2023 Sensory Symposium Speakers

RECORDINGS COMING SOON

Program
Speakers
Thank You Sponsors
Venue and Hotel Accommodations
Continuing Education Units

Virginia Spielmann, PhD, OTR/L (she/her)
Executive Director
STAR Institute

Virginia is a well-travelled speaker, coach and educator on topics including sensory integration, DIR/Floortime, child development and infant mental health. She has conducted trainings in Kenya, Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and the USA and leads workshops at international conferences.

Virginia is a founder and former Clinical Director of SPOT (Speech, Physical, and Occupational Therapy) Interdisciplinary Children's Therapy Center in Hong Kong, where she led a large and widely respected inter-disciplinary team.

Virginia obtained her BSc in Occupational Therapy in Oxford England (2002) and her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Mount Mary University, Milwaukee (2018). She is a DIR/Floortime Training Leader and Expert and clinical consultant for the Interdisciplinary Council for Development and Learning (ICDL). Her extensive pediatric experience includes children on the autism spectrum, as well as those with Sensory Processing Disorder, infant mental health issues, adoption, developmental trauma.

Virginia has considerable post-graduate training, she is certified on the SIPT and is currently completing her Ph.D. in Infant and Early Childhood Development with an emphasis on mental health, with Fielding Graduate University, in Santa Barbara. She is a published author and contributed to the STAR Frame of Reference as part of the 4th Edition of Frames of Reference for Pediatric Occupational Therapy, alongside Dr. Miller and Dr. Schoen.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter receives a fee from STAR Institute for presentations of courses.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Sarah Schoen, PhD, OTR/L
Director of Research
STAR Institute

Dr. Schoen is an occupational therapist with 30 years of clinical experience and a doctorate in occupational therapy from New York University (2001). She completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship awarded by the Developmental Psychobiology Research Group at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Department of Psychiatry, working with Dr. Lucy Jane Miller. During her fellowship she was awarded the Developmental Psychology Endowment Grant from the William T Grant foundation to study the Sensory Processing Scales, which she is co-developing and researching with Dr. Miller. Dr Schoen is currently an Associate Professor at the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions and has served on multiple doctoral committees. She also co-developed and teaches the monthly Advanced Mentorship trainings at the SPD Foundation. She is certified in Neurodevelopmental Treatment and has advanced training in Sensory Integration Therapy, Therapeutic Listening, and assistive technology. Dr. Schoen received the Recognition of Achievement Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association in 1997 and the Virginia Scardina Award of Excellence from the American Occupational Therapy Foundation in 2011.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter receives a fee from STAR Institute for presentations of courses.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Anita Bundy, ScD, OT/L, FAOTA, FOTARA, (she/her)
Professor Department Head, Department of Occupational Therapy
Colorado State University

Anita Bundy is Professor and Department Head in Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University; she has an honorary appointment at the University of Sydney in Australia where
she worked full time for 13 years. Anita has been a practitioner, educator and researcher in the area of sensory integration. Together with colleague, Dr. Shelly Lane, she edited two
editions of the textbook, Sensory Integration: Theory & Practice published by F. A. Davis. Anita has a particular interest in assessing and promoting children’s play.” Much of her work in the last 20 years has been in promoting “risky play” by helping adults balance dignity of risk with duty of care. She developed two play-related assessments to help professionals promote play as the primary occupation of children: the Test of Playfulness (ToP) and the Test of Environmental Supportiveness (TOES) available in, Play in Occupational Therapy for Children, a textbook edited by Diane Parham and Linda Fazio and published by Mosby. Together with Amiya Waldman-Levi, she recently co-authored the Parent/Caregiver Support of Children’s Playfulness (PC-SCP) published by the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Antoine L. Bailliard, PhD, OTR/L
Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
Duke University School of Medicine

Dr. Antoine Bailliard is Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy at Duke University School of Medicine. He is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned an M.S. in Occupational Therapy and a PhD in Occupational Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on exploring how sensory processing patterns affect community integration and participation in meaningful occupations. His community-engaged scholarship focuses on improving the delivery of community-based services for adults with serious mental illness. His theoretical work focuses on expanding understandings of occupational justice to enhance inclusion and understandings of how sensory processing patterns affect meaningful participation. Dr. Bailliard uses participatory methods to partner with people with lived experience with mental illness to design and implement research activities and in the development of tools and programs that improve the health, wellbeing, meaningful participation, and community integration of persons with serious mental illness. Dr. Bailliard’s clinical experience spans from working in acute inpatient mental health, chronic inpatient mental health, and community-based mental health settings. Currently, Dr. Bailliard is Co-Principal Investigator of a 5-year $2.4 million federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to design an innovative assertive outreach team to meet the needs of adults with serious mental illness who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Dr. Bailliard is also a consultant for the Public Mental Health Partnership between the L.A. County Department of Mental Health and UCLA and a consultant and trainer for the Institute for Best Practices at the Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Tracy Murnan Stackhouse, MA, OTR
Executive Director
Developmental FX (DFX)

Tracy Murnan Stackhouse, MA, OTR is the Executive Director of Developmental FX (DFX) in Denver, Colorado, a non-profit organization providing clinical and training services to engage and elevate pediatric therapeutic practice. She is a leading pediatric occupational therapist (OT) involved in clinical treatment, research, mentoring, and training regarding OT intervention for persons with neurodevelopmental disorders, especially Fragile X Syndrome and autism. Tracy has a master’s degree in developmental psychology/neuroscience. She received her NDT training with Lois Bly. She is SIPT Certified and was the clinical specialist in sensory integration at The Children’s Hospital in Denver as well as the OT for the Fragile X Research and Treatment Center. Tracy continued her clinical and research work with Dr. Randi Hagerman at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute during its start-up year prior to starting Developmental FX. Tracy has written several book chapters on sensory integration and neurodevelopmental disorders and teaches nationally and internationally on sensory integration, autism, fragile X, and related topics. She is the lead author for the SpIRiT & S.T.E.P.S.I. Clinical Reasoning Tools which are leading-edge evidence-based models in pediatric OT. These models are utilized in OT practices around the globe and included in the model at Camp Jabiru in Australia. The tools are shared through the “Spirited Conversations’ Podcast as well as through DFX’s training platform, Learning Journeys. Tracy has ongoing courses offered through Medbridge and iLs/Untyte (remote training use of the Safe and Sound Protocol). Tracy is a member of the National Fragile X Foundation Clinical Research Consortium, the Scientific And Clinical Advisory Committee, and the NFXF Advisory Council, and an expert advisor to the CDC and RTI Fragile X Priorities Panel.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Shelly J. Lane, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Professor and Academic Program Director
Colorado State University

Dr. Shelly J Lane is Academic Program Director at Colorado State University (CSU), Director of the Sensory Integration, Play and Occupational Therapy Lab at CSU, and a Conjoint Professor of Occupational Therapy at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She has engaged in aspects of pediatric occupational therapy practice, education and scholarship for over 45 years. Dr. Lane’s research has focused broadly on neuroscience applications in occupational therapy, and development and sensory integration/processing in children. Her recent collaborative research projects include neuroscience of play; sensory processing considerations for sleep in autism; and understanding the neuroscience underlying pediatric occupational therapy interventions. Currently she is also collaborating on projects related to clinical reasoning and reflective practice in occupational therapy; emotional regulation in autism; transition out of the military; neural synchrony; and sensory processing exacerbations during PANS exacerbations. Dr. Lane presents nationally and internationally, has published extensively, and has edited, co-authored and contributed to books addressing issues related to sensory integration and processing, neuroscience applications to practice, and pediatric occupational therapy practice.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Roseann C. Schaaf, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy,
Director, Jefferson Autism Center of Excellence,
Research Director, Collaborative in Ayes Sensory Integration®

Dr. Roseann Schaaf is Director of the Jefferson Autism Center of Excellence and Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She is also faculty in Jefferson’s Farber Institute for Neurosciences and Research Director for CLASI. Dr. Schaaf has a PhD in Neuroscience, a Master Degree in Education and a Bachelor Degree in Occupational Therapy. She has devoted her career to the study of sensory features in children with autism and other neurodevelopmental condition with the goal of improving the lives of these children and their families. The foci of her research is on the neural mechanisms of sensory features and developing and testing assessments and interventions that address sensory features to enhance function and participation in daily activities. She has received over $7 million dollars of funding in the past few years from the National Institute of Health, PCORI, the New Jersey Autism Research Program, the Eagles Autism Foundation and the Nancy Lurie Marks Foundation. Dr. Schaaf is the author of 6 books and over 100 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts. She has mentored dozens of students whose thesis or capstone projects range from clinical applications to neuroscience. In collaboration with Dr. Zoe Mailloux, Dr. Schaaf and her team at Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Jersey (Drs. Joanne Hunt, Elke vanHoodonk, Patti Faller; and Regina Freeman and Donna Kelly) manualized Ayres Sensory Integration Intervention and then conducted studies to evaluate its outcomes. They developed the Data Driven Decision Making Approach to guide therapist’s clinical reasoning as part of this work. Dr. Schaaf’s goals are to continue to generate evidence to support occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory integration, help make this intervention accessible to all children and families who can benefit from it and to see it gain prominence and respect across the world.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Heather Kuhaneck, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Professor and Program Director
Southern CT State University

Dr. Heather Kuhaneck is a Professor and Program Director of Occupational Therapy in the Recreation, Tourism, and Sports Management Department at Southern CT State University. She taught occupational therapy students for 19 years at Sacred Heart University, before coming to SCSU in 2023 to create the first public occupational therapy program in the state. Prior to teaching, she practiced as an occupational therapist for over 30 years, specializing in autism and sensory integration, working in urban, suburban, and rural public schools as well as private clinics in three states in New England and the midwestern US. Dr. Kuhaneck is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the co- editor of Case-Smith’s Occupational Therapy for Children and Adolescents. She is also the editor / co-editor of 3 editions of Autism: A Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Approach and 2 editions of Making Play Just Right. She is a co-author of the Classroom Sensory Environment Assessment and the Sensory Processing Measure first and second editions. She is certified in Ayres’ sensory integration and is fidelity trained.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Sarah Sawyer, MA, OTR/L
President of the Board | Spiral Foundation

Sarah is an occupational therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience working with children, families, adolescents, and adults. As the Clinical Director at OTA The Koomar Center, she oversees all therapeutic activities. Sarah began her career in the United Kingdom. In 2003 Sarah was awarded the Elizabeth Casson Trust Scholarship from Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, to attend Tufts University to complete her post-professional masters. Her thesis focused on therapists' clinical reasoning. Sarah has broad experience evaluating and treating individuals with Sensory Processing differences and has specialized training in listening therapies, feeding therapies and visual vestibular difficulties and DIR® Floortime Approach. Sarah has a particular interest in working with and supporting the families of neurodiverse individuals. Sarah is also passionate in supporting individuals and families that have experienced trauma and has collaborated with a number of colleagues to support the development of the role of OT in mental health and specifically the intersection of sensory processing, trauma and attachment. Sarah regularly shares her experiences through mentoring and presentations to educational facilities and other professionals broadening understanding of sensory processing and sensory integration therapy. In conjunction with her role at OTA, Sarah is also the president of the board of the SPIRAL Foundation - The Sensory Processing Institute of Research and Learning is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by Dr. Jane Koomar and Anne Trecker whose mission is to conduct research and provide professional and community education about sensory integration and sensory processing.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Renee Watling, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Program Director and Chair
University of Puget Sound

Dr. Watling has been a pediatric occupational therapist in Washington State for more than 30 years, working in clinic, school, and private practice settings. She has lectured and published extensively on the topics of sensory processing, sensory-based occupational therapy intervention, challenging behavior, and topics related to services for children with autism. She is
the lead author of the American Occupational Therapy Association Practice Guideline for Children and Adolescents with Challenges in Sensory Processing and Sensory Integration and the co-editor for Autism: A Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Approach, 3rd and 4th editions.

She is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and has been on select advisory panels for the organization. She is a past Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington – Seattle and is currently the Program Director and Chair of the School of Occupational Therapy at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Her current research focuses on examining practice patterns of OTs and the experiences of families who are receiving occupational therapy services.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Marco Leão, MOT
Founder and Director
AcademiaPediatrica and OTbrain

Marco Leão is an Occupational Therapist currently pursuing his PhD in Occupation and Rehabilitation Science at Colorado State University, under the mentorship of Professors Shelly Lane and Anita Bundy. In addition to his ongoing academic work, he is the founder and director of AcademiaPediatrica and OTbrain, two learning platforms for therapists, parents, and educators.

Marco is also significantly involved in sensory integration work, serving as the coordinator of the EASI Scoring Program for The Collaborative for Leadership in Ayres Sensory Integration® (CLASI). He earned his degree in occupational therapy and a master's degree in Occupational Therapy specializing in pediatrics from the School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ESS-IPP), and a postgraduate degree in Sensory Integration from 7Senses.

Marco Leão is often invited to lectures and courses in the area of pediatric occupational therapy, with courses in Portugal, United States, Brazil, Spain and Italy and more than 7000 trainees in the total of his training actions.

Having practiced as an Occupational Therapist since 2011, Marco has dedicated his career to helping families and children with developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, X-fragile syndrome, and sensory integration dysfunctions. He served as the director of the 7Senses clinic from 2015 to 2019. Outside of his professional commitments, Marco is a family man with two young children, an avid surfer, and a soccer enthusiast.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Shelley Mulligan, PhD, OTR/L FAOTA (she/her)
Associate Professor
University of New Hampshire

Shelley Mulligan, PhD, OTR/L FAOTA is an associate professor in the OT Department at the University of New Hampshire. She earned her doctorate in Special Education, and has over 25 years of experience as clinician, educator and researcher. Her expertise is in the evaluation of children with sensory processing and integration disorders. She is currently in the final phases of the development of new assessment tool titled the Sensory Processing Three Dimensions Assessment. She has numerous publications contributing to our understanding of patterns of sensory processing deficits, and how they impact the daily functioning of children. She is the author of the book, OT Evaluation of Children, 2nd Edition, and Associate Editor of the textbook Sensory Integration Theory and Practice, 2^nd Edition. In her free time you might her on the golf course, travelling with family, hiking, or skiing.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Gustavo Reinoso, PhD, OTR/L
Associate Professor
Drake University

Gustavo Reinoso currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Drake University. He brings more than two decades of experience in the field to his role, having worked with children and youth with disabilities in a variety of settings including government facilities, private institutions, schools, universities, and community organizations. Throughout his career, Dr. Reinoso has had the privilege of contributing to numerous textbooks and professional journals. His work primarily focuses on sensory processing and integration. Dr. Reinoso has had the opportunity to co-author two assessment tools in the US: the Structured Observations of Sensory Integration -Motor (SOSI-M) and the Comprehensive Observations of Proprioception (COP-R). He sees these achievements as opportunities to contribute to the wider professional community. In addition to his role at Drake University, Dr. Reinoso also enjoys his position as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California (USC). There, he is part of a team that teaches courses in Sensory Integration to professionals around the world. His research interests are broad and include sensory integration and processing, autism, children and youth, handwriting, measurement and statistics, disability studies, and assessment tool development.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Grace Baranek, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Associate Dean
University of Southern California

Dr. Grace Baranek, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is Associate Dean, Chair, and the Mrs. T.H. Chan Professor of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California. She received her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Illinois at the Medical Center, and both her master’s and PhD degrees in psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Baranek is a prolific scholar and expert on sensory features of children with autism and their longitudinal impacts on child and family outcomes. She is the author of the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ), widely used by researchers to characterize sensory features for children ages 2-12 years. She is also the lead author on the First Years Inventory (FYI), a screening tool for infants 6-16 months of age with elevated likelihood of autism in the community. As director of the USC Chan insp!re lab, she leads an interdisciplinary research team focused on the early identification of social-communication and sensory-regulatory risk markers of autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions, and on the development of parent-infant interventions. Dr. Baranek has been PI or Co-PI on many grants funded by agencies such as the NICHD, DoD, AOTA, Autism Speaks, and IES. As MPI of a study entitled “Parents and Infants Engaged (PIE): Evaluation of a Novel Intervention for Infants at Risk for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (R21 funded by NICHD), she is testing mechanisms of change in a novel parent coaching intervention, incorporating both sensory reactivity and prelinguistic communication domains to facilitate dyadic engagement in the context of daily activities and routines, based on the Optimal Engagement Band Model. She is also Executive Director for the Sensory Processing and Autism Network (SPAN), a clinical-research partnership to grow evidence-based occupational therapy practices and knowledge mobilization. Dr. Baranek has been recognized internationally for her autism research and named AOTA Fellow, AOTF Academy of Research Member, and International Society of Autism Research Fellow.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Diane Parham, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Professor Emerita
University of New Mexico

Dr. Diane Parham is Professor Emerita in the Occupational Therapy Graduate Program at the University of New Mexico (UNM). She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Occupational Therapy from the University of Florida and University of Southern California, respectively, and her PhD in Education from the University of California Los Angeles.

Dr. Parham is known for her research and scholarship in the fields of sensory integration (SI), play, and occupational science. Prior to moving to New Mexico, Dr. Parham was on the faculty at the University of Southern California for over 20 years, where she participated in the development of the PhD Program in Occupational Science as well as the OTD program. While on the USC faculty, Dr. Parham also taught a 4-month graduate course on sensory integration theory and practice at the Ayres Clinic for 20 years. In 2007 she joined the faculty at the University of New Mexico, where she taught courses on lifespan development, evidence-based practice, neuroanatomy, and sensory integration for 15 years. She retired from UNM in Fall of 2022.

Dr. Parham taught SI certification courses sponsored by the University of Southern California for over 25 years. While at UNM, she has received two teaching awards as well as national recognition for best research article of the year in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Among her publications are a textbook, Play in Occupational Therapy for Children, now being updated for a 3rd edition, and the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM and SPM-2), a set of nationally standardized questionnaires that now cover the lifespan, from infancy through older adulthood. She has co-authored the chapter on sensory integration in the pediatric OT textbook that is most widely used in the United States, Case-Smith and O’Brien’s Occupational Therapy for Children, since its first edition in 1985. Her research publications are primarily focused on issues in the field of sensory integration, but she also has contributed research on occupational therapy education.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Erna Blanche, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Clinical Professor
University of Southern California

Erna Imperatore Blanche, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA is Clinical Professor of Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Dr. Blanche is also co-founder of Therapy West, Inc., a treatment facility in Southern California serving children since 1985. As a bicultural and bilingual clinician, Erna has provided clinical services in English and Spanish, has taught and published in both languages, and has assisted in the design and implementation of culturally appropriate research. Erna has authored and co-authored multiple publications in the areas of evaluation and intervention of children with sensory processing challenges, neurodevelopmental disorders, and play. In her multiple roles of professor, international lecturer, and clinician, Dr. Blanche crosses the borders between clinical practice, education, and academic research.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Emily Campi, PhD, OTR/L
Postdoctoral Fellow
Chapman University

Emily Campi, PhD, OTR/L is a postdoctoral fellow at Chapman University. She completed her master’s and PhD degrees in occupational therapy and occupational science, respectively, at the University of Southern California Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She has two years’ part-time experience in school-based occupational therapy, and her research interests include parent-infant engagement and the impact of infant sensory reactivity and regulation differences on family interactions. Emily’s dissertation work focused on developing a multidimensional, observational measure of parent responsiveness to sensory reactivity and regulation in infants ages 6-18 months in various developmental contexts.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Melissa Park, PhD
Associate Professor
McGill University

Melissa Park, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine at McGill University, a core member of Participatory Research at McGill and full member of Centre de recerche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation du Montréal métropolitain. As an occupational therapist with a background in History of Art, Occupational Science, and Medical Anthropology, she has extensive clinical, research and pedagogical experience using the terms of humanities and rehabilitation to understand healing, transformative and relational processes at dyadic, systemic and sociocultural levels from first-person or experience-near perspectives using narrative-phenomenological and aesthetic conceptual frameworks. Her funded ethnographic and participatory research has focused on understanding and working with multiple stakeholders in mental health related issues, including persons with invisible disabilities, family members, health and social care professionals, policy makers and citizens on topics ranging from “healing” encounters and policy implementation to issues of neurodiversity, equity and justice.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Zoe Mailloux, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Executive Director
Collaborative for Leadership in Ayres Sensory Integration

Zoe Mailloux, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA is nationally and internationally recognized for her expertise in child development, sensory integration, autism, test development and occupational therapy. With more than 35 years of experience, Dr. Mailloux has been a champion for increasing understanding of individual differences, with the aim of enhancing participation in meaningful ways, for people of all abilities.

As research assistant to Dr. A. Jean Ayres, the originator of sensory integration theory, Dr. Mailloux began her career with a dedication to recognizing the importance of early sensory and motor experiences on learning and behavior. As an executive director in nonprofit therapy practices for more than 30 years, Dr. Mailloux has been known for developing innovative programs to support children and families. She also has an impressive record of research and scholarship, with more than 60 published journal articles and textbook. chapters and over 500 presentations at workshops and conferences, worldwide. Along with Dr. Diane Parham and Dr. Susanne Smith Roley, Dr Mailloux is an author of the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI), a set of 20 internationally normed tests for children ages 3-12 years.

As a consultant in program development and program evaluation, Dr. Mailloux passion is to share her knowledge and expertise about􀀁 the importance of sensory experiences in everyday life. She currently partners with individuals, programs, corporations and organizations on projects aimed at increasing understanding of and support for the sensory needs of all individuals.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Sharon A. Cermak, Ed.D, OTR/L, FAOTA

Professor
University of Southern California

Sharon Cermak is Professor at the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California (USC) and Professor of Pediatrics at the USC Keck School of Medicine. She is an internationally renowned scholar, researcher, and clinician with more than 200 publications. She is a charter member of the AOTF Academy of Research and, in 2018, she was voted as one of the 100 most influential occupational therapists in the US. Her research focuses on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder and sensory processing in different populations. Dr. Cermak is especially interested in the daily activities of families and children. She has completed studies of food selectivity and mealtime behaviors, oral care in children with ASD, and the relationship of physical activity, participation, and obesity in children with motor coordination disorders. Dr. Cermak recently completed a 3.7 million dollar randomized controlled trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to examine the benefits of adapting the sensory environment at the dentist to enhance oral care for children with ASD. She was a Co-investigator on NIH grants directed by Dr. Lisa Aziz-Zadeh to examine the neurobiological basis of social and motor deficits in ASD and dyspraxia.

Dr. Cermak has four grown children and seven grandchildren ranging in age from 1-12 and living in Boston, Atlanta, Hawaii, and Los Angeles making for great travel.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Mim Ochsenbein, MSW, OTR/L (she/her)
Clinical Director | STAR Institute

Mim Ochsenbein, MSW, OTR/L has been a practicing pediatric occupational therapist for over 25 years. She received her BSc in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1996 and her MSW from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2012. She has received advanced training in sensory integration (SIPT certification, STAR ProCert1, STAR ProCert2), listening therapy (Therapeutic Listening, iLs), feeding therapy (SOS), DIR, mental health (DC:0-5 Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood), and infant massage (CIMI). Her work in occupational therapy with children and youth has occurred in a variety of settings including early intervention, school based, clinic based, mental health and private practice. As a social worker, she provided case management, program development, and program management. Mim has taught both university level (California State-Dominguez Hills) and professional continuing education courses since 2013, spoken internationally, and has co-authored works for professional publications. She has been in her current role at STAR Institute since 2017 at the invitation of Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, FAOTA, OTR.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter receives a fee from STAR Institute for presentations of courses.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Michele Parkins, MS, OTR
Occupational Therapist
Founder of the Sensory Emotional Engagement Model
Faculty | STAR Institute

Michele Parkins is an Occupational Therapist specializing in working with children and families with Sensory Processing and Integration Disorder and challenges in social emotional development as the Founder and Director of Great Kids Place in New Jersey. Michele is faculty of STAR Institute, teaching Levels 1 and 2 Intensive Mentorships and STAR Proficiency Certification Levels 1 and 2. She is SIPT (Sensory Integration and Praxis Test) certified. Michele has co-authored two chapters and is contributing to research articles related to sensory processing and social emotional development.

Michele has Advanced Certification in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. She is DIR certified and is faculty of Profectum Foundation where she educates therapists all over the world on social-emotional development and the DIR model. She works closely with the New Jersey Association of Infant Mental Health providing training for early childhood workers on the impact of sensory processing differences on emotional regulation and relational health with caregivers and peers.

Michele’s passion lies in the use of play and affective interactions to facilitate social emotional development alongside sensory motor capacities. She has developed a play model reflecting this passion that is used in her practice – Great Kids Place. She advocates for all children and families impacted by Sensory Processing and Integration Disorder to help them and others to understand the impact of differences in sensory processing on social emotional development and well-being, including challenges in emotional regulation, developing and maintaining relationships and social skills. Michele is also a mother of two children with sensory processing differences. She uses her real life experiences to help her clients better understand the impact of SPD on family dynamics and relationships and the day to day demands of life with sensory processing differences.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Renee Allen, MS, OTR/L (she/her)
Occupational Therapist | ROOTS Therapy
Faculty | STAR Institute

Renee is a pediatric occupational therapist who has more than 20 years of experience treating children and their families with sensory processing challenges in homes, schools, and private clinics. She worked under Dr. Miller and Dr. Schoen at the STAR Institute from 2008-2011. She then opened her own small practice in Northeast Denver, where she continues to utilize the STAR model. Renee is Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) trained, Integrated Listening Systems (ILs) trained and holds an expert training leader certification in DIR /Floortime through the International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL). She has been teaching as Faculty for STAR Institute since 2015. She also supervises other OTs around the country. Renee is passionate about understanding development through the interdependent connections of sensory processing, regulation, and relationship and teaching parents and other professionals to be curious about these connections as well. To further her ability to support families, Renee is currently working toward a Masters in Social Work from Metropolitan State University.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Lisa Porter, PhD, OTD, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist | Sensory Kids, LLC
Faculty | STAR Institute

Lisa Porter is an occupational therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience. She received her master's in Occupational Therapy from Rockhurst University and her OTD and PhD from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Dr. Porter has advanced training in sensory integration (SIPT), Interpersonal Neurobiology, SOS Approach to Feeding, and Integrated Listening Systems. In 2010, Dr. Porter completed a fellowship at the STAR Institute, where she was mentored closely by Drs. Lucy Jane Miller and Sarah Schoen.

Dr. Porter is an assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN, and the founder of Sensory KIDS, in Portland, OR. She is also the lead faculty for the STAR Level II Intensive Mentorship Program. Dr. Porter also travels nationally and internationally, speaking and mentoring experienced therapists. She is a researcher and author, and recently co- authored a book with Dr. Lucy Jane Miller. Her research interests include parent learning, family-centered practice, and occupational justice.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Colleen Cameron Whiting, OTD, OTR/L (she/her)
Occupational Therapist | SPARK Sensory Clinic
Faculty | STAR Institute

Colleen has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist for over 20 years, primarily in the public schools. She received her Master's Degree and Post-Professional Doctorate from Boston University. Her expertise lies in holistically supporting children, particularly children with sensory processing differences, autism, and those that have experienced trauma. Colleen is passionate about the integration of sensory and relational-based support for children. As a clinician, she prides herself on being grounded in engagement with a focus on fun and the goal of improving the quality of life for her clients. Colleen has published numerous articles and chapters. She is SIPT and DIR/Floortime certified as well as trained in the use of Integrated Listening Systems. Colleen is a cofacilitator of the AOTA School Mental Health workgroup and has led multiple professional development trainings for occupational therapists, parents, and educators. Colleen is also the owner of a private practice called The SPARK Sensory Clinic, on the faculty for STAR Institute, and a lecturer for the post-professional OTD program at Boston University.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Robyn C. Chu, MOT, OTR/L (she/her)
Occupational Therapist | Growing Healthy Children Therapy Services
Faculty | STAR Institute

Robyn is founder and director of Growing Healthy Children Therapy Services, located in El Dorado County, California. She brings over 11 years of diverse clinical experience and a passion for helping others. Robyn began her career at Shriners Hospital for Children in Sacramento, and later became the Lead Occupational Therapist for the El Dorado County Office of Education. She has advanced training in Sensory Integration Therapy, completing mentorships and fellowships with Dr. Lucy Jane Miller at STAR Institute in Colorado.

Robyn has been working in the California school system for 14 years, both working directly for the office of education and as a subcontractor. Growing Healthy Children Therapy Services contracts into over 20 school districts and charter schools. Robyn oversees the school-based services provided by 40 therapists, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, assistive technology specialists, and speech and language pathologists.

Robyn has spent the last 8 years of her career dedicated to growing her private practice, which is now includes a state-of-the-art, multi-disciplinary therapy practice nestled on 3.5 acres in the Sierra Nevada Foothills and a satellite location in Davis. She has also serves as a Private Practice Consultant, supporting other growing therapy practices. As the director of Growing Healthy Children, Robyn has supported many families from around the world and mentored therapists across California. Over the years, Robyn has taught workshops to parents, teachers, and therapists and has guest-lectured at universities. She helped standardize the Miller Functional and Participation Scales, the GOAL assessment, and is now working on the SP3D. She also serves as a consultant for research teams at UCSF and Stanford. Robyn recently published a set of 10 Sensory Motor Activity Books to support families and therapists around the world. She also developed “The Gardening Game: A Learn and Grow Kit for OT” in order to encourage motor development and social skills.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Carolyn “Carrie” Schmitt, OTD, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Faculty | STAR Institute

Carrie is a 1996 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia Occupational Therapy program. She has worked in a variety of pediatric settings in Georgia, New York, and South Carolina, and Colorado. Over the past 20+ years, Carrie has continually sought to further her knowledge and understanding by completing continuing education on topics including sensory integration theory, infant massage instruction (IAIM), Integrated Listening Systems (iLs ), and Handwriting without Tears (HWT). She is NDT trained in pediatrics by the Neurodevelopmental Treatment Association and has completed the STAR Institute Intensive Mentorship Program (Level 1 and Level 2) as well as the STAR Instructor training program. STAR Institute currently employ Carrie on a contract basis.

As a wife and mother to four children, one of Carrie’s favorite things about working in the STAR model is coming alongside families to learn more about their child’s unique, individual strengths and challenges through family education and research-based intervention.

Presenter Disclosures:

Presenter does not receive monetary compensations for presentation.
There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.