On The Air

Cheryl Crow is an occupational therapist who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for 16 years. In 2019 she created a video and social media channel called Arthritis Life to educate, empower and inspire patients with arthritis and their providers. On Arthritis Life, she shares life hacks from the OT perspective, patient stories, provider interviews, and product reviews in a fun, talk show-style format. Cheryl has volunteered for the Arthritis Foundation in numerous educational and advocacy events, including speaking at the Juvenile Arthritis Conference, KAT-FISH camp for kids and families with arthritis, and many adult-focused arthritis events. While attending many arthritis focused events, in addition to participating in social media groups focused on rheumatoid arthritis, she observed a huge unmet need for patients to have help in navigating simple daily activities. She performed independent qualitative research on the discussion content of disease-specific Facebook groups, which showed that patients were sp

David Puder, MD, is a physician who practices medicine as a psychiatrist. David hosts a podcast called the Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast and has an interest in helping students overcome test anxiety. On this episode, David talks about how test anxiety can serve as a barrier for people who are trying to get into occupational therapy (OT) school as well as for those in OT school and OT students who are preparing to take the certification exam and strategies that have been found effective in addressing text anxiety. To learn more about the show and to connect with David, go to www.ontheair.us

Maureen Warden has been an occupational therapist for 23 years. After earning a bachelor's degree in health science from SUNY Cortland in central New York, she completed a master's in occupational therapy at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Her early career was in a general hospital setting, working primarily within the inpatient and stroke population. As part of that hospital position, she was sent to the Intermediary Unit near the hospital in which she worked to provide school based services. From that point on, Maureen's focus has been school-based therapy services. She is a veteran member of an interdisciplinary team in a program for children with hearing loss. On a personal front, her life is busy with an active family of five; she and her husband of 25 years have raised our three now-adult children in rural northwest New Jersey and the whole family enjoys all things outdoors.On this episode, Maureen discusses her work as an OT in a school for deaf children.

Michelle Finet is an occupational therapist who has worked with children and youth for over 20 years specializing in the areas of sensory integration and autism. She has worked with clients with a wide range of diagnoses including but not limited to Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, torticollis, developmentally delays, brachial plexus injuries, cognitive impairment, muscular dystrophy, and attention deficit disorder. Michelle has experience running a company providing therapy services through a contract with the state of Arizona as well as working as an ergonomics consultant in multiple settings. She currently teaches full-time in the OT program at Touro University in Henderson, Nevada. Her research focuses on how OT can be more involved with working with and providing services to members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and she provides services one day per week in a primary care clinic focused on serving that community.On this episode, Michelle talks about how she became interested in working with indi

Meghann Rose has been a pediatric OT for almost 14 years. Her first 12 years were spent working at a Children's Hospital in Rochester, NY, where she helped establish a team-based approach to occupational therapy in the NICU and where she focused on infant feeding, positioning and transition to home. In 2007, Meg and neurologist Jennifer Kwon established the Brachial Plexus Outpatient Clinic and in 2011 they received a grant to develop a protocol for care of infants with brachial plexus injuries and a referral system. In 2017, Meg transitioned from the hospital setting to private practice, and she now works in an outpatient clinic as part of a feeding team and with infants with brachial plexus injuries. In addition, she works with children and families as part of the Early Intervention system. She has published an article on feeding and another on brachial plexus injuries. Meg is also a mom to three kids ages 10, 8 and 4 and participates in hobbies that include photography and volunteering with the local ambul

Polly Benson, OTR/L, is a licensed occupational therapist with 28 years of experience treating patients in multiple settings. She currently works for Comprehensive Therapy Consultants in Atlanta, GA as a school based OT. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University. Polly has extensive experience in technology apps and strategies designed to assist clients for achieving therapy goals. She is a distinguished therapist and seasoned continuing education instructor. She volunteers at her local high school as the theater troupe Booster Club President, and at her church as a high school small group leader. Recently Polly invented a new product called the Legi-Liner to help students with improving their handwriting. On this episode, she talks about how she got the idea for that innovation and gives tips to others who may also be interested in product creation and development. Polly's product can be purchased via her website, www.Legiliner.com. To access other resources mentioned in the interview and to contact Pol

Susan Masie, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist and CEO & Founder of Pediatric Therapies. She graduated from Quinnipiac College (now Quinnipiac University) in Hamden, Connecticut in 1983. While having early experience in adult acute care, rehab, and home health, Susan has specialized in pediatrics for more than 30 years. She began her pediatric career in schools and home care, eventually moving to private practice. With the desire to truly make a difference in the lives of children and families, she opened Pediatric Therapies in August of 2005. Focusing on excellence in all areas, from the facility, to staff, to programming, Pediatric Therapies has become one of the largest, most renowned therapy clinics for children in Tennessee.Susan has earned her Certificate of Completion for administering and interpreting the SIPT (Sensory Integration and Praxis Test) and has completed advanced training/mentorships in the area of sensory processing disorders and sensory integration therapy. She has also earned speci

Narrative medicine is an approach that used in clinical practice, research, and education to promote growth, learning, and/or healing through the use of story (or narrative). That story may be communicated in a variety of ways, including through the use of theater, and that's what the guest on this episode has done in her work as an occupational therapist and an occupational therapy educator. Sally Wasmuth, PhD, OTR, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences at Indiana University, Indianapolis. She has a background in African-American Studies, Philosophical Studies of Biology, and Occupational Therapy. Her research focuses on translational and implementation science, particularly in the areas of occupation-based intervention for addictive disorders and dual-diagnosis. Sally is involved in several arts-based recovery initiatives, including the use of theatre as both a therapeutic intervention and a means of stimulating community conversations on criti

Ali Isso and Holly Masters are both Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) who work with the older adult population in nursing homes and hospitals. Through their work, Ali and Holly have observed depression and loneliness, which are overwhelmingly prevalent with older adults and which have been linked to loss of independence, decreased motivation, and social withdrawal. In fact, according to the CDC, approximately 7 million adults over 65 experience depressive symptoms each year. Additionally, 60% of adults in long term care facilities do not receive visitors often, whether it be because their family is busy or lives out of town. To address these problems, Ali and Holly co-Founded Purpose Therapy Box, a gift box subscription service that allows for the delivery of useful products that inspire positivity and enhance quality of life through personalized products designed to encourage independence, improve well-being, and overall health. Both Ali and Holly are graduates of the Pennsylvania State Unive

Erin Grujic has been an occupational therapist for 19 years. She had a dream many years ago about having a mobile sensory clinic to rural communities in Southern Alberta. Two years ago, she started working as an OT practitioner in the private sector and then one year ago was able to bring her dream to life through the creation of a mobile sensory integration clinic, which she says aligns well with her passion for working with children and their families by bringing the clinic to them rather than requiring the families to travel long distances to get services. Erin received her SIPT certification in 2009. On this episode, Erin shares about her quest to build the sensory bus and to bring OT services to the community via this platform. She talks about funding issues, marketing, and the use of the sensory bus as a therapeutic tool in working with her clients and others. To find out how to connect with Erin and to access the resources mentioned on this episode, go to www.ontheair.us

Occupational therapist Becca McCaskey, MOT, OTR/L, grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attended UT-Knoxville to earn an undergrad degree in Therapeutic Recreation. She completed her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy in 2015 at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and then began her career working in outpatient private pediatric therapy. After recognizing some of the signs of overwhelm in attempting to juggle the demands of work and home and even of early burnout in herself, she took time off from work to stay home with her young children. In 2018, Becca discovered teletherapy and she has been working in that specialty area of OT practice since that time. She has found that as an alternative career format, working in telehealth allows her to stay active as an occupational therapy practitioner while allowing for the flexibility she needs at this point in her life. As an OT, Becca is passionate about working with children of all ages and stages to help them reach their full potent

Rebecca Kadowaki is an occupational therapist who has developed an evidence-based toolkit connecting contact with nature and executive functioning in pediatrics as part of the work she's doing in the post-professional OTD program in which she is enrolled at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). Becca has developed a resource called "Nature + Occupational Therapy" which is a toolkit for executive function in children, which she has generously shared as a free, open-market resource. On this episode, Becca talks about her path into the field of OT, her interest in the link between development, health and wellbeing and nature, research on how and why nature benefits children's executive function, and ideas for incorporating contact with nature into practice and into daily life. For a list of resources mentioned in the interview, to subscribe to the podcast, or to find out how to connect with host Stephanie Lancaster or guest Becca Kadowaki, go to www.ontheair.us

Physical therapist Karen Malone, an expert in stroke and stroke rehab after over 30 years in practice, is the guest on this episode of On The Air. In the interview, Karen reminisces about her days in PT school and her first job as a PT working at a small Southern California hospital in stroke rehab. She talks about her experiences in stroke rehab Tijuana and China where she worked for 20 years and where she created opportunities to use physical therapy in a province where no one knew about physical therapy. Now residing in St. Paul, MN, with her son who was adopted from China, Karen is a delightful storyteller who highlights the challenges and the triumphs of being a trailblazer in the rehab field in China. To access the resources discussed on the show or to connect with Karen, visit the podcast website at www.ontheair.us

Karen Dobyns is an occupational therapist who lives in Southern California. She loves pediatrics and mental health and is adjunct faculty in an occupational therapy assistant college program. Karen was interviewed about her path into the field of occupational therapy on Episode 10 in January 2018 and is back to talk about her experiences in writing a children's book centered around the concept of inclusion (and OT!). She talks about how she came up with the idea for her book "The Centipede Who Couldn’t Tie His Shoes" and what she learned during the process of writing and publishing. The episode is ripe with resources and suggestions; for more information and to access the resources discussed in the interview, visit http://www.ontheair.us/podcast1/episode-59-promoting-inclusion-through-books-for-children

Kami Bible is an occupational therapist who specializes in school-based occupational therapy delivered via teletherapy. In addition to a degree in OT from Newman University in Wichita, KS, Kami also holds a Master's degree in Business Administration. She has experience working in the field as an Allied Health Recruiter for a large hospital system in Oklahoma City, a national presenter for the Bureau of Education and Research and with Learning Without Tears, and a school-based OT both in the traditional, brick & mortar sense and through eLuma, an online therapy company. On this episode, Kami shares about her path in the field of OT, including her work in emerging areas of practice such as telehealth. She talks about challenges in and the upside of telehealth discusses the topic of telehealth in comparison to telemedicine and telerehab.For more information about telehealth in occupational therapy or to connect with Kami, visit www.ontheair.us.

As third-year OT students preparing to graduate from the Master's level program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN, Chelsea Chandler Holden and Caroline Montague share about a unique experience in the field that both say really helped to shape their learning as future OT practitioners. Both Chelsea and Caroline volunteered at an event called Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) held at Vanderbilt University in Nashville in January 2019. On this episode, we talk about how an experience like TOM can serve as a significant professional learning development opportunity for OT students and practitioners.To learn more about the TOM initiative, visit https://tomglobal.org/For more information about the TOM event (past or future) at Vanderbilt, check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tikkunolammakers.vanderbilt/

Jason Gonzales is an occupational therapist and an innovator with experience in product and software development and production. Jason graduated from The Ohio State University in 2001 with a bachelors degree in Occupational therapy. From a clinical standpoint, most of his experience has been in the school setting with some experience in mental health and SNF. Jason has worked in school districts in NY, HI, CA, MA, and NJ. He currently lives with his wife and two children in NJ. He has started two companies (Innovative Therapy Solutions and Double Time Docs), holds one patent and is currently working on production of the new pencil grip.On this episode, Jason shares about how he became an entrepreneur and talks about how ideas can be turned into products. Resources mentioned during the interview and Jason's contact information can be accessed at http://www.ontheair.us

Have you seen the post making the rounds on social media of the photo of a man in a wheelchair and a baby in an infant carrier in a parking lot with shopping carts blocking the sidewalk between the entrance of the store and the parked vehicles? The post also contains a link to an article on Medium entitled "The Day My Two-Month Old and Husband Blew Up the Internet," which was written by occupational therapist Sarah Pruett. Sarah is married to Scott, the man in the photo, and the couple have a baby. Together, they founded and run a nonprofit organization based in Virginia called The Universal Project Design which is dedicated to designing universally accessible homes. In their line of work and as a couple living with a disability - Scott sustained a C-6 level SCI 20 years ago - accessibility (and the lack thereof) is something they deal with regularly. "Barriers like this are everywhere and until you experience yourself or take the time to understand someone else’s perspective, you just won’t get it," says Sar

Jill Gebhard, MS, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist (OT) who currently practices at Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI, where she holds the position of Senior Occupational Therapist. Jill's primary areas of concentration in her practice as an OT have been inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation focused on the neurological population. She also has a special interest in stroke, concussion, dementia, Parkinson's, Functional Neurological Disorder and visual deficits. Jill has completed advanced training and holds a specialty certification in low vision through ACVREP, LSVT BIG for Parkinson's, and in the use of the Interactive Metronome. In addition, she has assisted in the development of driving, low vision and cognitive programs and currently serves as an adjunct professor for Mount Mary University.Jill has a bit of an unusual career path in that she began in the field of occupational therapy as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA) and later went back to school to earn a Master's degree in occupa

Have you heard of the Rock Steady Boxing movement among people with Parkinson's Disease? On this episode, occupational therapy assistant Stephanie Smith Goodman from Kansas City, Missouri, talks about that program as well as other non-traditional, out-of-the-box type of intervention approaches and ideas being used to benefit people with PD. As a coach at The Parkinson's Exercise & Wellness Center in Overland Park, Kansas, a Rock Steady Boxing Certified Trainer, a yoga instructor of 20+ years, a professionally-trained theatre actor/director, and a recently trained instructor in Tai Chi for Rehabilitation, Stephanie has a unique background and perspective and brings a multi-faceted approach to the battle against Parkinson's Disease. Access the resources mentioned on this episode and connect with Stephanie at http://www.ontheair.us/podcast1