What is OT in 2024?

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Through OT Potential, we’ve released over 70 episodes all exploring new influential OT research. As we enter 2024, it’s time to reflect on the research and ask: 

What trends are we seeing in OT? How is new research enriching how we think about our practice? 

In this 1 hour-episode, we’ll talk about new trends, with a particular focus on what commonalities we see leaders in our field doing in their occupational therapy process. We’ll culminate our discussion by exploring how people describe OT. This will be informed by our OT practice framework, but with a special focus on how we communicate about OT to the public. 

For this exploration, we’ll welcome back to the podcast two of our podcast hosts from 2024, Carlin Reaume OTD, OTR/L, DipACLM, PMH-C, PCES and Ryan Lavalley PhD, OTR/L. Together we’ll unpack what all of these trends mean for your OT practice. 

Primary Journal Article Explored

When you log in, be sure to check out the OT Potential Club’s written breakdown of the following research article. Then, share your questions and thoughts with fellow practitioners.

• Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process—Fourth edition 

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

We’ll touch on a number of studies we’ve covered on the podcast, but in particular these two will influence our discussion: 

• The impact of an independence curriculum on self-determination and function in middle school autistic students
• The cognitive orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (co-op) approach is superior to ordinary treatment for achievement of goals and transfer effects in children with Cerebral Palsy and spina bifida – a randomized controlled trial

Learning Objectives

• You will be able to identify research-based OT trends in goal setting. 
• You will be able to recognize trends within the research related to OT intervention.

Supplemental Reading

What is Occupational Therapy? By OT Potential

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (55 minutes)

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:01:00 OT Potential Podcast Intro
• 00:03:03 Intro to Carlin and Ryan
• 00:07:18 OT Trends and Surprises in 2023
• 00:17:16 OT Potential Theme of 2023: Self-determination
• 00:20:54 Trend #1- Clients set their own goals
• 00:25:46 Trend #2- Clients guide treatment
• 00:32:28 Trend #3- Don’t shy away from the discomfort of trial and error learning
• 00:38:30 Trend #4- The arch of the session
• 00:54:26 Describing OT in 2024
• 01:04:34 Predictions for 2024

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn about What is OT in 2024?.  The educational level is introductory.

Financial and Non-financial Disclosures

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

We here at OT Potential have no financial stake in this topic.  Our guests, Ryan Lavalley and Carlin Reaume, also have no financial disclosures.

Speakers

Ryan Lavalley PhD, OTR/L

Ryan is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Science in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Dr. Lavalley has nearly 10 years of experience in community practice of occupational therapy. Broadly, his practice and research sits at the intersections of aging, housing, and anti-oppression. In 2021 as a post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Lavalley was honored with the Office of the Provost Engaged Scholarship Award for Partnership from the Carolina Center for Public Service.

He is the primary lead for the department’s Community Practice Lab and has experience conducting community program development and evaluation in partnership with multiple partners including non-profits, local governments, and community institutions. He is also the Director of UNC-CH’s Partnerships in Aging Program, an initiative of the Provost’s office to facilitate communication and collaboration among campus and community partners working in Aging. His research has explored collective processes of everyday life and the sociological implications of doing together in community, including both positive outcomes such as language inclusion and negative outcomes such as racism.

Further, Dr. Lavalley is an active member of the occupational science and occupational therapy community. He is a coordinating member of the International Social Transformation through Occupation Network, and the Chair of Operations for the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD).  Personally, Dr. Lavalley is proudly queer, originally hails from West Virginia, and enjoys gardening and anything outdoors.

 

Carlin Reaume OTD, OTR/L, DipACLM, PMH-C, PCES

Dr. Carlin Reaume is a pelvic floor therapist in Sacramento, California.

Carlin has more than 15 years of experience as a therapist and educator. Utilizing her clinical expertise in Lifestyle Redesign®, she has focused her career on expanding occupational therapy’s role in non-traditional and emerging practice areas including workplace wellness, college student health, and maternal health.

She holds specialty certifications in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International and Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise (PCES) through Core Exercise Solutions. Dr. Reaume is also a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), a certified postpartum doula through Cornerstone Birthwork Training, and a graduate of Loyola Marymount University’s Yoga Therapy RX Certificate Program.

Carlin launched Supported Mama: Pelvic Floor Therapy in 2020 as a way to provide holistic support for women on the journey before, during, and after pregnancy.

Dr. Reaume graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) with both her Master of Arts and Doctoral degrees in Occupational Therapy. She also completed her Master of Arts in Education from Pepperdine University. She has presented her work both nationally and internationally, as well as held leadership positions on the Board of Directors for the Occupational Therapy Association of California. Dr. Reaume currently serves as Assistant Clinical Professor for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program at the University of the Pacific in Sacramento, California.

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Requirements. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

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