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

Virginia Spielmann is an Occupational Therapist and the Executive Director of STAR Institute for Sensory Processing. She obtained her PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development in August 2021 and is Visiting Adjunct Faculty at Salem State University Occupational Therapy Department, and Affiliate Faculty at Colorado State Department of Occupational Therapy. She is a published author, researcher, and well-travelled and masterful public speaker.

Dr. Spielmann delivered a TEDx Mile High (Denver, Co) talk in December 2021. She consults on television and other media projects; co-founded & authored the Critical Core therapeutic role-playing game; and co-developed the Palaana sensory lounger with SLACK Lifestyle.

Dr. Spielmann still actively provides direct occupational therapy services, mentors therapists and clinicians from around the world, and provides direct support to infant mental health and early childhood teams. Her extensive clinical experience includes autism, differences in sensory integration/processing, infant mental health, adoption, foster-care, developmental trauma, and physical disabilities. Dr Spielmann’s areas of special interest include professional reflection and reflective practice, neurodiversity affirming care, trauma informed care, and epistemologies and ontologies of health care.

Virginia is affiliate faculty at Colorado State University, Occupational Therapy Department and Visiting Assistant Professor at Salem State University.

Virginia has considerable post-graduate training, she is certified on the SIPT. She obtained her Ph.D. in Infant and Early Childhood Development with an emphasis on mental health, from Fielding Graduate University, in Santa Barbara (2021). Her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Mount Mary University, Milwaukee (2018) and her BSc in Occupational Therapy from Oxford Brookes University, England (2002).

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:

• Financial: Virginia Spielmann serves as Executive Director for STAR Institute. 
• There are no other relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose. 

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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.

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

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.

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

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.

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Teresa A. May-Benson, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA 
Owner/President
TMb Education and OTR, Inc.
Speaker Disclosure

Teresa A. May-Benson, Sc.D., OTR/L, President/Owner of TMB Education, LLC and OTR, Inc., is a well-known lecturer and researcher on sensory integration. She is the author of the Adult/Adolescent Sensory History (ASH), the GI Assessment and the Test of Ideational Praxis in addition to numerous articles and book chapters on praxis, ideation, and sensory integration. She has extensive experience with children and adults with autism and a diverse clinical background having worked in private and public school settings as well as private practice. She is past Chairperson of the Sensory Integration Special Interest Section of the American Occupational Therapy Association. She is the recipient of the Virginia Scardinia Award of Excellence from AOTF, The Alice S. Bachman Award from Pediatric Therapy Network, and the Catherine Trombly Award from the Massachusetts Association of Occupational Therapy.

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Priscila (Caçola) Tamplain, PhD (she/her)
Associate Professor of Kinesiology
The University of Texas at Arlington
Speaker Disclosure

Dr. Priscila (Caçola) Tamplain is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and the Director of the Motor Development Lab at the University of Texas at Arlington. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Kinesiology from the Federal University of Parana and a Ph.D. in Motor Neuroscience from Texas A&M University (2011). She has over 17 years of experience integrating research and practice systems to better understand and optimize motor development in children. Her research focuses on motor development specific to assessment, mechanisms, and interventions in typical and atypical development, and is particularly focused on individuals with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)/Dyspraxia and related conditions, such as Autism and ADHD. She is also the founder of the Little Mavs Movement Academy (LMMA), a community-based motor skill intervention program for children and adolescents with movement/coordination difficulties. She is extensively published in the motor development field, with 88 peer-reviewed journal papers published and over 90 conference proceeding abstracts [current H-index of 27, i-10 index of 49]. She has been the recipient of the Lolas E. Halverson Motor Development Young Investigator Award (2013), a distinction given in recognition of outstanding contributions to her research in motor development and learning, and the Early Career Distinguished Scholar Award by Naspspa (2017), for outstanding achievement of scholars who are still in the early stage of their scientific careers.

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Emily Tull, MSOT, OTR/L, EP-C (she/they)
Co-Founder & Occupational Therapist
Peaks & Bounds
Speaker Disclosure

Originally from Virginia, Emily made the trek to Colorado in 2019, and has called it home ever since. Prior to occupational therapy, Emily's background was serving as a Certified Exercise Physiologist (EP-C) in recreational therapy and healthcare settings. Emily graduated with an MSOT from Colorado State University, where she conducted research on the impact of outdoor occupational therapy camps on children's praxis (motor ideation & planning) and behavioral regulation skills. Emily has experience working with pediatrics, adolescents & young adults, as well as older adults in home, community, and nature-based settings. As a neurodivergent adult (ADHD) herself, she appreciates the opportunity to connect with and assist other neurodiverse individuals.

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Emily Grieb, MSOT, OTR/L (she/her) 
Co-Founder & Occupational Therapist
Peaks & Bounds
Speaker Disclosure

Originally from Arizona, Emily has loved calling Colorado home for the last four years. Emily received her MSOT from Colorado State University where she completed a thesis on the impact of yoga on executive functioning for adults with acquired brain injuries. Emily received her B.S. in psychology and biomedical sciences at Northern Arizona University. She has experience working with children, teens, and young adults of varying abilities in a wide array of settings including schools, day programs, home health, clinics, and camps. Her passion for working with youth in the outdoors stemmed from working at a camp for neurodivergent children and teens, where she saw first-hand how the outdoors supported regulation, motor development, self-esteem, and overall well-being.

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Anna Knox, MSOT, OTR/L, CEIS (she/her)
Occupational Therapist
Salem State University / Emerson Health
Speaker Disclosure

Anna Knox is a Visiting Instructor for Salem State University as well as a practicing pediatric occupational therapist in a hospital-based outpatient clinic in Massachusetts. Anna has a Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Salem State University where she conducted her graduate research on barriers and supports to co-leisure of young children and their caregivers using an occupational justice lens. She has been working closely with children and families for over 10 years with specialty training and certifications in Sensory Processing & Integration, Pediatric Pelvic Dysfunction, Trauma-responsive practices, Early Intervention, Listening Therapies, and DIR/Floortime. Anna has lectured to students, families, and professionals on topics including trauma-responsive practice, pediatric toileting, sensory integration, relationship-based interventions, and occupational justice. She has worked with a diverse pediatric population from birth through age 18 and their families in the home, school, community, and clinic setting. Guided by values in strength-based and family-centered practice, Anna strives to support her clients to develop joyful engagement throughout all areas of life.

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Kathleen C. Schlenz, ABD, OTR/L (she/her)
Assistant Professor / Graduate Program Coordinator 
Salem State University
Speaker Disclosure

Kathleen Schlenz is an assistant professor and graduate program coordinator for the Occupational Therapy Department at Salem State University.  Her favorite occupational roles are as mother, daughter, sister, friend, learner, teacher, and college basketball fan.  She has had the great privilege of practicing as a licensed occupational therapist for over 38 years, primarily working with and learning from children with disabilities and their families.  Kathleen’s research interest lies in amplifying the voices and lived experiences of primary caregivers of young children with disabilities.  She is passionate about relationship-based and civically engaged approaches to learning in higher education and increasing diversity and equitable representation of marginalized communities in the profession of occupational therapy.

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Denise C. Cabrera Santos, PhD
Researcher
University of Campinas
Speaker Disclosure

Dr. Denise C. Cabrera Santos is currently a Researcher at the Department of Human Development and Rehabilitation, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), and a clinical advisor at the Rehabilitation Center of Piracicaba, Brazil.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Physiotherapy (São Paulo State University, UNESP) and a PhD in Medical Sciences (UNICAMP). Her professional activities include being an associate professor in the Postgraduate Program in Human Movement Sciences at the Methodist University of Piracicaba (UNIMEP), a Visiting Scholar at the Motor Development Lab (Texas A&M University), and a visiting scholar at the Center for Human Growth and Development (University of Michigan). Her main research interests are sensorimotor development of infants, risk and protective indicators for child development, and affordances in the home environment of infants.

Along with professors Carl Gabbard (Texas A&M University) and Priscila (Caçola) Tamplain (University of Texas Arlington), she authored the questionnaire "Affordances in the home environment for motor development - Infant Scale" (AHEMD-IS). The AHEMD-IS is a parental self-reporting instrument designed to assess affordances in the home environment of infants. Since its publication in 2015, the AHEMD-IS has gained in popularity as a clinical and research tool, being translated into different languages/cultures.