Spring 2008

Interdisciplinary Group Visits Japan

As part of our continuing exchange with Kitasato University, 6 students and Department of Radiologic Sciences faculty

Dr. Christina Truluck are visiting Kitasato from March 3-7, 2008. Students have a blog that they will be updating daily. The two occupational therapy students are 1st year EMOT student Laura Schaffner and OTD student Vanessa Fry. They accompany Kyle Blanchard and Matt Miller from Physical Therapy and Ryan Hofmann and Peter Luce from Radiologic Sciences. Modesty Orfetel from Radiologic Sciences is participating in the course from the U.S. and will be in touch with the group while they are in Japan.Students are doing the exchange as part of an independent study led by Dr. Susan Toth-Cohen.Upon their return, they will do a presentation about the exchange for students, faculty, and administration.

Fall 2007

Occupational Therapy Department gets new space

The new Dorrance H. Hamilton Building officially opened on October 19, 2007. One of the unique features of this multi-disciplinary education building is the apartment designed and furnished by the School of Health Professions, Department of Occupational Therapy. This is a fully functional space with living room, bedroom, bath, and laundry facilities in which many of the Department's laboratory classes will take place.

Backpack Awareness in a Virtual Environment

On September 19, the Department participated in AOTA's public campaign for backpack awareness. Faculty and students promoted this healthy message on the Jefferson campus and in the virtual environment of Second Life. The Department has a virtual Occupational Therapy Center in Second Life where the event was held. Educational tools used to promote backpack awareness included a quiz, video, and demonstration. Dr. Susan Toth-Cohen, who is developing the virtual department's space, plans additional events to promote Occupational Therapy in this exciting new venue. Dr. Toth-Cohen was featured recently in articles about her Second Life projects in the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Occupational Therapy in South Africa

Dr. Schaaf and students visited South Africa- check out their travel stories here.

Summer 2007

Dr. Schaaf speaks in Hong Kong and Thailand

Dr. Roseann Schaaf was a plenary speaker at the Asian Pacific Occupational Therapy Congress in Hong Kong, June 25, 2007. Dr. Schaaf was also invited to present a 1 day workshop on “Sensational Principles for Children with Sensory-based Disorders” at the Hong Kong PolyTechnic University. Over 600 therapists from around the world attended the congress and heard Dr. Schaaf speak about “Update in Sensory Integration Theory, Practice and Research.”. Dr. Schaaf also visited Chaing Mai University in Thailand and enjoyed a lively interactive exchange with the faculty in the Occupational Therapy Department and enjoyed a wonderful Thai meal with a group therapists who spearheading the effort to open a second Thai occupational therapy university program in Bangkok, Thailand. Dr. Schaaf is an internationally recognized expert in sensory integration, sensory dysfunction in autism and the application of neuroscience concepts to occupation. This Fall, Dr. Schaaf is teaching a course on Autism in the new Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program. For more information on Dr. Schaaf’s program of research in Sensory Integration, please visit http://www.jefferson.edu/jchp/jshp/ot/silab.cfm

New OTD program will launch Fall 2007

Orientation and first day of classes will take place on Saturday, September 8 for students accepted into our OTD program (location to be announced). For more information about the OTD program, see the OTD home page or contact Susan Toth-Cohen, Ph.D., OTR/L.

Spring 2007

Dr. Roseann Schaaf cited in NY Times

Neuroscientist and occcupational therapist Dr. Roseann Schaaf, who is Vice Chairman, Associate Professor, and Director of Graduate Programs in the Department of Occupational Therapy, was quoted in an article entitled,The Disorder Is Sensory; the Diagnosis, Elusive for her expertise in Sensory Integration. Read the June 5, 2007 article at this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/health/psychology/05sens.html?ref=science

Dr. Schaaf has an ongoing program of research in Sensory Integration and directs the Sensory Integration Laboratory

Clinical Doctorate (OTD) Program 
The Department of Occupational Therapy at Jefferson will launch the new Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program, (OTD) in September, 2007. This cutting edge program will be highly individualized and enable busy clinicians to take courses online. Students are admitted in both the Fall and Summer semesters.

Fall 2006 Janice P. Burke, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Professor and Chair in the Department of Occupational Therapy, has been named Dean of the Jefferson School of Health Professions and is featured in People in the News at the AOTA national website.

Walk for Autism
Thomas Jefferson University's Sensory Integration Laboratory, which is supervised by Dr. Roseann Schaaf, raised over $1000 for Walk Now!, a fundraiser walk created by the organization Cure Autism Now, dedicated to finding a cure for Autism. In addition to raising money for the organization, the group worked to recruit families to participate in a research study assessing parasympathetic nervous system functioning in children with disturbances in sensory processing.

Spring-Summer 2006
The Sensory Integration and Praxis Course 1 will be offered at Jefferson on August 10th and 11 and 16 and 17, 2006 (4 days total - 8:30 - 5 PM each day). This course is offered for our students but we are able to open it to a LIMITED number of clinicians (5 total). This course meets the requirements for the SIPT certification by WPS/USC (wpspublish.com for more information on certification). Cost - $550 plus $70 for notebook. May also take for graduate credit. For more information, contact Roseann Schaaf at roseann.schaaf@jefferson.edu.