ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is the national professional association established in 1917 to represent the interests and concerns of occupational therapy practitioners and students of occupational therapy and to improve the quality of occupational therapy services.Current AOTA membership is approximately 65,000, including occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and occupational therapy students. Members reside in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and internationally. AOTA represents 230,000 occupational therapy practitioners and students in the United States. AOTA's major programs and activities are directed toward assuring the quality of occupational therapy services