FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions 

Functional Therapy, OT for the 21st Century and Beyond.

ALOFT- American League of Functional Therapists

What is a Trademark?

Trademarks protect phrases, titles and pictures to use only by people who have the right to use them.

What is a Certification Mark?

These types of marks allow use of the trademark to a certain group who meet the organization’s qualifying criteria and maintain active qualification. According to the USPTO requirements for the standard of certification mark “do not have to be original with the applicant. They may be standards established by another party, such as specifications promulgated by a government agency, or standards developed through research of a private research organization.” TMEP 1306.06(f)(ii). 

Can I call myself a Functional Therapist if I’m not a Registered Functional Therapist?

Yes, kind of. Functional Therapist, like “Occupational Therapist” is generic or descriptive. The protected Certification Marks for OTs and OTAs are “Occupational Therapist Registered OTR” and “Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant COTA”. Using the term Occupational Therapist without being one is certainly frowned upon as would be using Functional Therapist without being a RFT. On the other hand there are OTs who are licensed but do not carry the OTR mark, these OT/Ls are fully Occupational Therapists in their own right and can become RFTs.

How can I apply?

Fill out the application form found on the Contact Us page and optionally add a forward facing photo. 

Instructions: Fill out the application (online or handwritten), optionally affix a photograph facing forward inside the space provided and sign the document. Send it with the applicable fee or request online bill pay. Send these to the address or Fax number below:

ALOFT

P.O. Box 29

Stratford, CT 06615

Or Fax: 888-389-7933

Contact: RFT@functionaltherapist.org  with any further questions.

How is membership qualification verified?

Verification of education and license are done independently by contacting the institutions or using online verification where possible.

How long will I remain a member?

Memberships are renewed every 1 or 3 years. You can renew as long as you qualify, your whole career hopefully, then you can register as non-practicing.

Can I get a discount?

Yes, currently if you are an AOTA member (-$10), or in the first year of practice (-$10), or if you are one of the first 10 applicants from your state (-$10). So, you could get a 3 year membership for as low as $70.

I see I could become involved as a “supporter member”. I would like to support the effort but I’m not sure about personally becoming a RFT yet. Can I become a supporter as an OT or a COTA?

We would love to have exploratory members like yourself. We want to emphasize that only members who have qualified to hold the RFT or RFTA marks can use them. If anyone joins as a supporter they will receive discounts to ALOFT events and can be involved in the community of ALOFT. If you start off as a supporter and wish to apply for professional status your supporter fee can be applied or prorated into your full application fee.

What do I get?

Once admitted qualifying applicants will get to use the trademarked terms “Registered Functional Therapist RFT^TM” or “Registered Functional Therapy Associate RFTA^TM”. Also, you will be able to get our online newsletter and be involved with the public relations and political side of things.

How can I use this at my work?

You will be a pioneer in your facility, your facility will be pioneers in healthcare. Write us for your particular issues, but you will likely need a policy to help guide any future Functional Therapy orders to be addressable by OTR/Ls or OT/Ls or COTAs and/or RFTs/RFTAs. We can help you with particulars for your institution or provide you with templates for policies we’ve used.  

Are you considering the debate currently over the name of COTA as Certified Occupational Therapy Associate?

Yes, we have discussed this and have formally sought protection of “Registered Functional Therapy Associate RFTA^TM”. It is acknowledged that the term “Associate” has different meanings in different industries. It does seem to apply particularly well in the case of COTAs or RFTAs as it credits their achievement of an “Associate’s” Degree.

Can Physical Therapists become Registered Functional Therapists?

We really want to embrace everyone into the future of holistic thought and function based care. We have made tremendous gains in sharing this philosophy, recently PTs began writing more functional goals and many are more wanting to expand their view of the holistic nature of humanity. We really want to support that and we call on educational institutions to develop and propose training programs which might help to bridge this gap. In particular, we see real potential for a certificate program in Functional Therapy being available to several disciplines. We would lend any support to programs wishing to develop such programs we could provide.

Because of their extensive grounding in the physical aspects of function we see real potential for some great Functional Therapists to come from Physical Therapy backgrounds.

What do you mean by OT/Ls?

NBCOT recently established the National Commission on Continuing Competency in Occupational Therapy. Through this body a national effort to standardize continuing competency for OT was born. This was not without controversy and some OTs have decided to forego their registration with NBCOT. They are designated as OT/Ls and are licensed to practice in their states, they do not maintain any status with NBCOT.

Should we stop using the O-Word?

No! “Words are the pegs we hang ideas on.”….   Check out this posting What about Occupation?