Practice Analysis of ABC Certified Assistants in the Disciplines of Orthotics and Prosthetics

After finalizing the domains and tasks, the panel received guidance on developing knowledge statements. Working in both small and large groups, they identified industry-specific knowledge and skill areas required for the competent performance of each task. As part of this process, the panel participated in a linkage activity to ensure that each knowledge and skill statement was essential to at least one task within a domain. Some statements were linked to multiple tasks or domains, while one was removed (i.e., loss control) for not being critical across most practice settings.

In addition, the panel rated when each knowledge or skill area should be acquired for successful performance—either prior to certification or after. Most statements were determined to be necessary before certification, while those identified as acquired after certification were still considered essential, though typically required at a more foundational level. For both the COA and CPA exams, this process resulted in a final set of 44 knowledge statements and 21 skill statements. A complete list of the knowledge and skills, along with their associated linkages, can be found in Appendix C.