Special Events
Wednesday, April 28
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
- First-Timers’ Orientation
Get the tips you need to make the most of your first AOTA Annual Conference & Expo! Join us at the First-Timers' Orientation where the AOTA Conference Program Director will be on hand to help guide you through the extensive programming options and answer all of your questions. Stay for a networking reception with your fellow first-time attendees.
Included with Conference registration.
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7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
- Special Interest Sections (SIS) Networking Reception
New and seasoned SIS participants alike -- don’t miss this favorite informal event to get your Conference experience off to a great start! Take the opportunity to meet and network with colleagues who share your specialty interests. Meet your SIS leadership and perhaps you’ll explore SIS leadership opportunities of your own. This year, members who have gone through the AOTA Board and/or Specialty Certification process will be joining the SISs in their respective practice areas and will be available for questions or discussion. Each SIS has a designated gathering area at the reception so you can enjoy networking at its best.
NEW—ADMISSION FREE! (Cash bar only; food will not be served)
Sponsored by Chatham University, Constellation School-Based Therapy, and Quinnipiac University
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
- Doctoral Network Reception and Annual Meeting [CE]
Powerful Practice & Unique Opportunities
Barbara Boyt Schell, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Professor and Chair, Occupational Therapy, Brenau University
When I was thinking about what topic to pursue for my dissertation, my major professor, Dr. Ron Cervero, gave me great advice. He said, “You ought to do what you are uniquely positioned to do.” The process of obtaining a doctorate helps distill one's uniqueness and provides one with powerful tools for making positive change in the world. In this session, we will explore the avenues open to doctoral level practitioners who wish to impact practice, education, and research.
- An optional roundtable mentoring each session from 6:30–7:30 pm
will consist of small groups led by its own mentor. Participants must sign up for their mentor prior to attending the Doctoral Network Meeting.
$30 per person (includes light refreshments.)
Thursday, April 29
7:30 am – 9:00 am
- International Breakfast [CE]
Embrace, Curtsy, Handshake, Bow? Diplomacy at Home and Abroad
Mary M. Evert, MBA, OTR/L, FAOTA, ScD (Hon),
U.S. Delegate, World Federation of Occupational Therapists
First impressions we make with clients and colleagues create a foundation for therapeutic relationships and successful working partnerships. A small misstep can threaten or destroy our relationships, particularly with individuals from cultures different from our own. Underlying cultural beliefs must be part of our awareness not only before we venture overseas or across borders, but also at home before we meet clients or colleagues whose family cultures remain a significant part of their values.
Cultural orientation can help us anticipate how people will speak, act, negotiate, make decisions, and deal with issues of equality and inequality. Through stories and anecdotes, Ms. Evert explores diplomatic disasters, embarrassing errors, near-misses, and lessons learned from her travels to some of the 65 countries she has visited, as well as her travels within the 50 states during her term as President of AOTA. Culturally competent interactions can result in valuable diplomacy whether at work in the U.S. or abroad.
Skillful diplomacy depends on the quality of our advance information to ensure that we initiate successful relationships both here within our own richly diverse population, as well as in our growing global professional networks.
$35 per person (Includes breakfast)
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
- Welcome Ceremony and Keynote Address
On Call in Iraq
Dr. Sudip Bose, MD, FAACEP, FAAEM
Attending Emergency Medicine Physician
Associate Clinical Professor, University of Illinois – Chicago
Former Major, United States Army
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Dr. Sudip Bose served as a physician on the front lines of combat. He provided emergency care in the streets of Baghdad, Najaf, and Fallujah and took care of thousands of American soldiers and Iraqis. In his keynote address, Dr. Bose will address the impact of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on returning soldiers and will share his perspective about the issues and problems they encounter re-integrating into the community. He will help us see the important role of the occupational therapy practitioner in the health and well-being of these returning soldiers.
Included with Conference registration.
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5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
- Expo Grand Opening and Welcome Reception
Get empowered from the first moment you step into the AOTA Expo Hall where hundreds of exhibitors wait to greet you! Step right from the Welcome Ceremony into the Expo and enjoy an opening reception full of connections with friends, a tantalizing spread of delicious hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar, and state-of-the-art products, services, and job opportunities you can’t afford to miss!
Included with Conference registration.
8:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Join your fellow students for a fun meet-and greet. Remember, networking is one of those all-important professional skills that doesn't appear anywhere on your transcript; start to hone those skills here as you meet your student colleagues from around the country and have a great time. Entertainment provided. Open exclusively to students who are registered for Conference.
Open to all registered student attendees. Ticket required.
Includes cash bar and entertainment.
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Friday, April 30
7:30 am – 9:00 am
- 16th Annual AOTF Breakfast with a Scholar [CE]
Personal Project Pursuit: On Human Doings and Well-Beings
Brian R. Little, PhD
Get the morning started with breakfast and stimulating conversation with Brian Little, PhD, an internationally recognized psychologist, professor, and lecturer.
Educated at Berkeley and Oxford, Dr. Little pioneered the use of "Personal Projects Analysis" as a highly acclaimed approach to the study of human personality, heading active programs of research at Carleton University in Canada and with the Harvard Personal Projects Interest Collaboratory (HAPPI). His award-winning research lies at the intersections of personality, life-span, developmental, cultural, and health-psychology, with a particular emphasis upon the factors enhancing human flourishing.
Dr. Little's insights, creative word use, and sense of humor have delighted his students and lecture audiences for many years. Join us in learning of his latest insights, as well as his progress toward a self-proclaimed aspirational goal of playing for the Toronto Raptors, toward which he lists a personal project of growing 18 inches in the next two years.
$50 per person (includes breakfast)
Proceeds help support foundation research, scholarship, and leadership programs.
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11:15 am – 12:00 pm
- Farewell Presidential Address [CE]
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Soufflé au Chocolat or Cooking Up a Meaningful Professional Life
Penelope Moyers Cleveland, EdD, OTR/L, BCMH, FAOTA
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A soufflé is artful in its distinctive look. The enticing creation must have staying power to retain its elemental character or it collapses under the slightest change in the environment. The paradox is that chocolate is heavy, so how do you tackle this challenge to achieve the resilience needed? The answer is that competence in preparation is as important as the quality of the ingredients.
In my final address as the American Occupational Therapy Association President, I have the opportunity to analyze the fine ingredients and the leadership competence that has prepared us for the opportunities and challenges inherent in the economy and the healthcare debate. I plan to make the case that our significant progress towards the goals of the Centennial Vision consists of the following ingredients: a focused commitment to strategy, a sense of immediacy, flexibility in anticipating and seizing possibilities, fluidity in managing significant projects, and, of course, a dash of humor!
The competence of our leadership and members pushes us forward because of their respect for accountability, openness to learning, ability to communicate the work of our profession to the public, and willingness to act on our values and perspective in advocating for client access to occupational therapy. We have become skillful in combining the understanding of power with the humility that inspires our authentic approach in forming partnerships and coalitions. We have the competence and the right ingredients necessary to keep going towards 2017.
Included in Conference registration.
12:30 pm – 1:15 pm
- Special Interest Section (SIS) Roundtable Discussions [CE]
Each of the 11 Special Interest Sections (SIS), the Hand and Private Practice Subsections, and Driving and Home Modification Networks, will hold small group discussions on Friday, April 30, from 12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Speakers have identified topics in current specialty areas of their practice that will engage participants and provide you with the opportunity to ask questions and share your experiences. Choose a discussion that relates to your practice today or one that addresses something new that you’ve been curious about.
Included with conference registration but you must obtain an SIS Roundtable Discussion ticket in advance. Pick up a ticket for the session you wish to attend at the AOTA Member Resource Center during the Expo Grand Opening on Thursday. Seating is very limited to allow for close interaction between all participants.
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
- AOTF 2010 Research Colloquium and Tea [CE]
Research on the Role of Environments in Promoting Occupation, Participation, and Health
Winnie Dunn, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, Convener and Moderator
Speakers: Wendy J. Coster, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA; Joy Hammel, PhD, OTR/L; Dory Sabata, OTD, OTR/L, SCEM; and Jon Sanford, MArch.
The physical and social environments of home, work, and community – including places of learning, play, and work – are vitally linked to our health and well being. This colloquium explores occupational therapy and occupational science research on how environments promote health across the lifespan, and the role of occupational therapists and scientists in interdisciplinary initiatives related to designing and adapting environments that advance the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities.
$30 per person (Includes tea)
5:15 pm – 6:30 pm
- Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture [CE]
What’s Going On Here? Deconstructing Interactive Encounters
Janice P. Burke, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Participants within each occupational therapy assessment, treatment and consultation co-construct a distinctive and ordered interaction. Each therapeutic encounter requires that the therapist decode and consider a dozen or more verbal and nonverbal signals to deliver the best individualized outcomes possible. These interactions are culturally and socially constructed. Each person’s background and experience, along with their perceptions and responses to the situation, add to the complexity of the task of occupational therapy. It helps to think of the therapist as choreographing multiple parts of a therapeutic event in order to produce an organized and meaningful experience for the patient and family.
In this talk, the complexities of human interaction are examined to increase awareness of the verbal and nonverbal behaviors that influence the everyday encounters that occupational therapists face. Examples will include interactions that contrast differences between what is said and done, illustrate factors that undermine or facilitate communication, and either constrain or support a successful co-construction of the event.
Included with Conference registration.
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
- Havana Nights: The 2010 AOTF Gala
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar
Join your friends at the American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) Gala, to be held at the unique Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, located within easy walking distance of conference hotels. The night will feature a "dancing with the stars" program with a Latin theme, followed by opportunities for guests to practice their own Latin dance moves.
Passing through the doors of Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar transports guests to Havana, Cuba, circa 1950. Cuba Libre's atmosphere offers a unique combination of Latin flavor, warmth, and splendor from the re-creation of an Old Havana street to the steamy Cuban rhythms.
Experience the sensuous culture of Cuba at its best, with an exquisite array of drinks and appetizers appropriate to the setting. Guests are encouraged to wear their dancing shoes, panama hats, and Latin smiles as they have fun, cheer their favorite dancers, and support the Foundation.
Your participation in the AOTF Gala supports programs to advance occupational therapy research, leadership development, and public awareness; your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.
$110 per person
Saturday, May 1
8:00 am – 8:45 am
- Inaugural Presidential Address [CE]
Occupational Therapy in High Definition: The Centennial Vision (Part II)
Florence Clark, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
AOTA President-Elect
It has been seven years since former AOTA President Barbara Kornblau, in her presidential address, inspired us to embrace a Centennial Vision for the occupational therapy profession by 2017. Today, at this mid-point in our effort to make the Centennial Vision a reality, there is much to celebrate.
We responded to President Kornblau’s call for action by initiating a systematic, inclusive, and formal process for developing the vision statement. We identified the drivers of change in the health care environment that we needed to take into account. We created possible scenarios of occupational therapy’s place in the future of healthcare and in meeting other societal needs. We generated extensive national dialogue with our practitioners, scientists and educators, and we welcomed input from our international colleagues. Finally, from the millions of possible words and concepts captured in the documents produced through this process, we formulated this vision statement: By the year 2017, occupational therapy will be a “powerful and widely recognized, science-driven and evidence-based profession with a diverse and globally connected workforce meeting society’s occupational needs.”
At first, we were wary – some of us found the vision vague. We wanted a more concrete picture of what the statement really meant. We had trouble connecting the six key words to actions. We worried that we might start out with enthusiasm only to drop the ball. But these concerns have been put to rest. In the past five years, we have witnessed remarkable shifts in our professional culture and our many Centennial Vision achievements: 1) the growth in AOTA membership, even in these hard financial times; 2) the widespread embracing of the importance of science and evidence to fortify practice; 3) the victories in the policy arena through our advocacy; 4) the unveiling of our brand, “Living Life to Its Fullest™;” 5) the steady growth in media coverage of our profession and the ways in which it meets societal needs; and 6) our dedication to building a diverse occupational therapy workforce and expanding global connections.
With seven years remaining to achieve our vision, it is the time to recharge, get a second wind, and stay on course. If we do, the public will have greater exposure and widespread access to occupational therapy – not as it was, but instead “occupational therapy in high definition” with an image that is sharp, focused, and unambiguous. As a consequence, our scope of practice will widen, and what we can do -- that other professions cannot -- will be clear. Now is the time for boldness, courage, and resolve.
Included with Conference registration.
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9:00 am – 10:00 am
- SIS Interactive Discussion Sessions [CE]
New This Year!
SISs have selected a topic of current interest to their practice area for a brief presentation and a facilitated discussion. The focus of these sessions will be to provide lots of opportunities for active participation by attendees and to promote interactive learning amongst colleagues by sharing questions and answers during a dynamic discussion. Click here (Coming Soon!) for a list of topics and facilitators.
Included with Conference registration.
9:00 am – 10:30 am
- Centennial Vision Session (SC301) [CE]
The Centennial Vision: From the Perspectives of Our Students, Emerging Leaders and Newest Practitioners
Students enrolled in occupational therapy education programs since 2008 have been socialized to understand and take an active role in participating in the implementation of AOTA's Centennial Vision. Those who entered the profession around 2010 will be central to fully enacting the Centennial Vision in 2017 and shaping the profession. This session will feature students and emerging leaders who have responded to the call for action through engagement with faculty and leader mentors in dynamic service learning, leadership development, advocacy and scholarly practices. See what our future colleagues and leaders are doing as they report on their projects enhancing the vision that "Occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society's occupational needs."
Included with Conference registration.
Attend one or all three Tech Day sessions that will allow you to experience hands-on, interactive exploration of high and low technology products to enhance client participation in occupations across the lifespan. Sessions will address technology applications for children and youth and adults of all ages. Products and software will be demonstrated by the presenter and attendees will have the opportunity for hands-on learning on a variety of topics at multiple work stations. Sample topics will include voice recognition, Microsoft access features, the Wii, low tech feeding equipment and switches for ECUs and toys. For complete Tech Day session information,
view the Online Program Planner.
Included with Conference registration.
11:45 am – 12:45 pm
- AOTA’s 90th Annual Business Meeting
Experience the energy and excitement of the Association’s 90th Business Meeting!
Please join President Penelope Moyers Cleveland as she presides over her final Annual Business Meeting. Learn from our leaders the progress that has been made in moving us toward our Centennial Vision goals and how you can participate in this incredible journey. Participate by sitting with colleagues from your state and proudly yelling out “Present” during roll call, asking questions, and contributing ideas. AOTA and the profession of occupational therapy need you to help create a positive future in 2017 and beyond.
Included with Conference registration.
5:15 pm –6:15 pm
- Annual Awards and Recognition Ceremony
Each year, AOTA and AOTF take great pride in honoring our colleagues who have made significant contributions to the profession. Join friends, family, and colleagues as we gather to recognize and pay tribute to those whose achievements have enriched the field of occupational therapy. This important ceremony provides a wonderful opportunity for each of us to reconnect with our profession and reflect not only on the accomplishments of others, but our own capacity for achievement. All are welcome!
Open to the public; included with Conference registration.
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Annual Awards and Recognition Reception
Our honored award recipients are ready to celebrate! Please join them and all your colleagues to enjoy an evening of mingling and sharing of good wishes at this wonderful event.
$35.00 per person (Includes hors doeuvres and cash bar).
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
- AOTPAC Night
KarOTe Idol II
It was the hit party of the 2009 Annual Conference, so we are bringing it back for 2010! You won’t want to miss it this year, so warm up your voices and rehearse your moves for this one of a kind competition and party! AOTPAC's annual celebration will feature KarOTe Idol II – a friendly competition – mixed in with dancing, music, snacks, cash bar, and a lot of your colleagues. Individual and group entrants are welcome. Your ticket is a contribution to AOTPAC for our political purposes.
OT/OTA: $40; Students: $25