FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

7:30 – 8:00 am | Registration and Breakfast

Continental Breakfast

8:00 – 8:30 am | Opening Plenary

A. Welcome to the NCOTA Annual Conference

Swetal Thaker, MS, OTR/L, and Katie Jones, EdD, OTR/L, CLT-LANA, CWT

NCOTA Continuing Education Co-Chairs

B. Welcome from the NCOTA President

Charley Cross, MS, OTR/L

NCOTA President

C. Behind the Scenes with Your NCOTA Lobbyist

Ashley Perkinson, JD

NCOTA Lobbyist

8:30 – 9:00 am | NCOTA Award Presentations

9:00 – 10:00 am | Keynote Address

A. The Courage to Uphold Humanity: Reimagining Occupational Therapy Through Building Community, Connection, and Collective Action

Arameh Anvarizadeh, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA

AOTA Board President (2025-2028)

10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Exhibitor Hall, AT Design Competition & Poster Sessions

1:00 – 3:00 pm | Concurrent Workshops (2.0 CEU)

A. Addressing Sleep in Behavioral Health: OT Approaches and Collaboration

Allison L. Taylor, OTD, OTR/L, CPRP

Mental Health & Behavioral Health | Audience Level: Intermediate

The purpose of this workshop is to empower occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) to address the occupational domain of sleep and sleep disruptions among adults with behavioral health conditions. The role of OTPs in addressing sleep in this population will be reviewed, grounded in OT theory, and outlined through OT-informed approaches to assessment and intervention. Through an interactive course component, participants will learn how to collaborate effectively with other team members while advocating for OT involvement to promote improved occupational engagement.

B. Feeding with Understanding: Autism, Sensory Needs, and Mealtime Success

Kimberly Holt, OTD OTR/L; Kalyn Moeller, MS OTR/L

Children and Youth | Audience Level: Introductory

This session provides practical, evidence-based strategies to support children with sensory-based feeding differences during family mealtimes. Learners will use food chaining to build gradual transitions from preferred to non-preferred foods, encouraging success and dietary expansion while respecting sensory needs. Participants will identify modifiable environmental factors—such as seating, lighting, noise, and food presentation—and examine how these influence regulation and engagement. The session also reviews research on sensory-based interventions to inform clinical reasoning and intervention planning. Additionally, learners will explore how family routines, consistency, and caregiver expectations shape positive feeding experiences, integrating hands-on practice, environmental adjustments, and family-centered approaches to support meaningful, sustainable mealtime success.

C. Utilizing Genograms to Explore Family’s Sensory, Occupational, and Emotional Inheritance

Shannon Preto, OTR/L

Non-Traditional | Audience Level: Intermediate

When we treat children and other clients, we return them to their family systems with new or increased capacities for regulation and emotional engagement. Sometimes the family system integrates in response; other times, longstanding patterns of dysregulation shape how that regulation is received. Supporting caregivers in understanding the development of their own nervous systems can enhance regulation, occupational engagement, and emotional growth throughout the family. By increasing awareness of inherited adaptive patterns, we can improve therapeutic outcomes. The Genogram offers a rapid, visually rich way to explore how caregivers’ sensory systems adapted to their environments and the degree of emotional support they experienced during development. Bringing these influences into awareness can deepen understanding, foster compassion, and support more intentional, regulated choices now and across generations.

D. Reframing Pediatric Behavior Through the Lens of Sensory, Regulation and Executive Function

Brittni Winslow MS, OTR/L

Children and Youth | Audience Level: Introductory

As pediatric OTPs, we know how behaviors are a topic of discussion. We see children who melt down, shut down, or push back against nearly everything, and the behaviors can impact progress within our sessions as well as disrupt harmony within the settings where they spend most of their time. Practitioners who address the behavior on its own rarely get to the root of what is actually happening. The nervous system is trying to communicate something, and until we learn to read that signal, we are working with only part of the picture.

This workshop builds a three-part clinical framework rooted in sensory processing, self-regulation, and executive function. Through case studies and guided application, participants will practice shifting from a response-focused lens to an interpretive one, and will leave with practical tools for carrying that shift into their clinical work and the families they serve.

E. Visual Assessment Protocol for the Neuro Population in Acute Care and Functional Implications for Driving

Gina M. Garriss MS, OTR/L CBIS; Helen Houston MS, OTR/L

Physical Rehabilitation & Chronic Conditions | Audience Level: Intermediate

This presentation will describe the development and implementation of a visual assessment protocol designed for OT practitioners working with neuro patients in acute care. The project addressed a practice gap identified through a departmental needs assessment. Attendees will learn how an evidence-based protocol, staff education, documentation templates, and quick-reference tools were developed and integrated into a busy acute care environment. Participants will have the opportunity to perform visual screenings and explore interventions. Attendees will learn how these visual impairments can affect functional tasks such as driving. This presentation provides a practical model to improve identification of visual impairments and support OT practitioner’s role in discharge planning including referrals to optimize vision and a comprehensive OT driver evaluation to determine fitness to drive.

F. The Value of Strengths-Based Occupational Therapy Practice for Autistic Adults

Sharon Eva

Mental and Behavioral Health | Audience Level: Intermediate

Research highlights significant barriers preventing autistic adults from engaging fully in meaningful daily occupations. Consequently, they remain an underserved population. However, occupational therapy is uniquely equipped to bridge this service gap. We are experts at analyzing components of occupations, identifying barriers to engagement, and cultivating problem solving skills so that our patients and clients are empowered to be active participants in their own lives. This session will provide occupational therapy practitioners with strategies to deliver person-centered, neurodiversity-affirming care with a focus on sensory health. The presentation covers applicable theoretical frameworks like strengths-based approaches and the social model of disability, practical strategies to facilitate daily engagement, and interactive case scenarios which will be workshopped together.

4:30 – 6:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions (1.5 CEU)

A. From policy to practice: Ethical leadership to support students with disabilities

Pamela Kasyan-Howe

Education, Research, & Scholarship | Audience Level: Intermediate

OTs are positioned to lead efforts to improve inclusion and participation for individuals with disabilities in education and society. This course explores how OTs can apply ethical leadership to influence policy, practice, and institutional culture. Using regulations, participants will examine systemic barriers, societal narratives, and advocacy strategies. Attendees will gain tools to promote accessibility, equity, and occupational justice through ethical leadership at the organizational level.

B. Interdisciplinary clinical collaboration between OT and Nursing programs at UNCP.

Jose Rafols, EdD, OTD, MHSA, OTR/L; Stanley Paul PhD, MD, OTR/L

Education, Research, & Scholarship | Audience Level: Intermediate

OT and Nursing collaborative at UNCP yielded a joint project in Fall of 2025. It allowed the OT Program to teach groups of nursing students the basics of safe patient mobility. Forty-nine nursing students were briefed on patient handling, common transfers, body-mechanics and use of assistive ambulation equipment. Then students practiced patient transfers and use of assistive ambulation equipment. The collaborative venture fostered interdisciplinary exchange and assisted in developing tailor-made two-day training modules that promoted transfer skills attainment among first year nursing students. Students’ feedback during lab debriefings reported that they enjoyed the hands-on lab. Overall, the experience of this joint venture identified that there is ample opportunity within the College of Health Sciences to continue the collaboration between occupational therapy and nursing disciplines.

C. Promoting Student Success in Fieldwork Education

Caroline Andrews, OTD, MS, OTR/L; Helen Houston, MS, OTR/L

Education, Research, & Scholarship | Audience Level: Introductory

This short course will emphasize the essential role of occupational therapy practitioners in serving as effective fieldwork educators. Key topics include expectations for supervision, professional communication, delivering constructive feedback, understanding learning styles, and navigating common challenges that arise during fieldwork experiences. The course will also introduce practitioners to a variety of free resources designed to support and enhance their effectiveness as fieldwork educators.

D. Limb Loss to Life Participation: OT’s Role in Prosthetic Rehabilitation

Karen Ambrose, OTR/L; Sierra Ruggiero, OTD, OTR/L, CNS

Physical Rehabilitation & Chronic Conditions | Audience Level: Intermediate

Individuals with lower limb loss often experience significant physical, psychosocial, and functional challenges that impact their ability to resume life roles and routines. Many of these individuals subsequently utilize a lower limb prosthesis to participate in meaningful occupations. While disruptions in occupational engagement are common, Occupational Therapy (OT) has not been as consistently recognized as a central contributor in lower limb prosthetic care and rehabilitation compared to other members of the interdisciplinary team.

This course aims to shift the narrative, positioning Occupational Therapy Practitioners (OTPs) as essential members of the interdisciplinary team while advocating for the importance of utilizing our full scope of practice. It highlights OT’s unique contributions in promoting dignity, autonomy, and meaningful participation in daily life for individuals using lower limb prostheses.

E. Living after Surviving: The Critical Care Recovery Center at Duke University Hospital

Louise (Meg) Williamson, OTR/L, BCPR

Physical Rehabilitation & Chronic Conditions | Audience Level: Advanced

After attending this course, the OTP will understand the complexities of post intensive care syndrome, the long term deficits that arise after an ICU stay and how occupational therapy can be involved in the recovery process. This course will also review program development, interdisciplinary networking and how a clinic was formed at a large teaching hospital. In this advanced course, we will dive into statistics of ICU survival, how cognitive impairments can impact someone’s ability to return to work, driving, caregiving and other multi-faceted life roles. With the autonomy given in the OT practice, we can learn from each other how to be creative, push the boundaries and advocate for our patients who have survived the impossible.

F. Grounded in Nature, Rooted in Regulation: Nature-Based Pediatric OT

Josie Samuelian Bruno, OTD, OTR/L; Lauren Clark, OTR/L

Children and Youth | Audience Level: Introductory

The physical and mental health benefits of nature are well established, especially in young children. However, children today are experiencing a “nature deficit,” causing adverse effects on health and development. This course will explore the many health benefits of exposure to nature in young children through an occupational therapy-based lens while sharing personal experiences with a nature-based OT pilot program. Attendees will learn how to confidently implement nature-based interventions into pediatric occupational therapy practice, with a specific focus on interoception, sensory processing, and emotional regulation.

G. The Process and Framework of Integrating an Interprofessional Student-Run Clinic

Rebekah Siekierski, OTS; Zola Sheek, OTS; Ainsley Kidwell, PTS; Haley Briles, PTS

Interprofessional Practice & Collaboration | Audience Level: Introductory

The Interprofessional Student Run Clinic (IP-SRC) at East Carolina University offers occupational and physical therapy services at no cost to those who are uninsured or underinsured in Eastern North Carolina. Students gain hands-on, interprofessional clinical experience under the supervision of licensed faculty. This student-led clinic also promotes professional development by having students be responsible for all administrative tasks, including patient communication, scheduling, and operations. This session will provide a process and potential framework for the successful development and integration of a graduate-level interprofessional student-run clinic, including interactive discussion of lessons learned during the institution of the IP-SRC and opportunities for attendees to reflect on the lessons learned in the development and implementation of a student-run clinic in their area.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

8:00 – 10:00 am | Concurrent Workshops (2.0 CEU)

A. From Idea to Impact: Mentorship Strategies for OTD Capstone Students

Nikki Hancock, OTD, OTR/L; Denise Donica, DHSc, OTR/L, BCP, FAOTA, FNAP

Education, Research, & Scholarship | Audience Level: Introductory

Clinicians and educators alike are invited to learn more about the OTD capstone process and its impact on occupational therapy practice and client outcomes. This session will outline key phases of the OTD capstone process in alignment with ACOTE standards, including planning, implementation, and dissemination, while clearly defining the mentor’s role in supporting student success across each phase. Participants will explore practical, evidence-informed mentorship strategies to guide project development, execution, and professional identity formation. Guided reflection will help attendees evaluate and strengthen their own clinical and educational mentorship practices. Overall, this session equips participants with tools to effectively mentor OTD students, strengthening mentorship competence to enhance educational outcomes and the impact of occupational therapy through high-quality, evidence-informed, student-driven capstone experiences.

B. Pediatric CIMT: Indications, Implementation, and Training

Rebecca Thompson, OTD, OTR/L; Brandi Marlin, OTS; Natalie Smith, OTS

Children and Youth | Audience Level: Introductory

This presentation explores Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) as an evidence-based intervention within pediatric occupational therapy, emphasizing its application for children with unilateral upper extremity impairments, including hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Core elements of CIMT, such as constraint of the unaffected limb, intensive functional practice, shaping, and goal-directed activities are examined through the lenses of neuroplasticity, developmental disregard, motor learning theory, and the PEOP model. Research supporting CIMT as a best-practice intervention for enhancing upper extremity function, spontaneous limb use, and sustained functional outcomes is reviewed. The session supports professional growth by strengthening clinical reasoning, encouraging ethical and family-centered implementation, and bridging evidence to practice. It also offers practical application for clinicians, educators, and students through a pediatric CIMT summer camp case example integrated with a Level I fieldwork experience.

C. OT + AI: Don’t Get Replaced, Get Ready

Joshua C. Lucas, OTD, OTR/L, CLVT; Kiyah Lucas, OTAS

Technology, Assistive Technology | Audience Level: Introductory

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing health care, education, and daily occupations. This session will introduce occupational therapy practitioners to practical, ethical, and occupation-centered ways to understand and use AI without replacing clinical reasoning. Participants will explore how AI can support learning, documentation, ideation, environmental problem-solving, accessibility, and client-centered intervention planning. Using the Kawa Model and the concept of FLOW, the session will examine how AI may reduce barriers, support participation, and improve occupational engagement across practice settings. Ethical considerations, including privacy, informed consent, bias, over-reliance, and professional responsibility, will be discussed. Participants will leave better prepared to evaluate AI tools, use them responsibly, and help lead occupational therapy into the future.

D. Role of the Occupational Therapy Practitioner in the NICU and Pediatric Acute Settings

Caroline Davenport, OTR/L; Melissa West, OTR/L

Children and Youth | Audience Level: Intermediate

This session examines the occupational therapy practitioner’s role in the NICU and pediatric acute care settings, including how to apply the Synactive Theory of Development and the Family-Environment-Neurobehavioral-Neuromotor-Sensory (FENNS) Framework to guide daily care. Attendees will learn to read infant stress cues and use positioning and handling techniques to help infants reach a calmer, more organized state, along with how to administer standardized assessments such as the NeoNeuro and INFANIB, supplemented by observational skills to guide treatment planning. The session also covers feeding assessments and strategies to support infants with bottle feeding. Throughout, presenters will emphasize the critical role of family involvement in the treatment process to achieve the best outcomes for the infant and child.

E. Kinesiology Taping for Chronic Swelling and Scar Management

Shalene Orallo, MOT, OTR/L, CBIS, CLT-LANA, ALM

Physical Rehabilitation & Chronic Conditions | Audience Level: Introductory

This course/workshop delves into the essential roles of the lymphatic and circulatory systems in filtering and transporting interstitial fluid, waste, and proteins within the body. Participants will explore the pathophysiology of hypertrophic scars and fibrotic tissue to gain an understanding of how these conditions can impede lymphatic flow. Through practical demonstrations, learners will acquire effective taping techniques designed to soften scar tissue, alleviate skin tension, and enhance lymphatic drainage, ultimately promoting improved range of motion, healing, and recovery.

F. When the Struggle Isn’t Visible: Upholding Humanity Through Early Recognition of Cognitive and Sensory Changes

Karen Johnson, MOT, OTR/L, CBIS, CSRS

Mental and Behavioral Health | Audience Level: Introductory

Many individuals living with cancer-related cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological conditions experience subtle cognitive and sensory changes that significantly impact participation, daily function, and quality of life. Because these challenges are often invisible, they may go unrecognized, leading to reduced confidence, participation restrictions, and delayed intervention. This interactive workshop will equip occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) with practical strategies to identify functional cognitive and sensory changes, integrate lived experience into clinical reasoning, and apply person-centered approaches that uphold dignity and participation. Through case studies and discussion, participants will strengthen assessment, intervention, and advocacy skills that support earlier recognition of cognitive challenges and advance occupational therapy’s role in promoting equitable, human-centered care. Participants will also be introduced to a practical functional cognition framework that supports earlier recognition, stronger clinical reasoning, and participation-focused intervention across practice settings.

G. A Journey: Film, Storytelling, and Occupational Therapy in Action

Anne Dickerson; Rachel Taylor

Non-Traditional Practice | Audience Level: Intermediate

Storytelling is a powerful tool for communicating complex ideas and persuading people to change.1 As educators, our stories engage students and serves to shape their professional identities. This short course will discuss how we were successful receiving grant funding to develop a three independent, but related short films to tell the journey of an older adult loss of her driving privilege with collaboration of a fine arts filmmaker. The first film (Between the Lines) shows how medically at-risk drivers can be identified and why occupational therapy is needed. “On the Road” illustrates how occupational therapists can make decisions about driving risk. Finally, “Navigating Tomorrow” promotes occupational therapy as the “place to go” for community mobility. We will discuss how to use these films for education as well as demonstration of the importance and promotion of our profession.

10:15 – 11:45 am | Concurrent Sessions (1.5 CEU)

A. Integrating high-fidelity simulation into OT/PT curricula through cross-cultural collaboration

Sanchala Sen, OTD, MS, OTR/L, BCPR, FAOTA; Tina Webb, PP-OTD, MS, OTR/L, CSRS, CGCP; Chinno Ingram, DrOT, MS, OTR/L, PTA, CEAS

Interprofessional Practice & Collaboration | Audience Level: Intermediate

This presentation highlights a unique, grant-funded collaboration between Winston-Salem State University’s OT/PT program educators and Mayo Clinic’s OT/PT clinical educators created to strengthen students’ transition from the classroom to the clinical environment. Building on more than a decade of shared educational successes, the two institutions jointly participated in a two-day, high-fidelity simulation course designed to develop curriculum that better prepares students to manage complex patient acuity, communicate effectively across professions, and navigate crucial conversations in high-stakes settings.

In response to the increasing need for hospital-based clinical learning opportunities, the partners customized simulation scenarios to expose students to realistic clinical situations and to familiarize them with evidence-based communication tools before beginning their clinical rotations.

B. The Persistent Drive for Autonomy: Understanding PDA from the Inside Out

Mary Bird, OTR/L

Children and Youth | Audience Level: Intermediate

This session explores how occupational therapists can support individuals with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), an autism profile characterized by an anxiety-driven need to resist everyday demands. Attendees will learn to recognize sensory sensitivities and regulation needs, and to build client confidence through flexible, low-pressure strategies rather than compliance-based approaches. Key adaptations include offering choice and autonomy in daily and academic activities, using sensory-informed strategies to reduce anxiety, providing alternatives to verbal communication such as drawing, play, or visuals, and allowing child-led sessions with flexible expectations and a curious, non-confrontational approach. The session also covers how to support parents in adjusting expectations and avoiding demand escalation, focusing throughout on client strengths and interests rather than deficits. Attendees will leave equipped to serve as a bridge between therapeutic support and everyday life for PDAers and their families.

C. Integrating Lived Experience into OT Education: Using Live Client Encounters to Teach Humanity in Practice

Kayleigh Fessenden, OTD, OTR/L; Jennifer Smith, MS, OTR/L

Education, Research, & Scholarship | Audience Level: Introductory

This session explores how integrating live client encounters into occupational therapy education strengthens empathy, ethical reasoning, and rapport building. Using structured interactions with individuals living with stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury, students engage in occupational profiles, interviews, and assessments that move learning beyond simulations and case studies. Presenters will outline strategies for preparing students and clients, facilitating respectful communication, and creating meaningful reflection opportunities. Presenters will also discuss the benefits of students working with clients who demonstrate real functional deficits rather than practicing solely on classmates or faculty, highlighting how authentic encounters better prepare students for fieldwork, strengthen professional reasoning, and build confidence. The session also examines ethical considerations, including client dignity and emotional safety.

D. Centering Occupation to Cultivate Justice-Focused OT Practitioners

Raheleh Ghasseminia PhD MS OT/L; Barb Hooper PhD, OTR, FAOTA; MaryBeth Gallagher PhD, OTR/L, BCMH

Education, Research, & Scholarship | Audience Level: Intermediate

This session presents an occupation-centered OTD curriculum where occupation serves as both the organizing foundation for teaching and learning and as a central mechanism of health and well-being. Occupation-centered education helps students connect learning to the profession’s core domain; however, its role in preparing justice-focused practitioners is less explicit. This session addresses that gap by demonstrating how intentionally centering occupation as the core competence of occupational therapists cultivates students’ capacity to recognize and respond to inequities in practice. Presenters illustrate how meaningful “moments that matter” in the classroom, simulation experiences, and fieldwork support student development as attentive, ethical, and responsive practitioners and foster dignity, participation, and justice across diverse and complex practice contexts. Participants will leave with practical strategies applicable to teaching and supervision.

E. Using Student Program Design Assignments to Develop Innovative OT Health Promotion Programs for Older Adults

Maryann Brennan, OTD, MA OTR/L; Grace Russ, MSOT-S

Community, & Population Health | Audience Level: Intermediate

Social isolation and physical inactivity are significant threats to health, participation, and quality of life among older adults. This presentation introduces The Virtual Village, an occupational therapy health promotion program designed to support social participation, physical activity, and engagement in meaningful occupations through a virtual group format. Attendees will explore the program’s development, theoretical rationale, intervention design, adaptation strategies, and anticipated outcomes related to aging in place. The session will demonstrate how occupational therapy practitioners can use occupation-based, low-cost, and scalable approaches to address community health needs while promoting participation, wellness, and independence. Participants will leave with practical ideas for implementing similar programs in community, telehealth, and aging services settings.

F. Helping Clients Navigate the Healthcare System

Kathryn Sorensen

Physical Rehabilitation & Chronic Conditions | Audience Level: Introductory

Drawing on decades of lived experience with Osteogenesis Imperfecta and over fifty surgeries, this talk offers a practical guide to navigating the healthcare system as a patient with a disability. Topics include health literacy and its impact on outcomes, concrete strategies for communication, organization, and self advocacy with providers, and the financial realities of disability, including earnings gaps, out of pocket costs, and disability benefit programs. The presentation also examines the link between mobility disability, social isolation, and loneliness, supported by current research. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to better support patients navigating similar challenges.

G. Exploring Museum Engagement as Community Level Practice

Karen M. Edwards, MS, Ed, MS, OTR/L; Molly Hull

Non-traditional | Audience Level: Introductory

With nearly 300 museums across North Carolina, the state offers abundant opportunities for cultural and community engagement for our clients. Museums can support learning, social connection, relaxation, and discovery. Increasingly, museums are reaching new audiences, including people with disabilities, by reducing barriers to participation and creating meaningful, inclusive experiences. With expertise in how context influences performance, along with skills in activity analysis and strengths-based practice, occupational therapy practitioners are well positioned to partner with museums to improve access to these important community resources. Participants will leave the session with greater awareness of museum accessibility initiatives, a deeper understanding of the benefits of arts interventions and museum participation for people with disabilities, and a plan for collaborating with local stakeholders and museums to support community participation.

H. Classroom Capstones: The Secret Ingredient!

Kaitlyn Wright, OTD; Amy Mahle, EdD, COTA/L, ROH

Education, Research, & Scholarship | Audience Level: Introductory

This presentation explores the untapped partnership between occupational therapy doctoral capstone students and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) programs. Participants will learn how both students and educators can benefit from this collaboration. Capstone students can support curriculum development, student engagement, classroom activities, and program initiatives while gaining valuable experience in an emerging practice setting. OTA educators can benefit from additional support, fresh perspectives, and student-driven contributions that enhance learning environments and program growth. The goal of this session is for students to discover educational settings as a meaningful capstone opportunity and for educators to recognize capstone students as a valuable, readily available resource that can strengthen OTA programs and enrich educational experiences for all involved.

I. Beyond Biomechanical: Mindfulness as a Clinical Tool in Outpatient Rehabilitation

Elizabeth Williams, OTD, OTR/L

Physical Rehabilitation & Chronic Conditions | Audience Level: Introductory

In outpatient orthopedics, occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) rely heavily on biomechanical interventions, including physical agent modalities (PAMs). However, these methods often overlook physiological stress, which can influence pro-inflammatory biomarkers and delay tissue repair. This session explores the mind-body connection, demonstrating how to layer brief mindfulness techniques directly over standard PAM protocols. Highlighting a 5-week clinical initiative where 100% of patients reported reduced physical tension and pain, this presentation provides actionable strategies to integrate mind-body care directly into everyday orthopedic treatment. 

This session advances professional development by addressing the primary barrier to mind-body integration: practitioner reluctance. By reframing mindfulness as a valuable tool to enhance physical recovery, OTPs will be empowered to reclaim the profession’s holistic roots and establish mind-body integration as a baseline standard of care.

12:00 – 1:00 pm | Concurrent SIS Lunch & Learns (1.0 CEU)

A. Off-the-Shelf Independence: Commercially Available Assistive Technology

Heather B. Smith, MS, OTR/L, ATP; Lindsay Boyce, OTR/L

Technology, Assistive Technology, and ?

This session will explore commercially available assistive technology (AT) that occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) can readily integrate into evaluation and intervention across home, work, and community settings. Participants will review a range of off-the-shelf solutions—including smart home devices, adaptive clothing and footwear, medication management systems, and consumer electronics—and examine how these tools can be leveraged to support independence, safety, and participation. Using clinical examples and a human–activity–technology framework, the presentation will highlight strategies for matching commercially available AT to patient goals without reliance on insurance or specialized procurement pathways. This session will advance OTP practice by expanding awareness of accessible, cost-effective AT options and promoting creative, client-centered approaches to intervention that enhance functional outcomes and everyday independence.

B. Compensation for School-Based Occupational Therapists: Understanding the Complexities, Promoting Transparency, and Defining Next Steps

Karen Merchant MOT, OT/L; Melissa LeViner OTR/L

Children and Youth SIS

This session will examine the complexities of school-based occupational therapist compensation, including factors that contribute to salary variation, inconsistencies in compensation practices across the state, and their impact on recruitment, retention, and workforce sustainability. Participants will learn about current advocacy efforts to increase compensation transparency, review available statewide compensation data, and discuss the path forward. By increasing awareness, promoting informed decision-making, and equipping practitioners with advocacy tools, this presentation will support the occupational therapy profession by strengthening the school-based workforce, advancing compensation transparency, and fostering continued advocacy for equitable compensation practices.

C. Essential Suicide Prevention Skills for Occupational Therapy Across Practice Settings

Carli DiMeo, OTD, OTR/L, BCP; Allen Keener, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, ATP, FAOTA

Mental and Behavioral Health SIS

Suicide risk is not confined to mental health settings. Occupational therapy practitioners across practice areas routinely encounter individuals with suicide risk factors yet often report limited preparation for identifying and responding to suicidality. This session will provide practical, evidence-informed strategies for integrating suicide screening and intervention into occupational therapy practice. Using Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory of Suicide as a guiding framework, participants will examine how perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability contribute to suicide risk and identify opportunities for occupation-based intervention. Attendees will explore screening approaches, appropriate responses to positive screens, safety planning principles, referral pathways, and documentation considerations within the occupational therapy scope of practice. Through clinical case examples, participants will gain actionable tools to recognize risk, initiate compassionate conversations, and support suicide prevention across diverse practice settings.

D. Going Beyond ADLs: Intervention Sharing for Adult Rehab

Isabel Carter, MSOT, OTR/L; Kayla Tabet, OTD, OTR/L, BCPR; Tina A. Webb, PP-OTD, MS, OTR/L, CSRS, CGCP; Jeffery T. Lucas, PhD, OTR/L, CDP, CKTP, CAPS

Gerontology and Physical Disabilities SIS 

Join the co-chairs from the Gerontology and Physical Disabilities SIS for a collaborative discussion and exchange of ideas to refresh your adult rehab treatment toolbox. OT treatment ideas largely focus on ADLs in settings such as acute care, inpatient rehab, and skilled nursing facilities to help clients return to living at home. There are infinite creative and evidence based treatment ideas that target the deficits that patients are in these rehab settings to address. Let’s come together and share success stories and what has been motivating our clients lately.

1:15 – 2:15 pm | Business Meeting and Vote on Bylaws (1.0 CEU)

All conference attendees are invited and encouraged to attend. A quorum of NCOTA members is needed to conduct the vote on bylaws.

2:30 – 4:00 pm | Concurrent Sessions (1.5 CEU)

A. Acute Care in Action: Strengthening Clinical Reasoning Through Simulation

Megan Hardee, MAEd, COTA/L, CBIS; Caroline Andrews, OTD, MS, OTR/L

Education, Research, & Scholarship | Audience Level: Introductory

This session highlights how simulation-based learning prepares occupational therapy students for complex acute care settings. Through hands-on case studies, students practice managing acute diagnoses, medical precautions, and hospital equipment in a safe environment while implementing client-centered interventions. A central feature of this program is the active collaboration between academia and practicing OT clinicians. Faculty and hospital-based therapists work together to develop, refine, and implement these simulation scenarios. This partnership ensures that training reflects current, real-world standards, clinical complexities, and shifting hospital protocols. By bridging the gap between classroom theory and clinical practice, this immersive training builds the clinical reasoning, confidence, and competence needed to deliver safe, patient-centered care.

B. Harnessing Equine Movement: Bridging Real and Simulated Interventions for Clinicians

Katie Gowan, OTS; Brooke Rochester, OTS; Kalin Creech, OTS; Tykashi McNeal, OTS; Alison Schilf, OTS; Dr. Heather Panczykowski, DHSc, OTR/L, FAOTA

Physical Rehabilitation & Chronic Conditions | Audience Level: Introductory

Complementary approaches, specifically the use of equine movement as a therapeutic tool, has become an increasingly popular intervention for both adults and children. These approaches may be used in place of, or alongside, traditional occupational therapy services. This session will review the therapeutic benefits of equine movement and provide clinicians with an overview of its advantages and referral considerations. When live equine movement is not feasible, high‑technology equine simulators offer a practical clinic‑based alternative. This presentation will examine translatable, evidence‑based research supporting the use of simulated equine movement across multiple diagnoses. Participants will gain hands‑on experience using an equine simulator and develop treatment activities applicable for use in clinical practice.

C. Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

Alison Parker, PhD; Kathy Hotelling, PhD

Physical Rehabilitation & Chronic Conditions | Audience Level: Introductory

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an invisible disability that impacts 1 in 20 across the United States. A small percentage of youth are diagnosed with FASD; and FASD is often misdiagnosed as ADHD, ODD, or Autism. This results in inappropriate therapeutic techniques and medications that have limited, short, or no success in reducing symptoms. Even for those that receive a diagnosis, children and adolescents with FASD may experience a number of challenges in their behavioral, cognitive, and physical functioning. FASD is a whole-body diagnosis. Thus, awareness of FASD is important among professionals that work with youth in order to provide services and supports that address the complex needs and whole-body health of youth with FASD.

D. Challenging Expectations: Assistive Technology Services in the School Systems

Jacob S. Anderson, MOTR/L, ATP

Technology, Assistive Technology, & Environments | Audience Level: Introductory

This session examines best practices for assistive technology (AT) service delivery in schools through individual, group, and countywide models. Participants will explore the strengths and challenges of each approach, focusing on student success stories, teacher implementation, and long-term sustainability. Key factors for successful AT integration—including collaboration, professional development, administrative support, and teacher/staff involvement—will be highlighted. Interactive discussions, real-world scenarios, and demonstrations of low-cost, innovative AT solutions will provide practical strategies to improve access, participation, independence, and educational success for students with diverse and complex needs.

E. Enhancing Patient Care Through Quality Assurance and Data Collection in a Student-Run Free Clinic

Chinno D. Ingram, DrOT, MS, OTR/L, PTA, CEAS; Jeffery Lucas, PhD, OTR/L, CDP, CKTP, CAPS

Home, Community, & Population Health | Audience Level: Intermediate

Student-run free clinics play a vital role in providing accessible healthcare while offering valuable educational experiences for future healthcare professionals. This presentation highlights the development and implementation of a quality assurance and data collection framework designed to enhance patient care, improve clinical operations, and support continuous quality improvement. Key performance indicators, patient outcomes, service utilization, and follow-up measures were systematically tracked to identify gaps in care and inform evidence-based interventions. The initiative also fostered student engagement in quality improvement processes and data-driven decision-making.

F. Integrating Lifestyle Medicine in Occupational Therapy Practice

Jennifer C. Smith, OTD, MBA, OTR/L

Non-Traditional | Audience Level: Intermediate

This course introduces lifestyle medicine and its six core principles, then examines common chronic health conditions and how a lifestyle medicine approach can help improve them. Attendees will learn practical strategies for incorporating these principles into occupational therapy practice and will apply them through a hands-on case study.

G. Application of Therapist Readiness Flowchart as a Checklist to Decrease Practitioner Injury

Sarah Wright, OTD, MOT, OTR/L; Hilary Till, OTR/L

Student & Early Career Development | Audience Level: Introductory

Musculoskeletal injuries from patient handling remain a leading cause of lost work time among occupational therapy practitioners. This session introduces an evidence-informed Therapist Readiness Flowchart—a rapid, pre-transfer checklist designed to help practitioners assess their own physical and cognitive readiness before engaging in high-risk mobility tasks. Drawing on national Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) standards, occupational health research, and validated pain measurement, the checklist provides a structured decision-making pathway to enhance safety, reduce injury risk, and support sustainable practice. Participants will learn how to apply the flowchart, integrate it into daily routines, and adapt it for various settings. By embedding therapist self-readiness checks into practice, occupational therapy practitioners can better protect their own health while delivering safe, effective client care.

H. Dementia – Why Should OTPs Take Away the Keys?

Helen Houston, MS, OTR/L; Courtney Stallings, OTR/L

Gerontology & Aging | Audience Level: Intermediate

Driving is the highest-risk instrumental activity of daily living (IADL), yet families of clients with dementia are often reluctant to take away the keys for fear of taking away their independence. Drivers with dementia are 2.5 to 4.7 times more likely than healthy older adults to be involved in vehicle crashes, and face increased risk of getting lost or causing harm to themselves and others. As activity analysis experts, occupational therapy practitioners are well positioned to identify functional impairments during IADL tasks; this session presents a framework that assimilates assessment results to determine driving risk. Attendees will learn how to use this research-based approach to help families navigate the difficult decision of driving retirement, reducing the emotional burden of that transition.

I. NBCOT® National Certification Exam: Information You Need to Know

Taz (Tae-Sun) Kang, MSOT, OTR/L, NBCOT Ambassador for North Carolina

Student & Early Career Development | Audience Level: Introductory

During this session, an NBCOT Ambassador will share valuable information about preparing and applying for the national OTP 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.

4:15 – 5:15 pm | Closing Plenary: Ethics (1.0 CEU)

OT Ethics and Implicit Bias

Amber L. Ward, MS, OTR/L, BCPR, ATP/SMS, FAOTA

Ethics | Audience Level: Introductory

This session involves a reminder of the OT Core Values, Code of Ethics, and Standards

of Conduct from the lens of implicit bias, ableism, and our own actions as OT

practitioners. We will examine the link of these everyday ethical concepts and bias with

client success, best practices for shared decision making, and fair treatment through

discussion and case study. The uncomfortable link of OT practitioners choosing a

“helping profession” and health disparities and disability will be included and research

presented. Concepts of communication intent vs. effect, equal access and inclusion,

and harnessing the strengths of OT will help participants increase their awareness of

the issues and offer actionable solutions.