Occupational Therapy 2021 OT Knowledge Exchange Special Guests

Dr. Anita Bundy is Department Head in Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University, and has an honorary appointment as Professor of Occupational Therapy at the University of Sydney in Australia. For more than 30 years, she has conducted research into children’s play and is recognized as an expert internationally. Together with Dr. Shelly Lane, she co-edited Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, a textbook used around the world.

Speaker Recommended Resources

• Bundy, A. C., & Lane, S. J. (Eds). (2020). Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.
• Grady-Dominguez, P., Ragen, J., Sterman, J., Spencer, G., Tranter, P., Villeneuve, M., & Bundy, A. (2021). Expectations and assumptions: Examining the influence of staff culture on a novel school-based intervention to enable risky play for children with disabilities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, online.
• Bundy, A., Engelen, L., Wyver, S., Tranter, P., Ragen, J., and Bauman, A. (2017). Sydney playground project: A cluster randomized trial to increase physical activity, play, and social skills. Journal of School Health, 87, 751-759. DOI: 10.1111/josh.12550

Brooke Wimer MOT, OTR/L, CYT-200

Brooke is an occupational therapist with fourteen years of experience in clinical care, leadership, program development, and professional education and training. She has spent much of her career working in mental health to include psychiatric hospitals, forensics, and community-based services. As an advocate of trauma-informed care, she has developed and directed the implementation of sensory-based methods for clients with neurodiversity. She values holistic and integrative health approaches, most recently completing a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training and attaining a certificate as an Ayurvedic Specialist. Brooke is also recognized for her expertise in animal assisted therapy finding this to be a transformative tool in supporting recovery.

Speaker Recommended Resources

• OT Innovations: Tina Champagne, OTD, OTR/L, CCAP, FAOTA
• The Sensory Connection Program: Karen Moore, OTR/L

Dr. Lane is currently Academic Program Director at Colorado State University and Professor of Occupational Therapy at University of Newcastle, Australia. With degrees in both occupational therapy and neuroscience, she has focused her research on neuroscience applications in occupational therapy, and neurophysiologic underpinnings of sensory integration and processing in children. Her current research addresses playfulness and interaction in father-child pairs; effectiveness of the Alert Program® for self-regulation in children with autism; and understanding the physiologic correlates of sensory modulation disorders and occupational therapy interventions. Her clinical work includes that with children who have experienced early childhood trauma, and children with sensory concerns linked to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Speaker Recommended Resources

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration- Understanding Child Trauma
• Understanding Child Trauma

2021 Virtual Keynote Speaker Dr. Antoine Bailliard, PhD, OTR/L, Associate Professor of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He is a research fellow at the Community Outcomes Research and Evaluation Center within the North Carolina Psychiatric Research Center and is a consultant and trainer for the Institute for Best Practices at the Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health at UNC-CH.

Dr. Bailliard’s research and clinical practice focus on enhancing the quality of life, community integration, and participation of marginalized populations such as adults with mental illness and migrant groups. As an occupational therapist, he has worked in inpatient and community psychiatry.

Speaker Recommended Resources

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Learn more about his work and the subject of his presentation

Patricia Davies received her PhD in neuroscience and developmental psychology. She is currently a Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy and director of the Brainwaves Research Laboratory. Her OT clinical specialty is pediatrics. Dr. Davies’ research focuses on the development of cognitive and sensory processing in the human brain using electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral assessments investigating both normal development and development in individuals with disabilities such as sensory processing disorders, autism, and ADHD. She has been invited to present her research internationally. Dr. Davies was selected to become a member of the AOTF Research Academy in 2010 and received the A. Jean Ayres Award in 2013.

Speaker Recommended Resources

• Article demonstrating the effectiveness of brain activity (EEG) to discriminate between adults, children, and children with sensory processing disorders

Molly is a senior occupational therapist at UCHealth’s Poudre Valley Hospital on the inpatient rehabilitation team. Molly’s clinical interests include environmental modifications and preparatory activities (including sensory strategies) to improve performance and participation in daily life in a restrictive hospital setting. Her other clinical interests include occupation-based behavioral approaches, OT in the emergency department, and OT in mental health. Molly is the recipient of multiple grants bringing sensory tools into the hospital environment and is currently leading work to train nursing staff in the use of behavioral strategies to improve safety and outcomes for youth with autism and other neurodiverse conditions.

Speaker Recommended Resources

• Lives in the Balance – A nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Ross Greene. Author of the Explosive Child and Raising Human Beings

Kendal Nolan is a recent graduate of the Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) Department at Colorado State University. She was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when she was 15 years old. Kendal also has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She is a proud and passionate advocate for individuals with disabilities. Currently Kendal is the Vice President of the Board of Directors at The Arc of Larimer County. She also volunteers for The Alliance for Suicide Prevention of Larimer County. Kendal also is collaborating with a professor of the HDFS department and together they are writing a literature review on Females on the Autism Spectrum throughout the Lifespan.

Speaker Recommended Resources

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Article 
• YouTube Channel The Mindful Movement guided meditation

Charles is the father of a 12 year old son who lives with Autism. His son received his diagnosis when he was only two years old. Charles has been by his son’s side for every step of his journey over the years. In 2014, Charles started his career with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. In 2016 the Sheriff’s Office collaborated with The Arc of Larimer County which assisted him with becoming the instructor for the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities class for the agency. Charles has been teaching this class ever since. In 2018, he was invited to The Arc national conference in Nashville Tennessee and presented on the collaboration between The Arc of Larimer County and the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office. This collaboration has helped bridge the gap between the justice system and individuals with disabilities who are incarcerated.  The collaboration assists individuals with understanding their legal situation.

Speaker Recommended Resources

• The ARC of Larimer County