ILOTA Live Virtual Event: "Using Child-Centered Occupation-Based Assessments In Early Childhood"

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

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This 90-minute live panel discussion will review assessments that can be used in Early Intervention alongside EI-approved assessment tools to describe a child's occupational participation. This course aligns with Illinois Early Intervention (EI) core principles by fostering a child's active participation in daily family routines and play. Occupational therapy practitioners will learn to select and administer occupation-based assessments that complement EI bureau-approved assessment tools to identify a child's functional strengths and challenges. Attendees will gain skills to provide caregiver education and design targeted, family-centered interventions.

• Identify occupation-based, client-centered assessments that may be used in Early Intervention to describe infant and children’s functional participation in daily living activities, play, and learning.
• Compare the merits of each occupation-based assessment in clinical practice.
• Describe how to integrate these alternative assessments with those standardized and EI Bureau-approved.

Kelly Giuliano, OTD, OTR/L, is a clinical instructor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois Chicago and a practicing occupational therapist in pediatrics. Dr. Giuliano received a B.S. in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received her M.S. in Occupational Therapy and completed her post-professional OTD studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her expertise includes working with children in infancy through school-aged in acute care, clinic, home and community settings. Dr. Giuliano is an Early Intervention Specialist and sees clients from birth through late childhood through the UIC OT Faculty Practice: Children, Youth, and Families. Her research and clinical pursuits focus on family engagement and occupational participation within the context of daily routines in pediatric settings. As both an educator and clinician, Dr. Giuliano is committed to providing family-centered care, to address the overall health and wellbeing of children and their families.

Evguenia S. Popova, PhD, MS, OTR/L, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Rush University and a practicing occupational therapist with extensive experience in pediatrics, community-based practice, and early intervention. Her clinical and research work focuses on family-centered care, occupational participation, caregiver engagement, and the application of evidence-based assessment and evaluation practices in pediatric settings. Dr. Popova earned her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where her doctoral research examined family-centered care and therapist-parent communication in Early Intervention. She has published and presented nationally on pediatric occupational therapy, family-centered practice, therapeutic use of self, and assessment development and validation. As both an educator and clinician, she is committed to helping occupational therapy practitioners use assessment data to support meaningful participation outcomes for children and families.

Meg Gruber, MS, OTR/L, CLC is a practicing occupational therapist in the Early Intervention program as well as community based pediatrics at M Street Pediatric Therapy. She has extensive experience in integrating the tenets of sensory integration theory, DIR Floortime theory, Model of Human Occupation, and the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement within her work with children 0-8 years of age. She earned her degree in occupational therapy from UIC and previously at TCU in Child Development. Meg also supports the team at M Street in her Family Support Specialist role in which she utilizes IRM coaching with providers and supports private insurance families collaborating and engaging with their ongoing providers to maximize the therapeutic relationship. Meg is passionate about occupational therapy as a means to combine science and service for families navigating complex health and educational systems.

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(Zoom meeting link will be emailed to all registrants prior to the meeting.)

If you require any reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact us before the event.

Register here!