Presenter Bio
Kristin S. Conaboy, OTR/L, has been a pediatric occupational therapist for 12 years. She received her occupational therapy degree from the University of New Hampshire. Ms. Conaboy has worked in community-based settings, early intervention programs, and a specialized school placement for school-age students with significant social and emotional concerns. She currently owns Conaboy and Associates, Inc., a private practice in Washington, DC. She and her associates provide occupational therapy, physical therapy, assistive technology, career/vocational services, and advocacy services in a variety of public, private, and charter schools; in Head Start classrooms; in area agencies; in center- and home-based settings; and at her clinic on Capitol Hill. She additionally provides parent, caregiver, teacher, and community training and consults with AOTA and other professional agencies on legislative issues. She is a board-certified disability analyst and a certified employment training specialist.
Susan M. Nochajski, PhD, OTR/L, is clinical associate professor at the University of Buffalo, The State University of New York, Department of Rehabilitation Science. She holds BS and MS degrees in occupational therapy and a PhD in special education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Nochajski’s research focuses primarily on transition-age youths with disabilities. She was principal investigator on three projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education: Technology and Transition: Tools for Success, Strategies for Facilitating Successful School-to-Work Transition of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, and the Evaluation of the Work and Career Opportunities Program.
Sandra Schefkind, MS, OTR/L, is AOTA pediatric coordinator. Over the past 25 years, she has held a variety of positions, including director of early childhood at Imagination Stage, chief occupational therapist at Bryn Mawr Hospital, and senior occupational therapist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She has worked as a pediatric consultant to several private practices and schools. Ms. Schefkind received her undergraduate degree in occupational therapy from Tufts University and her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Temple University.
Judith Schoonover, MEd, OTR/L, ATP, received a BS in occupational therapy from Western Michigan University, a teaching credential from Chapman University, and an MEd in integrating technology in schools from George Mason University. She is certified as an assistive technology practitioner. Ms. Schoonover has practiced in a pediatric rehabilitation clinic, taught elementary school, worked as a school-based occupational therapist, and is a founding member of the Assistive Technology Team of Loudoun County Public Schools. Active in occupational therapy for more than 28 years, Ms. Schoonover has served as a clinical fieldwork supervisor and adjunct faculty member for Shenandoah University and George Mason University. She has written and presented nationally on school-based practice and assistive technology. She currently is the continuing education chair for the Virginia Occupational Therapy Association and the communication liaison for the AOTA School System Special Interest Section Steering Committee.