April is OT Month!

We Love This Time of Year!

April is OT Month and ERI is thrilled to celebrate this vital profession. We are honored to serve our community of Occupational Therapists who help both children and adults flourish in their overall well-being and independence through engaging them in meaningful activities. Thank you for all that you do!

Meet ERI’s OT Faculty!

We are so happy to highlight and share our amazing OT faculty with you! 

Anne Buckley-Reen, OTR, RYT has taught with ERI since 2005. She has been a practicing pediatric therapist for 30+ years and a pioneer in the use of yoga as a therapeutic modality for nearly 20 years. Her work with yoga has been researched, published and cited in numerous journal articles and is the foundation for a researched preparatory program widely used in NYC schools special needs classrooms.

Motor Issues in Autism is Anne’s popular ERI course and teaches therapists how to more effectively expand engagement in clients with ASD while answering questions about self-stimulatory behaviors, preservation, and reactive or self-directed behaviors. This course is scheduled for the following dates and registration is now open:

Janine Wiskind Janine Wiskind, MS, OTR/L has been teaching as an ERI faculty member for the past 11 years. As a pediatric occupational therapist, beginning her career in brain injury, Janine cultivated her specific concentration in vision, which has, in turn, led her to specialize in primitive reflex integration. Working for inpatient rehab, outpatient, home health, the school system, and now within her own clinic has provided Janine with an extensive opportunity to work with a variety of pediatric populations and has led to her diverse array of expertise. 

Janine’s well-known course with ERI is Primitive Reflexes: Strategies to Promote Integration – Strengthening Foundational Skills and teaches therapists how to effectively evaluate primitive reflexes and utilize a functional and play-based approach to primitive reflex integration. This course is scheduled for the following dates and registration is now open:

Holly Schifsky, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC, CBIS has worked with ERI for over 7 years. She has been in pediatrics for the past 27 years with the past 16 years in a level IV NICU. She is a Certified Neonatal Therapist, Certified Neonatal Touch and Massage Therapist, Certified Brain Injury therapist, a member of National Association of Neonatal Therapists, and has completed 6-month mentorship in infant/child NDT.

Holly has worked within the NICU and NICU follow-up clinic to maximize patient and family outcomes for the most complex premature and medically-fragile term infant. She is the recipient of the National Association of Neonatal Therapists Clinical Excellence award in 2018, due to her clinical expertise and dedication to advancing the therapeutic interventions for NICU infants with cardiopulmonary conditions. Holly will be presenting the following courses and registration is now open:

Melissa Gerber, OTD, OTR/LMelissa Gerber, OTD, OTR/L has been with ERI for the past 7 years. Dr. Gerber is a seasoned and respected clinician with extensive experience in pediatrics. She began her career in Adult/Pediatric inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation and acute care. Currently, Dr. Gerber has been working for the Great Neck Public Schools for the past 22 years. She is president of 4MYKIDSOT, a private practice where she provides therapy and evaluations.

Dr. Gerber is enthusiastic to share her experiences and provide strategies that can be incorporated immediately. She is also affiliated with Puzzle Art Therapy, and enjoys sharing this program. 

Dana Kizer, OT has a special interest in feeding and sensory processing. Dana has worked in a variety of pediatric settings including a pediatric hospital, specialty clinic, private practice, and home health. She has presented on feeding therapy and interventions nationally and across virtual platforms. Dana is a published author on the subject of pediatric feeding disorders and currently volunteers her time with Feeding Matters by serving on the Family Advisory Council to help families navigate the complex world of pediatric feeding disorders.

Dana brings a family perspective to her treatments and teaching experiences as her initial experience with feeding therapy occurred when she would accompany her younger brother to his feeding therapy appointments. She has seen first-hand the difference therapy can make in the lives of patients and their families. Dana will be co-presenting the following courses and registration is now open:

ERI Is Heading to NANT 14…See You There!

Neonatal therapy NICU NANT

 

The National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT) Conference is just around the corner and we’re excited to once again attend this one of a kind event! Scheduled for April 12-13, 2024 in sunny Miramar Beach, FL, NANT serves an international group of neonatal OTs, PTs, and SLPs in order to advance the specialized knowledge and skills required to work in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). 

The year’s conference allows attendees to experience leading-edge presentations on a range of neonatal therapy topics, interact with exhibitors who supply products and services to the field, and network with colleagues from around the globe. 

Stop by Booth #114 and Say Hello

ERI has the privilege of being a professional partner with NANT and is honored to continue to help strengthen the quality and accessibility of continuing education for our neonatal therapist community. Attending NANT is always a wonderful opportunity to connect with old friends and meet new ones. Stop by our booth #114 to say hello, and as always, we love listening to your thoughts, suggestions and needs for future educational topics. 

Meet and Greet with ERI Faculty 

Holly Schifsky, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC, CBISOur distinguished team of ERI faculty who specialize in NICU education are passionate about sharing their expertise. We’re hoping you’ll have the opportunity to meet and greet with neonatal expert Holly Schifsky, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC, CBIS, while at the conference. Stay tuned for exact times and dates. 

Conference Information and Raffle Prizes

And while at the conference, don’t forget to stop by our booth to chat with Marianne Boynton who will be manning our booth all weekend. Have your badge scanned to enter to win some fabulous raffle prizes – you won’t want to miss it! ERI’s exhibitor profile will be shared on the Whova app once again – so you can always check-in on the app for any of our updates throughout the conference. 

See you in Florida! 🌞

Spring into Savings with Our April Promo!

Spring has sprung and it’s time for some savings!

Take advantage of our spring promo to receive $30 off any ERI course valued at $299 or more. Use code SPRING2024 at checkout. This offer is good for on-demand, live webinar or in-person courses. This discount is valid through May 1, 2024 and cannot be combined with other offers. 

spring discount savings ERI continuing education courses PT OT SLP

 

Questions? Contact our office at 800-487-6530 or email info@educationresourcesinc.com 

Announcing Recipients of the ERI Birth to Three Scholarship Awards

The countdown to the Birth to Three Conference is on!

scholarship therapistAs we finalize the finishing touches for this year’s inaugural conference, we want to take a moment to announce this year’s award winners of the ERI Scholarships for “B-3 New to Practice” and “B-3 Master  Clinician”. 

We received many noteworthy nominations and it was difficult to choose a winner among the many talented and dedicated B-3 therapists. We are thrilled to announce the following recipients as this year’s winners:

Birth to Three ‘New to Practice’ Scholarship Award: 

The ERI Award Committee is thrilled to announce Camila Gonzalez as the winner for our New to B-3 Scholarship award! This award is intended to celebrate and support an emerging leader who is new to practicing in a Birth to 3 setting. It is never easy to begin working in a new area and we really admire those who persevere and provide exceptional care despite the hurdles they may face during those first few years.  

One of the hurdles many early intervention providers face is inconsistencies in caseloads, scheduling, mentorship and time to collaborate with their colleagues. Camila is confronting these hurdles with determination by balancing practice in two settings- home-based early intervention and school-based speech language services. Even as a new to B3 SLP, she has already experienced the joy of successful connection with her EI families. She is dedicated to continuing practice in this setting, where many families would benefit from services in their primary language. As a bilingual SLP in Spanish and English, Camila provides skilled therapy while also fostering comfort and connection with caregivers who can share their aspirations, concerns, and questions about their child in their own language.  

Speaking up, advocating and problem solving can be daunting when you are in a new practice area, but these skills are crucial to providing quality care. Camila exemplifies teamwork and collaboration in meeting the needs of her young clients by never being afraid to reach out to other team members, including physicians, radiologists, OTs, PTs and behavior therapists on the care team. She prides herself on her strong collaboration with families and it’s no coincidence that she is an SLP, as she excels in communication with and on behalf of children and their caregivers.  

Camila is already envisioning the positive benefits of gaining more knowledge and expertise at the 2024 B3 Conference, as she looks forward to “synthesizing and relaying vital information to current and future families.” By taking the initiative to overcome challenges in this new practice area, Camila is well on her way to achieving her professional goals and supporting clients to achieve theirs’ as well!  

Birth to Three ‘Master Clinician’ Scholarship Award: 

The B-3 Master Clinician Scholarship Award for 2024 is proudly presented to Dr. Breanna Adkins! Dr. Adkins was nominated for this honor by one of her colleagues, who emphasized how impactful Dr. Adkins’ work is with her young clients and families, her OT students and the broader therapy community.  

As one of only a small handful of Board Certified Pediatric OTs in West Virginia, Dr. Adkins’ expertise extends from birth to 3 and beyond, although her clinical passion lies in early intervention services. She has so skillfully demonstrated excellence in this practice area that she has inspired many OT students to seek fieldwork placements in EI and to enter this setting as newly graduated therapists. Dr. Adkins’ commitment to high quality EI services for the babies and toddlers of her area led her to join the faculty of West Virginia University, where she has incorporated innovative teaching strategies to ensure students’ clinical competence in pediatric practice. 

It is not just teaching and practicing that makes Dr. Adkins a master clinician, but also her completion of hundreds of hours of training in assessment and interventions for the birth to three population. From feeding and swallowing to infant and toddler mental health, to motor and nervous system disorders, along with reflex integration, sensory processing and medical complexity, Dr. Adkins continues to embrace advanced knowledge in service to her clients. This aligns so strongly with ERI’s values around providing life-changing learning for therapists and helping them remember why they love what they do. Our warmest congratulations and appreciation for B3 Master Clinician Award winner, Dr. Breanna Adkins! 

Congratulations to Camilla and Dr. Breanna Adkins! Thank you for your passion, hard work and innovative ideas that help to push our profession forward. 

Both women will receive a scholarship of free tuition to this year’s Birth to Three Conference and will be recognized at the event. This is a virtual conference. 

Thank You to Our Birth to Three Conference Facility Partners

Meeting a Growing Need

This year, ERI will hold its inaugural virtual Birth to Three Conference scheduled for April 4 and 5, 2024. After years of research and analyzing therapists educational needs, ERI determined there was a learning gap when it comes to therapists who work with the birth to three population. Building off of that information and meeting with numerous experts in the field, ERI developed a conference agenda that targeted the B-3 areas with the biggest needs.

We’re thrilled that almost 400 therapists and other educators agree that this conference is exactly the kind of content needed to learn new strategies and techniques when treating this tiny population and their families. 

Registration Is Still Open

Interested in viewing the full agenda and speakers for this popular conference? There’s still time to register! Participants have the option of registering for one or both days, and groups of three or more will receive a discount for the two-day conference. Learn more to see what all the buzz is about!

Thank You to Our Facility Partners

Our Facility Partners help to spread the word about this important event, while also supporting their own staff by investing in their professional development for this two-day course. This conference is trusted by the following organizations:   

Interested in Partnering with ERI?

Whether you’re looking for in-house customized continuing education, or would like to partner with ERI to host an in-person course or live webinar, we can accommodate your professional development needs. Make an investment in the future that pays off in improved outcomes. Contact our Director of Client Relations, Marianne Boynton, to discuss your specific training goals: 800-487-6530 or email mboynton@educationresourcesinc.com