal and legislative advice.
    I also use them for job openings and postings and continuing education!

  339. I have loved having access to journal articles, getting discounts on products and conferences, the opportunity to network with other professionals , and staying current with issues impacting OT practice at state and national levels! Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to get an AOTA membership paid for! ????

  340. CEU’s and peer reviewed articles stands out to me as the best benefits, especially because I work in a small rural district by myself.

  344. I love having access to a bunch of OT resources and to know I am supporting an organization that advocates for our profession.

  348. I have always wanted an AOTA membership. But with 4 kids and only working part time the funds were not there. It would be great to have access to all of the resources and now that my kids are getting older and heading into college I would love to start looking into taking my career to the next level and this would certainly help.

  349. Just recently retired and could not afford this year to keep membership – but would love to continue to ! The research information and educational information is so informative. AOTA is a wonderful organization that has continuing education information unlike no other! Please send out information! thank you

  351. I just let my membership lapse! ? I would really like to renew because I love the OT practice magazines and CEU opportunities!

  353. I love having easy access to resources and articles I need to continue my practice as a pediatric OT. They often have really great, easy-to-read, single page handouts that are useful for me to give to parents for some quick information on specific topics.

  355. Currently a member I love that I am able to stay up to date on current happenings in the OT profession and have access to research and evidence based practice tools and resources!

  356. The annual conference is always great for obtaining new information and making connections with other therapists.

  357. When I was a member I found the up to date research so helpful and found that being a member helped keep my skills as an OT relevant.

  358. Staying connected/networking, knowing I have representation at the national level (gives credibility to the profession), looking up evidence-based treatment ideas and opportunities to stay current.

  359. Being an AOTA member, helps me provide evidence based practice and be the best OT that I can be. Also keeps me updated with CEUs, conferences etc.

  362. I think the most valuable part of being an AOTA member is having access to the research articles and learning about current research in the field.

  364. I am not a current me ever but I do miss having access to all the articles and journals that come out. They provide the most current and up to date evidence based research.

  366. I love the access to a wealth of resources as well as the discounts on conferences. It helps me to keep up with the latest research to continue to grow as a therapist.

  367. I loved having the resources easily accessible and having the ability to collaborate with other professionals, but when my membership.was up for renewal this was the first time I let it lapse since I joined when I was still in college.

  369. I do not currently have an AOTA membership, but the most appealing part of joining for me is the continuing education opportunities!

  370. My grad school adviser was the President of AOTA at the time, so I had the value of membership instilled in me from the beginning! But honestly, being a member of AOTA is so beneficial. I’m grateful that I can access the latest articles and research at any time to back up my treatment strategies, as well as learn where I could be more effective. I’ve also gone back and watched the keynotes from past conferences which helps to reignite the OT flame when the going gets tough.

  371. Access to all the OT resources and continuing ed opportunities is why I love being a member of AOTA plus I’m glad I am supporting the organization that advocates for our profession.

  372. As a teacher I value the discussions and insights that I can adopt in my classroom to give my students the best experience and understand their needs better as an educator

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