Stirring Together: How Integrating Caregivers in Pediatric Cooking Groups Unlocks Therapeutic Potential for Child and Teen Clients

This engaging presentation will incorporate interactive large group discussions and case study analysis to enhance participants' understanding of how caregiver participation might enhance the therapeutic potential of their own pediatric groups and interventions. The presenting occupational therapist will share professional experience with running a caregiver-child cooking group at FamilyForward’s Developmental Trauma Center, while encouraging attendees to consider the application for their own practices and discussing the barriers and benefits to bringing caregivers into therapeutic group spaces.

Dr. Amanda Mack

Dr. Marit Watson

Maternal Health and OT: The Perfect Pair - 2 hour

This 2-hour educational session offers a broad overview of the role of occupational therapy in maternal health and perinatal care. Participants will explore the fundamental biology of pregnancy and birth, including crucial anatomical and physiological considerations. It will delve into topics such as ergonomics, mental health, breastfeeding, changing roles and routines, and sleep. Attendees will benefit from hands-on, active learning opportunities designed to immerse them in this specialized area of practice.

Heather Koch, Shaun Conway (NBCOT), Daniel Markels (AOTA), & Carl Sims (Council of State Governments)

Maternal Health and OT: The Perfect Pair- 2 hour

Peggy Beckley, PhD, EdD, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Prajakta Khare-Ranade EdD, MSc, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND

Mary Falcetti, EdD, MA, OTR/L, FAOTA

 Exploring Factors Influencing Allied Health Faculty's Implementation of Interprofessional Education: Findings from a Qualitative Studycd

Allied health practitioners often work with clients who have complex medical and social backgrounds. To address these complexities, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed a framework for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP) in 2010. Allied health education programs generally include interprofessional education experiences, as required by accreditation standards. This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of four allied health providers with IPCP at three stages of their careers: as students, clinicians, and faculty members. The findings from this study have significant implications for client interventions and professional education programs in allied health. Upon completion of this short course, participants will be able to 1) identify the challenges and benefits of interprofessional education for allied health students and 2) describe the importance of interprofessional education learning activities in the development of future allied health practitioners.

Ashley Wagner, OTD, OTR/L

 Lisa Martin, OTR/L

Safe from the Start: How Occupational Therapy Evaluators Can Bring Trauma Awareness Principles Into Their Pediatric Assessments 

Occupational therapy assessment is often the starting point for the therapeutic relationship between an occupational therapy provider (OTP) and their pediatric client. Yet many of the standard practices employed by OTPs during that initial assessment phase run the risk of re-traumatizing young clients who have histories of developmental trauma. This workshop will offer attendees the opportunity to explore how their own assessment practices might be creating a barrier to holistic assessment and therapeutic relationship building with their most sensitized clients. Through large and small group discussions, participants will be invited to reflect on opportunities to bring meaningful changes to how they communicate safety and belonging to young clients from the very start of their therapeutic journey together.

The Older Adult Home Modification Program-Occupational Therapy Perspectives and Client Outcomes

We will discuss the implementation of the Older Adult Home Modification Program (OAHMP) with older adults in St. Louis City. The OAHMP enables seniors (age ≥62 years and city residents) to remain in their homes through low-cost, high-impact home modifications and community resources, which address general safety, increase accessibility, and improve the functionality of the home. This program utilizes a partnership consisting of a home modification division, a social work agency, and an academic occupational therapy department.

Elizabeth Hawkins, OTD, OTR/L, SCSS, ATP

Set up before you level up: A how-to session on adaptive gaming - 2 Hour

 Activity Intolerance: OT's Role in Objective Evaluation & Documentation of Activity Intolerance in Acute Care



This course is designed to practically address the subjective interpretation of activity intolerance. It employs case studies to illustrate the integration of standardized measurements in OT practice, providing a measurable definition, objective documentation, and care plans targeting activity tolerance in acute care environments. The following assessment tools will be examined, with a focus on their practical application: Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Modified Borg Scale (MBS), Talk Test (TT), Visual Analog Scale, Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) levels, Maximal Heart Rate (MHR), Target Heart Rate Zone (THRZ), 2-minute walk test (2 MWT), and 6-minute walk test (6MWT). 

Sarah Schuman, MOT, OTR/L

Kathy Dolan, BSOT, OT/L

Incorporating Paired Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Occupational Therapy for Chronic Stroke Survivors

Explore the groundbreaking Paired Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) therapy, designed to enhance upper limb function and quality of life for chronic stroke survivors. This session will present parameters of this novel program, review existing evidence, introduce key treatment principles, and provide critical analysis of program implementation to date. Learn how combining VNS with high-intensity, task-specific occupational therapy can lead to clinically meaningful outcomes in this population.

Promoting Occupational Justice by addressing Diaper Need and Period Poverty in Missouri



As the profession of occupational therapy continues to evolve, practitioners are called to consider barriers to engagement in occupation at the individual, group, and universal level. Diaper need and period poverty are both examples of barriers to occupation which occupational therapy practitioners must consider. This presentation will address how occupational therapy practitioners can promote occupational justice by addressing diaper need and period poverty at the individual, group and universal level in Missouri.

Dr. Ashlyn Cunningham, OTD, OTR/L, CDP

Dr. Laura Landon, OTD, OTR/L

Dr. Bob Cunningham

Dr. Rebecca Birkenmeier, OTD, OTR/L

“Achieving to Being”: Supporting Graduate Occupational Therapy Student Success Across Academic and Fieldwork Experiences

This session will outline the deliberate approach and structured activities employed by one university to enhance positive mental health and foster a sense of belonging among its students. It will cover effective onboarding and orientation procedures, mentoring techniques, and focused discussions on specific topics relating to wellbeing and student success. Participants will engage with presenters to develop strategies—both immediate and long-term—that can support OT students throughout their didactic coursework and subsequent fieldwork experiences. 

Our Relationship with Occupation

Explore the historical and contemporary complexities of the occupational therapy practitioner's relationship with occupation, highlighting the need for reflection. Wendy B. Stav, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA received a BS in occupational therapy from Quinnipiac University and a PhD in occupational therapy from Nova Southeastern University. For more than 20 years her work focused on driving and community mobility specific to clinical practice, program development, medical reporting, driver licensing, and assessment predictability. Dr. Stav was named to the AOTA Roster of Fellows in 2009 for her contributions to driving and community mobility practice. Her focus on driving was grounded in her passion for occupation and the role of community mobility as an occupation enabler. In 2015 she transitioned her research line to occupation-based practice and has since developed a practice model, an assessment to measure practice, completed two occupation-based clinic makeover studies, and is exploring the use of occupation-based assessments across practice areas. Dr. Stav currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at Saint Louis University.

Exploring the Needs and Filling the Gaps for Families in the Baby Bridge Program

This session will explore the program development process and utilize a capstone project as an example of how to apply the process to a community-based occupational therapy program for infants and their families.

Ashley Wagner, OTD, OTR/L

Catherine Hoyt, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA 

Stacy West-Bruce, OTD, MSW, OTR/L 

Lift As You Climb: Tips for Using Supervision & Mentoring Roles To Support and Elevate Occupational Therapy Students and Colleagues with Targeted Identities - 2 hour

This workshop offers an opportunity for participants in clinical, academic, and leadership roles to add to their understanding of the importance of identity-informed mentoring and supervision. Large and small group discussions, case analysis, and interactive. Skill practice will be used to create a learning-focused environment where attendees can gain comfort and leave the session with skills and strategies needed to uplift all of the students and colleagues they support.

Dr. Laura Landon, OTD, OTR/L, Alyssa Adams, OT/S, Maddesyn Langley, OT/S, McKenna McCoy, OT/S, Camri Pratt, OT/S, Elle Rufkahr, OT/S

Enhancing Occupational Therapy in Cardiac Acute Care: The Evaluation Process

This session highlights the pivotal role of occupational therapists (OTs) in the acute care rehabilitation of cardiac patients. Attendees will learn to design and execute comprehensive evaluations tailored to the unique needs of this population, utilizing evidence-based assessment tools that facilitate the development of effective and individualized intervention plans. By the end of this session, attendees will be equipped with knowledge of five essential evaluation domains supported by current evidence. They will also be able to identify assessment tools that effectively address these domains for the purpose of improving patient care outcomes.

Addressing Language Barriers and Healthcare Disparities through Practitioner Education

Through active engagement, this short course highlights strategies practitioners can utilize to strengthen rapport and therapeutic interactions with clients who are emergent bilinguals or exhibit limitations in their English proficiency. These strategies include room set-up, resource selection, documentation, and much more. This presentation is open to anyone with a desire to develop the necessary skills for approaching language and literacy, a social determinant of health that contributes to health disparities and poorer rehabilitative outcomes. 

Utilizing Tier 1 Mental Health Interventions in the School Setting

The session will review methods to implement Tier 1 interventions within your school-based practice. Every Moment Counts is a tiered intervention approach created by occupational therapists that capitalizes on the non-academic time that children are in school to deliver occupation-based interventions. Occupational therapists can use their expertise in activities of daily living and social participation to improve participation at school. This session will provide information on the Comfortable Cafeteria program, an Every Moment Counts initiative, and provide qualitative details on an experience implementating this program in a Kansas City, Missouri elementary school. 

William (Bill) Janes, OTD, MSCI

OTR/L, & Erin Delmore, OTD

Determining the Usability of a Web Based Resource for Dressing

This session will introduce a prototype resource for exploring ready-to-wear adaptive clothing for people with disabilities. Speakers will review the importance of dressing to all aspects of daily life, explain the three-phase development process that led to prototype, and propose next steps for implementation in the community.

Securing the profession: Everyday advocacy for practitioners, students, and faculty

There is an intricate relationship between policy and clinical practice, as data reported in practice directly influences policy and payment models (Silver et al., 2022). Medicare's recent announcement that the main reason for denying therapy reimbursement is due to a lack of documented medical necessity of therapy services demonstrates the detrimental impact of clinicians' lack of understanding of the healthcare system (Medicare Learning Network, 2024). Payment decreases to providers through the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule totaling $5.2 billion from 2013 through 2021 further underscore the urgency of understanding healthcare policy and advocacy (The American Occupational Therapy Association, 2023). This session will focus on the critical need for occupational therapy students, practitioners, and faculty to actively advocate for the profession. Attendees will gain practical ideas and resources for advocacy in their day to day work. Collaborative dialogue and shared experiences will foster an environment where challenges are addressed, innovative solutions are explored, and best practices are shared. By empowering students, practitioners, and faculty to advocate for occupational therapy now, we secure and enhance the future of the profession.

NBCOT® National Certification Exam: Information You Need to Know

During this session, an NBCOT Ambassador will share valuable information about preparing and applying for the national OTR and COTA certification exams. Specific topics include exclusive details about the exams, study tool resources, test day information, data regarding exam questions, and advice from other students and recent certificants. This presentation will allow you to be better informed about the various aspects of the national certification exam experience.

Chelsea James, MOT, OTR/L, RYCT, RYT-200

Erica Willimann, MOT, OTR/L 

The Importance of Sports as Occupation for Toddlers with Physical Disabilities: Combining non-profit community programming with occupational therapy student education

In this short course, we will present an overview of our program curriculum we have developed for sports as occupation for toddlers with physical disabilities. This curriculum was developed and implemented for the community non-profit setting and advanced over the last 3 years in partnership with Washington University to advance program development and outcomes with 3 different occupational therapy student (MSOT and OTD) groups. We have found success combining the community non-profit sector with a local OT education program and resources in our community for occupational therapy to provide occupational justice and offerings for this population.

Laugh without Leaking: Basic supports for pelvic floor- 2 Hours

Toileting continues to be inconsistently addressed by clinicians (Beaudry-Bellefeuille et al., 2019). Clients may hesitate to verbalize bladder-related needs due to social norms. Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) are experts in therapeutic use of self, task analysis, and both spoken and unspoken communication (AOTA, 2020). These strengths plus our profession’s drive to safeguard occupational identity, distinguish OTPs from other healthcare team members (AOTA, 2020). After this course, participants will be more self-assured in the general assessment of bladder function and implementation of diaphragmatic breathing, intra-abdominal pressure management, water intake guidelines, and mindfulness techniques. Please consider this invitation to expand your skills, knowledge, and empathy for this most intimate of interventions – the re-establishment of dignity.

Abigail Nepean, OTD, OTR/L

Stephanie M. Allen, OTD, MOT, OTR/L

Bridging the Gap: Uniting Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant Students for Collaborative Intraprofessional Learning

This presentation aims to empower and encourage educators to improve the intraprofessional collaboration education at their university or college through creation of deliberate learning opportunities to improve their students' ability to collaborate with OT team partners once in practice. 

Impact of the Updated MO State Guidelines for School-Based Practice - 2 Hour Workshop

The MO State Guidelines for OT/PT Practice in Public Schools have not been updated since 2009! A LOT has happened since then, including the passing of federal laws (Every Student Succeeds Act - ESSA) and changes in state Medicaid billing. This year, in 2024, new guidelines are finally drafted! This session will walk attendees through the changes to the document. We will discuss how to use this document to support the full scope of practice for occupational therapy within the schools and beyond handwriting. Attendees will be able to identify supports, discuss potential barriers, and work through real-life scenarios regarding what OT should look like in the schools. So, bring examples and all of your questions to this session!

Crystal Gateley, PhD, OTR/L

Corynn Boyer, OTD, OT

Transforming Occupational Therapy Practice and Education with AI: An Interactive Beginner’s Guide

Discover how artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionize occupational therapy practice and education in this engaging one-hour beginner session. Participants will explore AI tools through interactive activities tailored for occupational therapy to enhance student learning and client outcomes. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. For optimal engagement, please consider having a free AI tool such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, or Claude available to try out various AI-assisted activities. Come join us for a fun session and leave with creative strategies to transform your approaches with clients and/or students! 

Rachel Fagan, OTD

William (Bill) Janes, OTD, MSCI

Is it Feasible to Create an Adaptive Gaming Program on a College Campus?

This session will explore the development of an Adaptive Gaming Program (AGP) at the University of Missouri designed to support students with disabilities. Attendees will learn about the challenges, successes, and key strategies for establishing similar programs on other campuses, focusing on accessibility, equipment selection, and the role of occupational therapy throughout.

AOTF: Advancing the Science of Occupational Therapy to Improve Practice

During this 60 minute short course, we will review the role of research in the field of occupational therapy and how the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) has contributed to the development of science within the field over the past 60 years. This presentation will review the three main area’s of AOTF’s mission to build the evidence of occupational therapy, support early career professional and increasing the research capacity of the field. Participants will learn about the different awards and funding mechanisms available for all levels of learners and practitioners.

Mario Millsap, MS, OTR/L

Duana Russell-Thomas, OTD, OTR/L

Reimagining Occupational Therapy: Harnessing the Power of Community Engagement Reimagining Occupational Therapy: Harnessing the Power of Community Engagement

Join us for a 60-minute presentation where we explore the essential role of community engagement in occupational therapy (OT). We will define community engagement. discuss its significance, and highlight benefits like improved client outcomes and stronger community ties, as well as challenges such as limited resources. Viewing OT through a human rights perspective, you’ll learn strategies to enhance your practice, supported by real-world examples and interactive activities. By the end of the session, you’ll have practical tools and insights to integrate meaningful community engagement into your work, ensuring your practice remains relevant and impactful in serving your communities