In a rapidly changing world,  we as OT professionals need collective mobilization like never before. But, it feels like our systems of advocacy are all underfunded and difficult to navigate. Against this backdrop, which can feel discouraging, I think it is critical to shine the light on what I consider one of the greatest OT triumphs of the past decade: The breakthrough of OTs into pelvic health.This is a story of grassroots organization, individual thought-leadership, Facebook groups, podcasts, phone calls, and ultimately collaboration on the individual, state and national level. We are thrilled to have 3 leaders from this movement, Alyson Stover, Carlin Reaume and Lindsey Vestal. Each has played a unique role in this movement and are here to share what they’ve learned from the wins and fails along the way. Ultimately, we hope this story and conversation helps you reflect on your role in advocacy in this new era. You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-advocacy-in-pelvic-healthFind a pelvic floor OT near you: https://otpotential.com/blog/pelvic-health-occupational-therapyLearn more about our guests:Carlin Reaume OTD, OTR/L, DipACLM, PMH-C, PCESLindsey Vestal OTR/LAlyson Stover MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCPHere's the primary research we are discussing:Pelvic floor dysfunction after childbirth: Occupational impact and awareness of available treatment.Support the Show.

The idea of AI transforming occupational therapy stirs both hopes and fears. Will it help us revolutionize our broken systems? Will it augment the best of our care? Or will it bolster inequality and threaten our jobs? This is a story we are actively writing—and have the power to shape.In this one hour course, we’ll talk to two leading voices on the adoption of AI and OT, Alyson Stover MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCP and Karen Jacobs OT, EdD, OTR, CPE, FAOTA. We’ll discuss how they are currently using AI, what they are learning—and the opportunities for OT in what is shaping up to be the revolution of our lifetime.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-hopes-and-fears-aiLearn more about our guests:Alyson Stover MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCPKaren Jacobs, OT, EdD, OTR, CPE, FAOTALearn more about Korro AI:https://korro.ai/Support the Show.

There is a growing public consciousness around the power (and difficulty) of habit change, especially as the impact of chronic conditions soars.  And, as we’ll see in the featured scoping review on OT and habit change/health promotion, we’ve been addressing habits since 1912, it is a core part of our 2020 practice framework, and is increasingly embedded in OT research. On this OT Potential Podcast episode, we’ll welcome Dr. Zipporah Brown, and her and I will discuss ways you can embed best practices around habit change in your practice.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-and-habitsLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/zipporah-brownHere's the primary research we are discussing:Habits and health promotion in occupational therapy: A scoping review.Support the Show.

The number of OT entry-level doctoral (OTD) programs has been expanding rapidly. In 2017 there were 7 programs. As of 2023, there are 95, with an additional 76 in development. The article we'll cover in this course presents early stage research on the doctoral capstone experience and employment opportunities. It backs up what I have now personally observed through mentoring a student: that doctoral students are uniquely prepared for more diverse job opportunities, and sometimes jobs are even created due to the clear value of the capstone experience. There seems to be a benefit for the profession as a whole, in terms of increased awareness. (Our Achilles heel!)After reviewing the article, I’ll welcome our own student, Alana Woolley, and her capstone coordinator, Daniel Rortvedt. Our goal will be to help you decide if you should be a capstone mentor, and shed light on the experience from 3 perspectives.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/making-the-otd-capstone-matterLearn more about our guests:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/daniel-rortvedthttps://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/alanawoolleySee our Capstone Catalog: https://otpotential.com/blog/otd-capstone-catalogHere's the primary research we are discussing:An exploration of the occupational therapy doctoral capstone: Perspectives from capstone coordinators, graduates, and Site Mentors.Support the Show.

I’ve been surprised as my own kids enter elementary school to anecdotally find that constipation is a common reason to miss activities. But, this aligns perfectly with the research we look at today, and the growing concern that constipation has become a public health concern. As many as 32% of kids (0-18) experience constipation. And, a growing number of occupational therapy professionals are seeing these kids on their caseload. Today we’ll look at an article that examines what an interdisciplinary approach to pediatric constipation can look like. Then, we are excited to welcome to the podcast, Quiara Smith, an OT who owns a pediatric pelvic health practice. Her and I will discuss the practical implications from this article for your OT practice. You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-pediatric-constipationLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/quiara-smithHere's the primary research we are discussing:Interdisciplinary occupational and physical therapy approach to treating constipation and fecal incontinence in children.Support the Show.

It takes an average of 17 years for evidence to make its way into practice. The fields of knowledge translation and implementation science are seeking to change this. And, today we are looking at a scoping review of knowledge translation research in rehab. To be frank, I think the article is pretty convoluted. (Which is funny since it comes from researchers interested in knowledge translation.🤔)  But, it certainly gives us a good jumping off point to talk about the challenges around knowledge translation, and the need for innovation in this field. Next week, we’ll welcome Tim Dionne, PhD, OTR/L to the podcast. His research emphasis is on supporting therapists providing quality care, through knowledge dissemination and dissemination and implementation research methods.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/knowledge-translation-and-otLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/tim-dionneHere's the primary research we are discussing:Knowledge translation research to promote behavior changes in rehabilitation: Use of theoretical frameworks and tailored interventions: A scoping review.Support the Show.

The art and science of digital prosthetics is rapidly advancing. Yet, many people with amputated fingers do not wear a prosthetic. Part of the problem may be our own fault as health providers. We may be stuck in old stereotypes of poor outcomes and limited options related to digital prosthetics. In this one-hour podcast-base course, we’ll look at a research article that explores the experiences of people who wear digital prosthetics. Our goal is to develop your skills in listening closely to your own clients and their needs in this area. Next week on the podcast, we’ll welcome Haley Van Escobar. Haley has her own hand therapy private practice and works for a digital prosthetic company. You’ll learn how she landed this job, and what the average OT needs to know about this rapidly advancing space.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/finger-prosthetics-and-otLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/haley-van-escobarLearn more about OT and hand therapy: https://otpotential.com/blog/hand-therapyHere's the primary research we are discussing:User experiences of digital prostheses in daily functioning in people with an amputation of thumb or fingerSupport the Show.

In previous courses, we’ve discussed that one of the primary ways we can improve our care, as OT professionals, is to increase the diversity of our workforce—with the ultimate goal of having our workforce’s diversity mirror the diversity of the populations we are seeing.  This goal will ensure we have the multiple perspectives needed to respond to the needs of our clients. But, until now, we’ve mostly talked about this theoretically. So, what do the actual numbers have to say about the current diversity of our workforce? It’s a mixed bag. In today’s 1 hour CEU course, we’ll look at a report from JAMA that estimates racial/ethnic representation in 10 U.S. healthcare professions.To give you a taste of the positive news: the percentage of Black OTs is better than in PT and SLP. But startlingly, the authors specifically call out OT for having a smaller percentage of Black OTs students than is in our workforce. In other words this measure of diversity showed shrinkage. There is so much to unpack from this data, and we are excited to welcome back to the podcast a guest from one of our most popular episodes: Arameh Anvarizadeh OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/diversity-in-otLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/arameh-anvarizadehHere's the primary research we are discussing:Estimation and Comparison of Current and Future Racial/Ethnic Representation in the US Health Care Workforce.Support the Show.

Through OT Potential, we’ve released over 70 episodes all exploring new influential OT research. As we enter 2024, it’s time to reflect on the research and ask: What trends are we seeing in OT? How is new research enriching how we think about our practice? In this 1 hour-episode, we’ll talk about new trends, with a particular focus on what commonalities we see leaders in our field doing in their occupational therapy process. We’ll culminate our discussion by exploring how people describe OT. This will be informed by our OT practice framework, but with a special focus on how we communicate about OT to the public. For this exploration, we’ll welcome back to the podcast two of our podcast hosts from 2024, Carlin Reaume OTD, OTR/L, DipACLM, PMH-C, PCES and Ryan Lavalley PhD, OTR/L. Together we’ll unpack what all of these trends mean for your OT practice. You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-in-2024Read OT Potential's guide to What is OT? https://otpotential.com/what-is-otLearn more about our guests:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/ryan-lavalleyhttps://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/carlin-reaumeHere's the primary research we are discussing:Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process—Fourth editionSupport the Show.

Since this keynote address from the World Federation of Occupational Therapy Congress was published in 2019, it has been cited so many times that it made our list of the 100 most-cited OT journal articles. It’s easy to see why this has become such a popular read. The article stitches occupational therapy together with global trends, in particular growing inequality. The author challenges us to see this problem clearly. And, calls us upon us to build globally relevant occupational therapy from the strength of our diversity. In this one hour CE course, we’ll review this article, then to talk about practical implications of creating change in occupational therapy we are excited to welcome Vikram Pagpatan EdD, OTR/L, ATP, CLA, BCP, FAOTA to the podcast.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/building-a-global-ot-professionLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/vikram-pagpatanHere's the primary research we are discussing:Building globally relevant occupational therapy from the strength of our diversitySupport the Show.

Dyslexia is the most common form of neurodivergence. It affects around 20% of the population, meaning that people with dyslexia are on almost every occupational therapy professional’s caseload. And yet, not enough OT-specific research and resources have been devoted to how we can help this population. Today, we look at a leading theory of dyslexia that basically reads like a call to action for OT’s to re-examine how needed our skills are. As you’ll see it pushes us to take a strengths-based approach to treating dyslexia, and to regard the condition as rooted in a sensory processing difference (hello, OT!) To help us unpack what this means for your practice, next week we will welcome to the podcast Penny Stack, OTD, OTR/L. She is the founder of DyslexiaRx. In order to earn credit for this course, you must take the test within the OT Potential Club.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-dyslexiaSee all of our pediatric OT courses here: https://otpotential.com/ot-pediatric-coursesLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/penny-stackHere's the primary research we are discussing:Theories about Developmental DyslexiaSupport the Show.

For OT professionals working with adults with intellectual disabilities it can feel like there is a  lack of resources around best practices for working with this population. Today’s article flips that long-held narrative on its head. The authors set out to find evidence to inform OT for adults with intellectual disability—and to their own surprise they found so much it has become 3 papers. We’ll review the evidence they found to support intervention. Then we’ll welcome to the podcast two of the article authors, Meghan Blaskowitz and Wanda Mahoney. Together, we’ll unpack the practical implications related to intervention and assessments. In order to earn credit for this course, you must take the test within the OT Potential Club.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-adults-intellectual-disabilityLearn more about our guests:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/meghan-blaskowitzhttps://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/wanda-mahoneyHere's the primary research we are discussing:Evidence to Inform Occupational Therapy Intervention With Adults With Intellectual Disability: A Scoping ReviewSupport the Show.

Maternal deaths are on the rise, here in the United States. And, we have a postpartum mental health crisis. In OT 90% of us are women, and many of us have personally experienced the inadequate support given to birthing individuals. But, not enough of us have stepped back to ask: why aren’t we (with our training in mental health & daily participation) helping women in the hospital after birth?Luckily, there is a growing number of OTs asking this question and doing something about it. And, my favorite part of this movement is that it is multidisciplinary—our PT colleagues are advocating for our services. At the center of this movement are physical therapists, Drs. Jenna and Rebeca Segraves. They both worked on the commentary we are exploring today, and then will join us on the podcast to discuss the practical implications for your OT practice.In order to earn credit for this course, you must take the test within the OT Potential Club.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/acute-care-ot-after-birthhttps://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-coursesLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/jenna-segraveshttps://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/rebeca-segravesSee our acute care OT guide: https://otpotential.com/blog/acute-care-occupational-therapyHere's the primary research we are discussing:Initiating Occupational and Physical Therapy in the Hospital After Birth: Access, Reimbursement, and OutcomesSupport the Show.

I once heard a neuroscientist say: Many of our frameworks end up being wrong—because the body is more complicated than we ever imagined. Pain science perfectly illustrates this. We are living in an era where new frameworks are being written—because classical understandings of pain have not only been inadequate, they have led to ineffective and even harmful treatment. Today, we look at a new framework for understanding pain. And, there’s good news for OT in it. The authors argue that such a complex condition needs holistic treatment like OT and PT can provide. To help us unpack what this all can mean for your daily OT practice, we are excited to welcome to the podcast Irvin Eisenberg, who owns Resilience Occupational Therapy, where he helps members of his community manage their pain.In order to earn credit for this course, you must take the test within the OT Potential Club.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/pain-and-occupational-therapyLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/irvin-eisenbergFind more outpatient OTs on our Outpatient OT Guide: https://otpotential.com/blog/your-outpatient-ot-guideHere's the primary research we are discussing:The Distributed Nociceptive System: A Framework for Understanding PainSupport the Show.

The main finding of this important research from JAMA is extremely promising for early intervention OT professionals.In the study, greater early intervention service intensity was associated with better functional gains. But, there’s a problem. Federal spending per child on early intervention services has declined over the past decade. And, in this climate of tightening budgets: Most children in the study had delayed care. And, low service intensity. After we review this article, we are so thankful to welcome to the podcast pediatric private practice owner, Sarah Putt, OTR/L. Her and I will unpack what this all means for the OT community—and your OT practice.In order to earn credit for this course, you must take the test within the OT Potential Club.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-early-interventionLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/sarah-puttLearn more about early intervention OT: https://otpotential.com/blog/early-intervention-occupational-therapyhttps://otpotential.com/ot-early-intervention-coursesHere's the primary research we are discussing:Timing and intensity of early intervention service use and outcomes among a safety-net population of childrenSupport the Show.

The number of OT’s providing perinatal care is on the rise. Which is exciting…and necessary. There remain so many gaps in the care of new and expecting moms, among which is treating incontinence.  As we’ll see in our featured journal article,  a staggering percentage of women experience incontinence postnatally, despite the known effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training as a treatment. The article specifically explores the cost effectiveness of different models of pelvic floor therapy. The main takeaway?It is more efficient to offer services to prevent incontinence during pregnancy than to provide treatment services to manage incontinence postnatally—and that group-based treatment can be a cost-effective way to do it. After we break down the article, we’re excited to explore all of this further with pelvic floor occupational therapist, Kyrsten Spurrier, owner of the Perinatal Pelvis. This episode will be hosted by Carlin Reaume of Supported Mama.In order to earn credit for this course, you must take the test within the OT Potential Club.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/perinatal-pelvic-floor-therapyLearn more about our guests:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/kyrsten-spurrierhttps://www.theperinatalpelvis.com/https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/carlin-reaumehttps://www.supportedmama.com/Additional mentions in this episode:https://otpotential.com/blog/pelvic-health-occupational-therapyhttps://www.lifted-lotus.com/Here's the primary research we are discussing:Group-based pelvic floor muscle training for all women during pregnancy is more cost-effective than postnatal training for women with urinary incontinence: Cost-effectiveness analysis of a systematic reviewSupport the Show.

The OT treatment approaches that are gaining support from evidence, seem to have one common thread between them:The clients set their own goals. Today, we look at a pioneer of this client-centered process, The CO-OP Approach™. We’ll dive into a new research article where, yet again, we see CO-OP outperforming conventional therapy—this time for children with cerebral palsy and spina bifida.After we review the article, we’re honored to welcome to the podcast the founder of this approach, Helene J. Polatajko, PhD, OT Reg(Ont). Her and I will discuss the implications of her work for all OTs, when it comes to goal setting and focusing on performance in our treatments. In order to earn credit for this course, you must take the test within the OT Potential Club.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/ot-coop-celebral-palsyLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/helene-polatajkoHere's the primary research we are discussing:The cognitive orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (co-op) approach is superior to ordinary treatment for achievement of goals and transfer effects in children with Cerebral Palsy and spina bifida – a randomized controlled trialSupport the Show.

The number of children diagnosed with ADHD has been steadily increasing. Now it is estimated that 1/10 children will be diagnosed with ADHD at some point.Even though about half of these children receive some type of behavioral treatment, there has been a lack of studies around OT-specific support for ADHDer children. In this one hour OT CEU course, we will look at a study of an OT program for ADHD that features: Children setting their own goalsA focus on daily time managementTime-assisted devices  This program led to significant improvement in performance and satisfaction! After we review the article, we’re excited to discuss this research with ADHDer and pediatric OT, Bryden Carlson-Giving, OTD, OTR/L. He and I will discuss the practical implications of this research for OTs. In order to earn credit for this course, you must take the test within the OT Potential Club.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/occupational-therapy-adhdLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/bryden-givingHere's the primary research we are discussing:Occupational performance goals and outcomes of time-related interventions for children with ADHDSupport the Show.

Self-determination interventions are linked to positive academic and functional attainment results—and, most compellingly, can improve post-secondary outcomes. But what does it look like for OT professionals to foster self-determination in the school setting? In this one hour course, we’ll breakdown a scoping review that examines the Independence Curriculum, which is designed to enhance middle-school-aged autistic students’ self-determination. The results are improvement in: Self-determinationGoal attainment in:Executive functioningSelf-regulationAfter we break down the article, we’re delighted to welcome the article’s lead author, Dora Onwumere. She and I will discuss the practical implications of this research for OTs. In order to earn credit for this course, you must take the test within the OT Potential Club.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/self-determination-autistic-studentsLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/dora-onwumereHere's the primary research we are discussing:Onwumere, D. D., Cruz, Y. M., Harris, L. I., Malfucci, K. A., Seidman, S., Boone, C., &; Patten, K. (2020). The impact of an independence curriculum on self-determination and function in middle school autistic students. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, &; Early Intervention, 14(1), 103–117.Support the Show.

If you are an occupational therapy professional working with autistic people, you’ve likely heard of strengths-based practice (SBP). But, does this approach work? And, what are the benefits of it? In this one hour OT CEU course we will discuss a scoping review that explores these questions. As we’ll see, strengths-based interventions were related to:Positive social engagementLearningSelf-advocacyAnxiety reductionAfter reviewing the article, we’re delighted to welcome to the podcast the article’s lead author, Kavitha Murthi, MS (OT), OTR, FHEA (UK). Her and I will discuss the practical implications of this research for your OT practice.In order to earn credit for this course, you must take the test within the OT Potential Club.You can find more details on this course here:https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/strengths-based-ot-autismLearn more about our guest:https://otpotential.com/occupational-therapy-directory/kavitha-murthiHere's the primary research we are discussing:Murthi, K., Chen, Y.-L., Shore, S., &; Patten, K. (2023). Strengths-based practice to enhance mental health for autistic people: A scoping review. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(2). Support the Show.