Occupational Therapy CEUs

Last updated: February 8, 2026Reviewed date: February 8, 2026Reading time: 4 min read
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Occupational Therapy CEUs
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Switch between simple English and easy Bangla patient notes. This is for education and does not replace a doctor consultation.

In an ever-evolving field that is designed to meet the needs of society, occupational therapists are expected to commit to continuing education to best serve our clients.  To maintain certification with the NBCOT, it is required to complete at least 36 units of continuing education...

For severe symptoms, danger signs, pregnancy, child illness, or sudden worsening, seek urgent medical care.

বাংলা রোগী নোট এখনো যোগ করা হয়নি। পোস্ট এডিটরে “RX Bangla Patient Mode” বক্স থেকে সহজ বাংলা সারাংশ যোগ করুন।

এই তথ্য শিক্ষা ও সচেতনতার জন্য। এটি ডাক্তারি পরীক্ষা, রোগ নির্ণয় বা প্রেসক্রিপশনের বিকল্প নয়।

Article Summary

In an ever-evolving field that is designed to meet the needs of society, occupational therapists are expected to commit to continuing education to best serve our clients.  To maintain certification with the NBCOT, it is required to complete at least 36 units of continuing education at renewal (every three years).  The price of CEUs, however, can be hefty and traditional opportunities can be time-consuming for...

Educational health guideWritten for patient understanding and clinical awareness.
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Emergency safety firstUrgent warning signs are highlighted below.

Seek urgent medical care if you notice

These warning signs are general safety guidance. Local emergency numbers and clinical judgment should always come first.

  • Severe symptoms, breathing difficulty, fainting, confusion, or rapidly worsening illness.
  • New weakness, severe pain, high fever, or symptoms after a serious injury.
  • Any symptom that feels urgent, unusual, or unsafe for the patient.
1

Emergency now

Use emergency care for severe, sudden, rapidly worsening, or life-threatening symptoms.

2

See a doctor

Book a professional medical evaluation if symptoms persist, worsen, recur often, affect daily activities, or occur in a high-risk patient.

3

Learn safely

Use this article to understand possible causes, tests, treatment options, prevention, and questions to ask your clinician.

Before reading

RX Patient Tools

Use these quick guides before reading the article, or return to them when you need help preparing questions for a doctor.

Start here Choose the right pathway for symptoms, reports, medicines, or urgent warning signs. Disease article roadmap Read this topic step by step: meaning, symptoms, warning signs, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and follow-up. Treatment planner Prepare questions about treatment choices, benefits, risks, side effects, and follow-up. Family & caregiver guide Organize symptoms, reports, medicines, questions, and follow-up safely. Nutrition & diet guide Prepare food, hydration, supplement, and medicine-timing questions safely. Prevention guide Organize risk factors, protective habits, screening, and warning signs. Recovery guide Prepare a safe plan for activity, rehabilitation, warning signs, and follow-up.
Definition

In an ever-evolving field that is designed to meet the needs of society, occupational therapists are expected to commit to continuing education to best serve our clients.  To maintain certification with the NBCOT, it is required to complete at least 36 units of continuing education at renewal (every three years).  The price of CEUs, however, can be hefty and traditional opportunities can be time-consuming for a busy therapist.  This blog entry will cover a variety of free CEU occupational therapy CEUs and opportunities for occupational therapists that can be accessed virtually.

American Occupational Therapy Association

AOTA often offers free webinars that are for both members and non-members.  Check the website frequently for different options.  At this time there is a free four-module course on Hunting’s Disease.  Also check for a variety of low-cost, quality CEUs starting at $19.99 for AOTA members.

Occupational therapy com

Another website that offers free occupational therapy CEUs is Occupationaltherapy com . This continuing education-focused website offers a free CEU course just for signing up and using the promo code 1FREECOURSE.  There are over 550 courses to pick from and they are constantly adding new courses to fit the needs of practitioners.  The content is created for OTs and Occupational therapy com is both an NBCOT Professional Development Provider as well as an AOTA Approved Provider.  Courses are offered via video, text, or podcast (a great option for commuters!)  If you decide that one course isn’t enough, it is only $99 for a full-year subscription.

online com

online (ChiroCredit) provides courses for healthcare providers including occupational therapists.  Upon registration, occupational therapy practitioners get a free course: “An Overview of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome”.  Other courses can be purchased a la carte, starting at $19 for a one-hour course.

Supervise a Fieldwork Student

An excellent way to give back to our profession and to reflect on your knowledge and skills, hosting a fieldwork student can earn you credit for your NBCOT renewal.  For a level, I student, earn 1 unit.  For a level 2 student, you’ll earn 1 unit per week of supervision.  This is truly a win-win for students and professionals.

OT Potential

OT Potential is an occupational therapist-run website and community that offers practitioners the ability to stay up-to-date with the latest evidence-based research!  The membership offers AOTA-approved CEUs for occupational therapists in the form of podcasts.  Check out their free CEU course “POTS and COVID-19 Long Haulers,” take a brief quiz, and get your certificate automatically by email.

NBCOT Navigator

If you are currently certified as an OTR or COTA, you already have access to the NBCOT Navigator.  The NBCOT Navigator is a portal for professional development related to a variety of OT practice areas including ergonomics, management, orthopedics, neurology, and more.  Check your knowledge in the content area of your choice using case simulations, practice quizzes, a library resource, and a visual tool for building orthotics.

AbleNet University

Another great resource for free occupational therapy CEUs is AbleNet, which offers monthly live webinars related to all things assistive technology.  There are also over 200 videos on their YouTube channel that are full of practical ideas that you can take directly to your practice.  Simply watch the video then fill out a short form to verify your attendance.  You’ll get a certificate of attendance via email!

Saebo

Saebo is a medical device company that creates innovative equipment to help improve mobility and function in neurological patients.  An AOTA-approved provider, Saebo offers a variety of self-paced courses, great for a clinician working with patients who have neurological conditions.  Highlights include  “Using Mental Practice to Improve Motor Recovery,” “Fostering Patient Compliance While at Home” and “Introduction to Electrotherapy.”

Therapro

Therapro offers regularly scheduled live webinars along with a library of recorded webinars that you can watch for free.  Contributions come from experts in various practice areas including sensory processing and integration; executive functioning; teletherapy; motor skills; and so much more.  You’ll get a certificate of participation following the completion of the webinar.

Other Free Occupational Therapy CEUs and Opportunities

There are even more places you can check for free CEUs!  Are you a member of your state occupational therapy association?  Check-in with them for upcoming free (or at least low-cost) seminars.  Staffing agencies also sometimes offer free CEUs.  In addition, your liability insurance may offer a free course to you as a customer.  Employed by a large company?  Express your interest in continuing education and check in to see if there are any upcoming in-person or virtual learning opportunities.

Summary

Since licensure requirements vary by state, it is important to always verify that your continuing education units will be accepted by the necessary entity.  Always track your CEUs and keep them for at least one year after renewal in case of the event of an audit.  Happy learning!

Doctor visit helper

Prepare before seeing a doctor

A simple rural-patient checklist to help you explain symptoms clearly, ask better questions, and avoid unsafe self-treatment.

Safety note: This is not a prescription or diagnosis. For severe symptoms, pregnancy danger signs, children with serious illness, chest pain, breathing difficulty, stroke-like weakness, or major injury, seek urgent care.

Which doctor may help?

Start with a registered doctor or the nearest qualified health center.

What to tell the doctor

  • Write when the problem started and how it changed.
  • Bring old prescriptions, investigation reports, and current medicines.
  • Write allergies, pregnancy status, diabetes, kidney/liver disease, and major past illnesses.
  • Bring one family member if the patient is weak, elderly, confused, or a child.

Questions to ask

  • What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
  • Which danger signs mean I should go to hospital quickly?
  • Which tests are necessary now, and which can wait?
  • How should I take medicines safely and what side effects should I watch for?
  • When should I come for follow-up?

Tests to discuss

  • Vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation
  • Basic physical examination by a clinician
  • CBC, urine test, blood sugar, or imaging only when clinically needed

Avoid these mistakes

  • Do not use antibiotics, steroid tablets/injections, or strong painkillers without proper medical advice.
  • Do not hide pregnancy, kidney disease, ulcer, allergy, or blood thinner use.
  • Do not delay emergency care when danger signs are present.

Medicine safety and first-aid guide

This section is for patient education only. It does not replace a doctor, pharmacist, or emergency care.

Safe first steps

  • Rest, drink safe water, and observe symptoms carefully.
  • Keep a written note of symptoms, duration, temperature, medicines already taken, and allergy history.
  • Seek medical care quickly if symptoms are severe, worsening, or unusual for the patient.

OTC medicine safety

  • For mild pain or fever, ask a registered pharmacist or doctor before using common over-the-counter pain/fever medicines.
  • Do not combine multiple pain medicines without advice, especially if you have kidney disease, liver disease, stomach ulcer, asthma, pregnancy, or take blood thinners.
  • Do not give adult medicines to children unless a qualified clinician advises it.

Avoid these mistakes

  • Do not start antibiotics without a proper medical decision.
  • Do not use steroid tablets or injections casually for quick relief.
  • Do not delay emergency care because of home remedies.

Get urgent help if

  • Severe symptoms, confusion, fainting, breathing difficulty, chest pain, severe dehydration, or sudden weakness need urgent medical care.
Medicine names, dose, and timing must be decided by a qualified clinician or pharmacist after checking age, pregnancy, allergy, other diseases, and current medicines.

For rural patients and family caregivers

Patient health record and symptom diary

Write your symptoms, medicines already taken, test results, and questions before visiting a doctor. This note stays on your device unless you print or copy it.

Doctor to discuss: Doctor / qualified healthcare provider
Tests to discuss with doctor
  • Basic vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level if needed
  • Relevant blood, urine, imaging, or specialist tests only after clinical assessment
Questions to ask
  • What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
  • Which warning signs mean I should go to emergency care?
  • Which tests are really needed now?
  • Which medicines are safe for my age, pregnancy status, allergy, kidney/liver/stomach condition, and current medicines?

Emergency warning signs such as chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, sudden weakness, confusion, severe dehydration, major injury, or loss of bladder/bowel control need urgent medical care. Do not wait for online information.

Safe pathway to proper treatment

Care roadmap for: Occupational Therapy CEUs

Use this simple roadmap to understand the next safe steps. It is educational and does not replace examination by a doctor.

Go to emergency care if you notice:
  • Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms
  • Breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting, confusion, severe weakness, major injury, or severe dehydration
Doctor / service to discuss: Qualified healthcare provider; specialist depends on symptoms and examination.
  1. Step 1

    Check danger signs first

    If danger signs are present, seek emergency care and do not wait for online information.

  2. Step 2

    Record the symptom story

    Write when symptoms started, severity, medicines already taken, allergies, pregnancy status, and test results.

  3. Step 3

    Visit a qualified clinician

    A doctor, nurse, or qualified healthcare provider can examine you and decide which tests or treatment are needed.

  4. Step 4

    Do only useful tests

    Do tests after clinical assessment. Avoid unnecessary tests, random antibiotics, or repeated medicines without diagnosis.

  5. Step 5

    Follow up and return early if worse

    If symptoms worsen, new warning signs appear, or treatment is not helping, return for review quickly.

Rural patient practical tips
  • Take a written symptom diary and all previous prescriptions/test reports.
  • Do not hide medicines already taken, even herbal or over-the-counter medicines.
  • Ask which warning signs mean urgent referral to hospital.

This roadmap is for education. A real diagnosis and treatment plan requires history, examination, and clinical judgment.

RX Patient Help

Ask a health question safely

Write your symptom story. A health professional or site editor can review it before any answer is prepared. This box is not for emergency care.

Emergency first: Severe chest pain, breathing trouble, unconsciousness, stroke signs, severe injury, heavy bleeding, or rapidly worsening symptoms need urgent local medical care now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this article a replacement for a doctor?

No. It is educational content only. Patients should consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis and treatment.

When should I seek urgent care?

Seek urgent care for severe symptoms, rapidly worsening condition, breathing difficulty, severe pain, neurological changes, or any emergency warning sign.

References

Add references, clinical guidelines, textbooks, journal articles, or trusted medical sources here. You can edit this area from the RX Article Professional Blocks panel.

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