OTD News - Volume VIII, Issue 1

3 AOTA Conference By: Sheila Longpré, PhD, OTR/L American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Presentations AOTA Chronic Conditions Specialty Conference In addition to the annual national conference, the American Occupational Therapy Asso- ciation holds about five specialty conferences each year. The Chronic Conditions Specialty Conference: Optimizing Participation and Minimizing Disability was held in Orlando, FL. More than 250 practitioners attended the event. The event supported multiple invited speak- ers for both lectures and posters. On behalf of her colleagues and herself, Sheila M. Longpré, PhD, OTR/L, presented a poster, Cancer Survivorship as a Chronic Condition; Implications for Occu- pational Therapy. AOTA Oncology Specialty Conference AOTA held its first specialty conference for oncology in late January. The focus for the conference held at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, was Occupational Thera- py’s Distinct Value in Oncology Across the Lifespan . Over 150 participants from around the United States traveled to Houston for the event. All sixteen speakers were invited to present based on their expertise in oncology. Among the sessions, two were represented by Nova Southeastern University faculty member and student: Working with Children in Oncology Care: An Occupational Therapy Approach Sheila M. Longpré, PhD, OTR/L, Nova Southeastern University, Tampa, FL; Jean MacLachlan, PhD, OTR/L, Salem State University, Salem, MA Childhood cancer is associated with multiple physical and psychosocial impairments which can impact the typical development of a child often resulting in the need for rehabilitation. Rehabilitation care for children is an ongoing process that involves a partnership between family, community, school, and hospital personnel. This course will provide a holistic ap- proach through the use of occupation and the incorporation of client-centered and family- centered approaches to highlight the vital role in cancer rehabilitation for children. Translating Research into Practice: Addressing the Roles, Habits and Routines of Cancer Survivors Sheila M. Longpré, PhD, OTR/L and Kerri Easterling, COTA/L both from Nova Southeastern Univer- sity, Tampa, FL Cancer survivorship spans from diagnosis to end of life. Individuals who are cancer survi- vors experience changes in roles, habits and routines throughout the cancer care continuum. Recognizing and addressing these changes is one way that occupational therapy practitioners can be an integral part of the oncological team to optimize occupa- tional performance and engagement in daily occupations for cancer survivors. Current re- search and literature within the field will be addressed in this session along with its applica- tion to occupational therapy practice for cancer survivors. Page 11 OTD News, Volume VIII, Issue 1 Sheila M. Longpré, PhD, OTR/L Kerri Easterling, COTA/L, OTD-S