Special Events

7:30 pm–9:00 pm
Special Interest Sections (SIS) Networking Reception

New and seasoned SIS participants—don’t miss this favorite informal event to get your Conference experience off to a great start! Take the opportunity to meet and network with both new and experienced colleagues who share your specialty interests. Meet your SIS leaders and explore your own SIS leadership opportunities. Each SIS has a designated gathering area at the reception so you can enjoy networking at its best.

Admission to this event is FREE!
(Cash bar and free snacks will be available.)

7:00 pm–10:00 pm
Doctoral Network Reception and Annual Meeting

Research Priorities and Where You Fit In
Shelly Lane, PhD, OTR, FAOTA

As Dr. Florence Clark is in her first year as AOTA’s President, and Ms. Diana Ramsey continues in her role as President of the AOTF Board of Directors, the AOTA/AOTF Research Advisory Panel (RAP) enters its second term with both new and continuing members. Dr. Shelly Lane, Chair of the RAP, will present current research priorities identified by this group and discuss what this means to occupational therapy researchers.

Informal Roundtable mentoring sessions will begin at 6:30 pm, followed by the formal reception and meeting at 7:30 pm. The informal mentoring is optional and participants will be asked to sign up for their mentor prior to coming to the Doctoral Network Meeting.

$30 per person (Includes light refreshments.)

7:15 am–7:45 am
First-Timers’ Orientation

Get the tips you need to make the most of your first AOTA Annual Conference & Expo during this fast-paced 30 minute presentation! Join us at the First-Timers' Orientation where the AOTA Director of Conferences will be on hand to help guide you through the extensive programming options and answer all of your questions. 

Included with Conference registration.

7:30 am–9:00 am
International Breakfast

Broadening Our View of International Disaster Response: How Experiences in Haiti Can Inform Occupational Therapy Practice
Debra Tupé, PhD, OTR

On January 12, 2010, a catastrophic earthquake shook the foundations of Haiti—its land, its government, its social institutions, and the everyday occupations of its citizens. Over 200,000 people perished and 1.5 million people were displaced from their homes. An estimated 300,000 children and adults sustained complex and/or disabling injuries.

The international community and humanitarian organizations immediately responded to the urgent call for help, sending medical teams, logistical experts, and essential supplies of food, water, clothing, and monetary donations. Occupational therapists from across the globe responded in kind, volunteering their time, sharing their knowledge, and caring for those in need. 

The lessons learned from experiences in Haiti’s post-earthquake context provide the backdrop for understanding the role of occupational therapy in disaster situations and international environments. Employing a top-down approach, this presentation explores the confluence of socio-cultural context and political will in constructing and reconfiguring notions of disability, occupation, and participation during phases of disaster recovery, rehabilitation, and restoration.

The occupational therapist’s role as provider, consultant, educator, and advocate is presented and evaluated within the broader context of international development and humanitarian relief. Questions designed to promote reflective practice, such as the role for occupational therapists as first responders, addressing cultural and professional challenges, international work and whether it requires an essential or specific skill set, and how to ensure fidelity to ethical practice, will be discussed in an effort to identify and distinguish competencies of best practice within a specific and particular global community. Interpretative frameworks are introduced to illuminate associations between the critical contributions of occupational therapy to human rights and social transformation.

$35 per person. (Includes breakfast.)

4:00 pm–5:30 pm
Welcome Ceremony and Keynote Address

Shonda Schilling, Author of The Best Kind of Different

Shonda Schilling, the wife of retired major league baseball pitcher and hall-of-fame candidate Curt Schilling, is a star in her own right. She is the mother of a child with a disability, a Stage II melanoma cancer survivor, the founder of Shade Foundation of America, and the outstanding author of her book The Best Kind of Different. In her keynote address, Shonda will describe her son Grant’s irrational behavior in his struggle with Asperger’s syndrome and the amazing experience he has had with occupational therapy to help “slow his engine down and self-regulate his responses.” She will share the effectiveness of occupational therapy in her family and the difference it has made between peace and constant conflict. It has given them hope that they can “get to the finish line” and continues to show them the potential significance of occupational therapy in lives regardless of the issues or obstacles faced from disabilities, injuries, or illnesses.

5:30 pm–9:00 pm
Expo Grand Opening and Reception

Immediately after the Welcome Ceremony ends we invite you to join us in the Expo Hall for an Opening Reception full of networking, delicious hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and hundreds of exhibits to explore! An added opening reception feature this year is having keynote speaker Shonda Schilling available in the AOTA Marketplace to greet attendees and sign copies of her book The Best Kind of Different

Included with Conference registration.

8:30 pm-10:30 pm Students Un-Conferenced After the first full day of conference, come join your fellow students for a fun meet-and greet. Remember, networking is one of those all-important professional skills that doesn’t appear on your resume; start to hone those skills here as you meet your student colleagues from around the country and have a great time! Entertainment will be provided.

Included exclusively with Conference registration for students; Ticket required. . (Includes cash bar and entertainment.)

7:30 am–9:00 am
17th Annual AOTF Breakfast With a Scholar

  Ruth Purtilo, PhD, PT, FAPTA

The intersection of human values and health care practices often creates collisions, creating vexing moral dilemmas that demand careful reflection and wise counsel. Start your morning with a hearty breakfast and stimulating conversation with Ruth Purtilo, an internationally acclaimed writer, lecturer, and health care ethicist.

Formally educated in physical therapy at the University of Minnesota and holding Masters of Theology and PhD degrees from Harvard University, Dr. Purtilo has held prestigious endowed appointments and fellowships at Creighton University, the MGH Institute for the Health Professions, Yale University, and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Among her many prestigious awards are four honorary doctorates, a distinguished alumna award from Harvard Divinity School, and her selection as the 2000 MacMillan Lecturer for the American Physical Therapy Association, that organization's most prestigious honor.

Dr. Purtilo is the author of six ethics books and over 100 compelling articles, and was a leading voice recognizing the social policy dilemmas associated with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Join us for stimulating conversation on the latest ethical issues confronting healthcare and rehabilitation as we advance into the second decade of the 21st Century.

$50 per person. (Includes breakfast, with a book signing following breakfast.)
Proceeds help support Foundation Research, Scholarship, and Leadership Programs.

Sponsored by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF)

11:15 am—12:00 pm
Presidential Address

High Definition Occupational Therapy’s Competitive Edge: Taking It to the Health Care Reform Playing Field

  Florence Clark, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

In Nicomachean Ethics, Book 1, Chapter VIII, Aristotle wrote that “in the Olympic Games it is not the most beautiful and the strongest that are crowned, but those who compete…so those who act win, and rightly win, the noble and good things in life.”  This is the time for our profession to exercise the competitive spirit – so that we can be front and center on the widescreen of health care reform.  To do so will require striving at all times to do our best, not taking high performance for granted, and cultivating individual excellence.  Our competitive advantage will emerge from always putting forth the best within us and truly relishing being engaged in competition in all spheres of occupational therapy – practice, science, education, advocacy, and building of a professional organization. 

Included with Conference registration.

12:30 pm–1:30 pm
Special Interest Section (SIS) Roundtable Discussions

Each of the 11 Special Interest Sections, the Hand and Private Practice Subsections, and Driving and Home Modification Networks, will hold small group discussions, now extended to one hour by popular demand!

Speakers have identified current topics in specialty areas of their practice that will engage you and provide you with the opportunity to ask questions and share your experiences. Choose a discussion that relates to your practice today or one that addresses something new that you’ve been curious about. Topics will be listed in advance on the Web site and in the Onsite Program Guide. Seating is very limited to allow for close interaction between all participants.

Tickets are free and included with Conference registration but you must obtain a ticket in advance at the AOTA Member Resource Center during the Expo Grand Opening on Thursday, April 14, for the session that you wish to attend.

2:00 pm–5:00 pm
AOTF 2011 Research Colloquium and Tea

Translational Research in Occupational Therapy: Understanding Sensory Processing

Moderator: Shelly Lane, PhD, OTR, FAOTA

Speakers: Shelly Lane, PhD, OTR, FAOTA; Grace Baranek, PhD, OTR, FAOTA; Stacey E. Reynolds, PhD, OTR/L; Mary Schneider, PhD, OTR, FAOTA

Sensory processing disorders represent a significant part of the concerns of occupational therapy practice, whether related to autism spectrum disorders or other developmental disabilities. This colloquium will feature the work of four scientists whose work ranges from rodents to primates to humans, demonstrating how occupational therapy clinical problems can be approached through a wide array of relevant research along a translational continuum.

The 2011 Colloquium will feature a student panel, consisting of [name 1, name 2, name 3, name 4], who will comment on the work and stimulate discussion in the traditional Research Colloquium manner.

$35 per person. Includes formal tea.

5:15 pm–6:30 pm
Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture

Accentuate the Positive: Reflections on Empathic Interpersonal Interactions

  Beatriz C. Abreu, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

One of the guiding beliefs of occupational therapy is that through positive empathetic interactions we can reach out in a caring manner, trusting that the individuals we work with will find their own strength. Interpersonal interactions are critical in direct care, education, and research and are related to health and satisfaction. Given the importance attributed to such interactions, further efforts to explore and understand this interactive process needs to be expanded.
 
In this lecture, the presenter will examine emotions and the enactment of empathy from a positive psychological perspective, incorporating personal reflections in an attempt to increase awareness of, and attention to, interpersonal interactions.  Reflections about practice habits that accentuate empathy, cultivate positive attitudes, and affirm individual strengths can enable us to expand the personal growth that is possible through occupational therapy.

Included with Conference registration.

8:00 pm–11:00 pm
2011 Foundation Gala: “Dancing With the Stars (Philly-Style)”

It’s back by popular demand! Join the American Occupational Therapy Foundation’s Gala for a spectacular evening of fabulous food, fun, and fundraising as dancers compete for bragging rights in AOTF’s 2nd Annual “Dancing with the Stars” competition. Network with friends, indulge your taste buds in mouth-watering Philly-style delicacies, and enjoy the ambiance of the dance entertainment. Cast your vote for your favorite dancers and bid on unique Silent Auction items to raise funds in support of AOTF. You won’t want to miss the excitement as our contestants put on their dancin’ shoes and dance the night away at this year’s extravaganza!

Your participation in the AOTF Gala supports the Foundation’s programs to advance occupational therapy education, research, and leadership and is tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.

$115.00/person: Reception, Dessert, and Dance Competition, 8:00 pm–11:00 pm

$ 45.00/person (Student Discounted Rate): Dessert and Dance Competition, 9:00 pm–11:00 pm
P.S. If you can’t make this party, you can still vote for your favorite dancers by visiting the AOTF Web site at: www.aotf.org.

8:30 am–9:30 am
10:00 am–11:00 am
SIS Buzz Sessions (formerly SIS Interactive Sessions)
Back by Popular Demand! 

Each SIS has selected a topic of current interest to their practice area for a brief presentation and a facilitated discussion. These sessions will provide opportunities for active participation by attendees to ask questions, share answers, and participate in discussions to promote interactive learning between colleagues. 

9:00 am–10:30 am
Centennial Vision Session (SC226)

(AOTA) Pixel Power: The Centennial Vision in High Definition

A high definition image is a paradox. Each tiny picture element (pixel) makes a small contribution to the image, yet the total image created by so many pixels is sharper, clearer and more powerful than images composed of fewer, larger elements. Similarly, local actions by members are the pixels essential to achieving a high definition Centennial Vision by 2017. This session focuses on "pixel power"-- grassroots efforts of individual practitioners and state associations which contribute to a High Definition Centennial Vision. Panelists will describe their activities and initiatives. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with the panel and each other to identify individual opportunities and courses of actions which contribute to a "powerful, widely-recognized, science-driven and evidence-based profession with a globally-connected and diverse workforce, meeting society's occupational needs."

9:30 am–11:00 am

Attend one or all three highly popular Tech Day sessions and experience hands-on, interactive exploration of high and low technology products that enhance client participation in occupations across the lifespan. Sessions will address technology applications for children and adults of all ages. Products and software will be demonstrated and attendees will have the opportunity for hands-on learning on a variety of topics at multiple work stations.  Ten different stations will be set up during each of the 1.5 hour sessions.

11:15 am–11:45 am
Plenary Session
 
Evidence-based Practice and Knowledge Translation in the Era of Healthcare Reform: Opportunities for Occupational Therapy

  Kenneth J. Ottenbacher, PhD, OTR, FAOTA

Scholarship in occupational therapy is sometimes viewed as not consistent with the highest levels of evidence-based practice. This perception is incorrect. The integration of evidence-based information with models of knowledge translation reveals that traditional approaches to judging and interpreting scientific evidence are incomplete.  New models of evidence-based health care suggest the importance of context in evidence informed knowledge translation. Occupational therapists are ideally suited to contribute to the process of engaged scholarship that will be required to successfully implement the prevention and wellness related initiatives associated with health care reform.

Included with Conference registration.

12:00 pm–1:00 pm
AOTA’s 91st Annual Business Meeting

Come and join Dr. Florence Clark as she presides over her first Annual Business Meeting. Learn from our leaders the progress that has been made in moving us toward our Centennial Vision goals and ways you can become involved in this extraordinary journey. Sit with colleagues from your state and proudly yell out “Present” during roll call. Then feel free to come to a microphone to ask questions and give your feedback. Your Association and profession need you to help create this positive future for 2017! Come join the excitement!

5:30 pm–6:30 pm
Annual Awards & Recognition Ceremony

Each year AOTA and AOTF take great pride in honoring our colleagues who have made significant contributions to the profession. Join friends, family, and colleagues as we gather to recognize and pay tribute to those whose achievements have enriched the field of occupational therapy. This important ceremony provides a wonderful opportunity for each of us to reconnect with our profession and reflect not only on the accomplishments of others, but our own capacity for achievement. All are welcome!

Open to the public.

6:45 pm–7:45 pm
Annual Awards & Recognition Reception

Our honored award recipients are ready to celebrate! Please join them and all your colleagues to enjoy an evening of mingling and sharing of good wishes at this wonderful event.

$35.00 per person (Includes hors d’oeuvers and cash bar.)

7:30 pm–10:30 pm
AOTPAC Night: KaraOTe Idol III

We heard you loud and clear – “do it again!”

In 2010, there was such great talent and so many entries we want to raise the bar again -- so don’t miss this WOW event.  Let’s take it up another notch for 2011! 

Warm up your voices and rehearse your moves for this one of a kind competition and party.  AOTPAC’s annual celebration will feature our third KaraOTe Idol  mixed in with dancing and music.  Individual and group entrants are welcome! We encourage students to put together a group and show your school spirit.

Your ticket is a contribution to AOTPAC for our political purposes.

OT/OTA: $40; Students: $25 (Includes snacks; cash bar.)