AOTA Annual Conference Blog

Wellness Statement Being Considered by the RA

At Annual Conference, there is an overwhelming amount of activity. Most AOTA members and attendees, I think, often focus in on presentations at Annual Conference. Annual Conference also includes a number of meetings that are crucial to the Profession and to how our scope of practice takes shape. One of the experiences from conferences past that peaked my interest in Association process was the time I spent in the Representative Assembly observing and participating in process. If you've never sat in to listen to how task groups process, it is well worth the investment of time.

One of the upcoming pieces of business to be considered by the RA is the revision of the Associations statement on Health and Wellness. There is a call to membership currently on www.aota.org to review this document. You can download a copy, then give your opinion and feedback about the document in a zoomerang survey format. Incidentally, when members take the time to do this type of a review it does count as a development activity for your portfolio, so engaging in reviews of this kind is a 'win win' and well worth the time.

I read and submitted a review of the document. One of the concepts I like very well is the concept that occupational therapists can play a role in population-based initiatives. Approximately 9 years ago, when WFOT was in Montreal, I attended a small session with other OTs who are interested in influencing health and well-being of populations. At the time, there were very few of us who were interested. Inclusion of this concept in an official document of AOTA is extremely exciting to see. It also supports the vision of AOTA for 2017. AOTA is having meetings with the American Public Health Association (APHA) concerning potential collaborative efforts. OTs have been present in APHA, but only represented in small numbers in the past.

Do others in the reading audience of this blog have a similar interest? Do you believe there is a role for OTs in population-based initiatives within public health and community health models? What are you doing in your own communities to influence health and wellness? Please comment and sign-in.

I look forward to and hope for a discussion!

Ann Burkhardt

Board & Specialty Certification - What's in it for Me?

In the exhibit hall, there are so many things to look at, learn about, see and do. I've already mentioned the need for an extra suitcase and all the great people you'll get to meet. From a professional development perspective, I'd like to encourage OT's, OTA's and students to stop by the AOTA Member Resource Center in the exhibit hall and obtain information on board and specialty certification. Present at this booth will be current board and specialty certified practitioners. These individuals and AOTA staff members will be available to discuss the board and specialty certification process, benefits and answer your questions. I'm pleased to be board certified in mental health and strongly encourage other OT's, OTA's and students who are considering future mental health practice to consider learning more about board certification at conference.

So you may ask "board certification (or speciality certification)....what's in it for me?" Board Certification is a way for you to demonstrate your level of excellence in the area of mental health occupational therapy, to reflect on your past achievements and continue your professional development. It can provide a level of recognition among colleagues, referral sources, your employer, clients, your employer, and other important decision makers. Board Certification can affirm your involvement as an occupational therapist in mental health and possibly open new and different opportunities for your practice. Board certification can offer these things and more....want more information?, stop by the AOTA member resource center during the open exhibit hall times to find out more. Although I've focused on mental health, it is important to acknowledge all areas of board certification which include: gerontology, pediatrics and physical rehabilitation. Speciality Certification is available in Driving & Community Mobility, Feeding, Eating & Swallowing, Environmental Modification and Low Vision. Both board and specialty certification demonstrate a commitment to the profession of occupational therapy and to your own professional development. I look forward to seeing you at the member resource center and answering questions you have about board certification in mental health! Conference is right around the corner!

Christine Urish, PhD, OTR/L, BCMH

Our Celebrity Icons

From notable keynote speakers to past and current AOTA presidents, the faces of our professional celebrities abound at conference time.  One notable personality and conference icon is our own colleague Fred Sammons.  Fred, an entrepreneurial OTR founded the company that we all know today as Sammons Preston Rolyan, a huge supplier of OT equipment and supporter of AOTA.  In my several years of conference attendance, not one has passed where Fred himself was not in attendance as well. From his eternal smile to well coiffed white hair, Fred is a delight.  Not only does he attend the AOTA conference, but he can be found in the exhibit hall taking photos with attendees.  As you pass the Sammons Preston Rolyan booth you will hear him say "Get your picture with Fred"... an instant memento of your day.  I personally have at least four pictures with Fred.  I change year to year, Fred never seems to.

In addition to having a photo taken with him, Fred may also be at the airport waiting to give you a ride to your hotel.  Two years ago I flew into Long Beach airport 2 days before conference in order to attend the program directors meeting.  While waiting for my luggage, I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned around there was Fred, asking if I was an OT (yes, we CAN be picked out of the crowd).  I told him yes and he said that he would give me a ride to my hotel in his Limo.  We found 3 other OT's and took off down the LA freeway with Fred at the wheel.

So don't forget to look for Fred in the exhibit hall and keep your eyes open at the airport...you just might hitch a ride with one of our own home grown celebrities!

Debbie Amini

Putting a Face to a Name

Hello again, only about 3.5 weeks to go until conference!  Since my last posting I was contacted by an OT who has been attending conference for over 40 years, great consistency huh!  I cannot wait to put a face with his name and spend a little bit of time with someone who shares such a passion for OT!  My friends and co-workers many times call me "an OT nerd", what a compliment I think!  I look forward to meeting so many other OT professionals all with varying levels of experience, variety of practice areas.  One person I am hoping to meet in person is Kathryn Eberhardt.  Seeing her name throughout listservs and in articles and then to be able to say hello in person and shake her hand will be just great.  David and Kathryn, keep your eye out for this OT Nerd and see you in St. Louis!   Melissa

Relevant Lifespan Focus of Topics in Developmental Disabilities

Boy, planning my annual conference days has never been easier. I have begun creating my own daily plan in St. Louis by going into the conference section of the AOTA website, selecting the topics of interest, and then adding them to my itinerary! In my last posting, I shared with you information on conference registration and other things related to conference registration and what I planned to do because of my interest in Developmental Disabilities. For this posting, and as part of my own conference planning, I searched all of titles when I used the keyword developmental disabilities, and found 26 titles. And what a selection of types, topics, and authors I found. I hope this blog saves you a little time.

Below are the topics. For our convenience, I listed them by category and chronologically, but in St. Louis, I will make sure to refer to the final conference program and the big signs in the convention center to double check if there are last minute cancellations, venue or time changes.

PAPERS:

The Meaning and Value of Productivity for Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Rosemary Lysaght & Helene Oullette-Kuntz; Am Ctr - 228/229; 4/20/2007 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Early Signs of Autism Based on Longitudinal Study of Motor Development of High- and Low-Risk Infants, Joanne Elizabeth Flanagan & Rebecca Landa; Am Ctr - 225/226; 4/20/2007 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Handwriting Characteristics of Children Diagnosed With Developmental Coordination Disorders, Sara Rosenblum & Miri Livneh Zirinsky; Am Ctr - 260/264, 4/20/2007 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Sensory and Motor Factors That Affect Participation in Preschool Children With Autism,

Patricia LaVesser & Christine Berg; Am Ctr - 263/267; 4/21/2007 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

The Use of Virtual Reality Technology for Improving Playfulness of Children With Cerebral Palsy, Naomi Weintraub; Am Ctr - 260/264; 4/21/2007 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

The Contribution of Executive Functions to Participation in School Activities of Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Chaya Zingerevich; Am Ctr - 265/266; 4/22/2007 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Trunk Stability and Participation After Hippotherapy Intervention, Tim Shurtleff; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/22/2007 1:30 PM - 3:03 PM

POSTER PRESENTATIONS:

Revised Knox Preschool Play Scale: Interrater Agreement and Construct Validation, Milena Sue Jankovich, Jacqueline E. Mullen, Erin A Rinear, & Jean C. Deitz; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/20/2007 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Social Participation of Children With and Without Physical Disabilities: A Comparison Study, Pamela K Richardson, Janae Grimshaw, Denise Kageura, & Christina Steeley; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G;

The Effect of Postural Support on Reaching Patterns in Children With Cerebral Palsy, Amit Sethi; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/20/2007 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Identifying Coping Strategies for Maternal Stress: Raising a Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Theresa Lemanczyk, Jamie Cianciolo, & Tajhma Burroughs; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/21/2007 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Mechanisms Underlying Fine-Motor Coordination in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder, Jane Clifford OBrien; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/21/2007 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Use of the Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based Model by Occupational Therapists, Ellen McLaughlin; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/21/2007 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Influence of Environmental Factors on Participation in Children With Autism, Divya Sood; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/21/2007 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Sensory Processing and the Development of Self-Concept in Young Children, Ellen McLaughlin; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/21/2007 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

The Effect of Adult-Directed Versus Child-Focused Strategies on Engagement in Children With Autism, Maresa Hiehle, Jana Repaska, & Gretchen Dahl Reeves; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/21/2007 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

The Effects of Participation in Integrated Play Groups for Children With Autism and Typical Peers, Pamela K Richardson; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/21/2007 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

A Cognitive Approach to Social Skill Development in a Child With Asperger's Syndrome, Victoria K Becker; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/22/2007 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Comparing Functional Outcomes of Therapies Used With Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Meta-Analysis, Christy Walloch; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/22/2007 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Defining the Occupation of Social Participation for Children With Asperger's Syndrome, Lisa Crabtree; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/22/2007 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Occupational Therapy Intervention in Rare Diseases: Treacher Collins Syndrome, Naomi Schubin Greenberg & Trina Abraham; Am Ctr - Washington Ave. Complex G; 4/22/2007 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

SHORT COURSES:

A Community of Storying Cultures: The Use of Narrative Reasoning in Understanding Autism, Carol Reinson; Am Ctr - 263/267, 4/20/2007; 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Occupational Engagement in Retirement: Opportunities for Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Sandra Rogers; AM Ctr - 265/266, 4/20/2007; 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Strategies for Managing Difficult Behavior in Pediatric Occupational Therapy, Renee Watling; Am Ctr - 275; 4/21/2007 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Defining, Measuring, and Facilitating Engagement of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Scott D. Tomchek & Renee Watling; Am Ctr - 220/221; 4/21/2007 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Workshops:

Developmental Disabilities Annual Program: Moving Into The Community---Applying Occupational Therapy's Vision For the 21st Century, Jeanne Lewin, Lynn Jaffe, Nancy Webb, Cynthia Epstein, & Catherine H. Gardner; Am Ctr - 220/221; 4/21/2007 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

http://precis.preciscentral.com/utils/ip/FindPresentation.asp?EventID=cedebb6e&bhcp=1 takes you to the hotlink by topic. To find developmental disabilities topic category, use the hotlink:

http://precis.preciscentral.com/utils/ip/SearchResults.asp?EventId=cedebb6e To get an abstract and information about authors, click on the title, and voila, you have the information.

I am looking forward to my next posting; I hope that you find this blog useful.

Did You Know...?

Did you know …

So far, the top ten states registered for the 87th Annual Conference & Expo are:

1. Missouri

2. Illinois

3. New York

4.Pennsylvania

5. Indiana

6. Wisconsin

7. California

8. Florida

9. Texas

10. Ohio

Don’t see your state represented? Remember, you can pre-register as late as March 28. After that, plan on registering onsite.

Did you know . . .

43% of the attendees have 5 years or less practice experience; 14% have 6–10 years of practice experience, 16% have 11–20 years of practice experience, and 27% have 20+ years of practice experience. Think of how many combined years of practice experience attendees have. There’s a lot to learn from each other!

Did you know . . .

As of March 7, AOTA has 333 different companies exhibiting in the Expo that will use 417 booths. Wear comfortable shoes—and pace yourself!

Opportunities to learn more about Productive Aging

When thinking about what to write this week. I kept going back to two questions: How do our ideas of productive aging connect with how we define our role as practitioners? and, Where do we see ourselves as practitioners in the future?......To get some ideas I went to the conference program to see what the latest is in OT research and practice for this year’s conference!

Regardless of where your interests lie, there are many opportunities to explore productive aging at the conference. Whether you are interested in checking out some posters that are looking at productive occupations or promoting behavior adaptations in the community there are many options in the area of productive aging. Think about attending a workshop, there are many to choose from whether you are interested in a discussion about facilitating occupation at the end of life or fostering occupation-centered environments for individuals with dementia.

I would like to hear your thoughts about productive aging!  Contact me directly with your ideas and/or suggestions for future topics in this blog at neleland@yahoo.com!

Natalie Leland Wiatrowski

First Annual AOTA Student Forum

For the first time ever at AOTA conference, the students from the local occupational therapy education programs will be hosting a student forum.  The forum will be held on Sunday April 22nd, 2007 from 8-9:30 at the conference center.  Details will be in the conference booklet.  This will be a great opportunity for all students to be able to network with students from other schools and hear about activities and events that students are doing around the country related to the Centennial Vision.  I encourage all students who are attending conference to be apart of this event. 

Tim Wolf

Gimme a Beat

There are all kinds of educational sessions and special events to take part in at the AOTA Annual Conference. But do you know I’ve grown to associate with Conference? Dancing!

Check it out:

2005—Long Beach, AOTPAC Night party	2005—Long Beach, Opening Ceremony	2006—Charlotte, Opening Ceremony

For 2 years in a row, the audience at the Opening Ceremony broke out in dance. Does this mean the conga line has become an Opening Ceremony tradition? Guess we’ll see if it continues in St. Louis. Don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes….

--Andrea Brachtesende

Mentoring in Physical Disabilities

Greetings!

Do you have several years of experience in a specialty area of OT practice?  Are you a hand therapy clinician?  A therapists working in acute care? A specialist in treating spinal cord injury? Do you have knowledge that you want to share?  If so, please join us for the PD-SIS roundtables.  The PD-SIS will be hosting three round tables dedicated to the topic of mentoring.  We are looking for individuals interested in becoming mentors as well as those interested in being mentored.  Hands, general physical disability practice and driving/driver rehabilitation are the areas that will have dedicated roundtables.  Saturday afternoon you will find the hand and driving roundtables for 45 min each (12-12:45 and 12:25-1:30 respectively) with the PD-SIS roundtable being on Sunday for a full hour and one half (12-1:30).

Being a mentor is a rich and fulfilling experience that not only assists a therapist new to your specialty area, but offers you the opportunity to enhance your own knowledge base and communication skills. Not to mention, mentoring can become part of your professional portfolio and resume and can be used toward continuing education come NBCOT recertification time (many states also allow mentoring hours to be used as CE credits).

Working with a mentor as a protégé is a way to advance your professional knowledge base through working via e-mail, telephone or face to face visits with a seasoned clinician who can provide feedback and real life examples of clinical issues that you are dealing with.  What better way to learn the details of our profession than through one on one interaction with an expert in the field.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, we would love to see you at the roundtable.  If you are not able to make it to the roundtable, please provide your contact information and specialty area of practice and we will connect you with a protégé as well as send you some written information about the mentoring process.  You can post your info here or e-mail me privately at damini@cfcc.edu. 

If you are interested in being mentored, please come to the roundtable or send me your contact information via this post or damini@cfcc.edu.

Entering a mentoring relationship is a great way for both parties to demonstrate professional commitment while experiencing personal growth along the way....we look forward to seeing you at the PD-SIS roundtables (or through written contact).

See you soon!

Debbie Amini