Aster Harrison, PhD, OTD, OTR/L
They / Them /Theirs
Aster (formerly Elizabeth) Harrison
Assistant Professor
Contact
Aster Harrison, PhD, OTD, OTR/L
They / Them /Theirs
Aster (formerly Elizabeth) Harrison
Assistant Professor
Education
PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago, Disability Studies
OTD, University of Illinois at Chicago; Occupational Therapy
MS, University of Illinois at Chicago; Occupational Therapy
Recent Publications
Harrison, E. A., & Kopit, A. G. (2020). Accessibility at the Bisexual Health Summit: Reflections and lessons for improving event accessibility. Journal of Bisexuality.
Harrison, E. A., & Mirza, M. (2018). An online training to prepare occupational therapy students to work with clients with limited English proficiency and interpreters. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 2 (3).
Mirza, M. & Harrison, E.A. (2018). Working with clients with limited English proficiency: Mapping language access in occupational therapy. Occupational Therapy in Healthcare, 1-19.
Mirza, M., Harrison, E. A., Chang, H-C, Salo, C. D., & Birman, D. (2018). Community perspectives on substance use among Bhutanese and Iraqi refugees resettled in the US. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 46(1), 43-60.
Mirza, M., Harrison, E. A., Chang, H-C, Salo, C. D., & Birman, D. (2017). Making sense of three-way conversations: A qualitative study of cross-cultural counseling with refugee men. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 56, 52-64.
- Medicaid Redetermination and Renewal Experiences of Limited English Proficient Beneficiaries in Illinois
- Walking the talk: understanding how language barriers affect the delivery of rehabilitation services
- Indicators of Quality Rehabilitation Services for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency: A 3-Round Delphi Study
- Disability studies and occupational therapy: Renewing the call for change
- Language discordance in mental health services: An exploratory survey of mental health providers and interpreters
Certifications
- National Board Certification for Occupational Therapy
- Licensed Occupational Therapist: Pennsylvania
RESEARCH & CLINICAL INTERESTS
- Disability studies
- Qualitative research
- Language access and interpreter use
- LGBTQ health
- Chronic pain
Awards & Honors
- Five Year Teaching Service Award, UIC Department of Occupational Therapy, 2020
- Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Achievement Award, UIC Department of Occupational Therapy, 2017
- Schweitzer Fellow, Chicago Area Schweitzer Fellowship, 2015-2016
Selected Professional Conference Presentations
- Harrison, A., Heffron, J., & The, K. (2022). Transforming occupational therapy students’ approaches to disability: Impacts of an immersion in disability studies research. Oral presentation at World Federation of Occupational Therapy conference. Paris, France.
- Sheth, A., Harrison, A., VanPuymbrouck, L., Heffron, J., Kish, J., Lee, D., & Mahaffey, L. (2022). Reflections on the 2005 American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) disability studies special issue: Where are we years later? Poster presentation at World Federation of Occupational Therapy conference. Paris, France.
- Harrison, E. A. (2021). “I want some kind of community that accepts all of me”: Social (dis)connectedness among bisexual women with chronic pain. Poster presentation at American Public Health Association conference. Virtual.
- Harrison, E. A., Smith, A. U., & Bostwick, W.B. (2021). “I just don't fit one category”: Community experiences of racially diverse bisexual men in Chicago. Oral presentation at American Public Health Association conference. Virtual.
- Smith, A. U., Harrison, E. A., & Bostwick, W. B. (2021). “If I say I'm bisexual, it's like, ‘What the hell is that?”: Microaggressions among racially diverse bisexual men. Oral presentation at American Public Health Association conference. Virtual.
- Harrison, E.A. (2021). “They don’t believe you”: Experiences of bisexual women with chronic pain. Presentation included in continuing education panel and live discussion entitled: “Structural oppression as trauma: An intersectional understanding of trauma among 2SLGBTQ+ people.” Co-presenters Ross, L., Flanders, C. and Tam, M. At American Psychological Association conference. Virtual.
- The, K. J. & Harrison, E. A. (2019). Ableism and cultures of occupational therapy: Disabled occupational therapists dreaming more accessible futures. Paper workshop at Society for Disability Studies strand at OSU Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, and Disability conference. Columbus, OH.
- Mahaffey, L., VanPuymbrouck, L., & Harrison, E. A. (2018). Ethical dilemma in practice: How to support a person’s right to go home when our measures say they “shouldn’t”. Short course at Illinois Occupational Therapy Association conference. Lisle, IL.
- Mirza, M., Harrison, E.A., & Martinez, J. (2018). Working with clients with limited English proficiency and language interpreters: Practical skills for clinicians. Short course at American Occupational Therapy Association conference. Salt Lake City, UT.
- Heffron, J., The, K., & Harrison, E. A. (2018). Room for change: Experiences of occupational therapy practitioners with disabilities. Poster at American Occupational Therapy Association conference. Salt Lake City, UT.
- Black, M., Smith, Y., Mirza, M., Harrison, E.A., & Crandall, J. (2018). Community-based collaborations with refugees and asylum seekers: Initiating and sustaining innovative practice. Short course at American Occupational Therapy Association conference. Salt Lake City, UT.