Holly Schifsky to Teach Her Newest Course “Bridging the Gap: Outpatient Rehabilitation Considerations for the Infant with Cardiopulmonary Compromise” – a Live One-day Webinar

Renowned Certified Neonatal Therapist, Holly Schifsky, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC, CBIS is a highly popular ERI instructor and has taught thousands of therapists essential evidence-based techniques and therapeutic interventions to treat infants in the NICU. Now, ERI is partnering with Holly to offer a brand new one-day live webinar “Bridging the Gap: Outpatient Rehabilitation Considerations for the Infant with Cardiopulmonary Compromise.” This intermediate to advanced course focuses on the cardiopulmonary implications for the premature or medically fragile infant as related to their transition from inpatient hospitalization to an outpatient rehabilitation level of care.  The course will focus on congenital cardiac conditions, medical/surgical management, and outpatient rehabilitation interventions to maximize the infant’s developmental and feeding skills. 

“Bridging the Gap: Outpatient Rehabilitation Considerations for the Infant with Cardiopulmonary Compromise” will be offered on December 3, 2021, as a live webinar.  Therapists who cannot attend the December course can register for the March 10, 2022, webinar and save $10 with code SCHIFSKYMARCH when registering before January 27, 2022.

To register for “Bridging the Gap” and for more information on Holly Schifsky and her other upcoming courses please click HERE. 

Welcoming Back Susan Cecere to Therapies in the School Conference

We are thrilled to have ERI Faculty member and expert Susan Cecere return to our Annual Therapies in the School Conference. 

Susan Cecere PT, MHS

Susan Cecere, PT, MHS. is an experienced speaker on practice and administrative school-based therapy topics. She is the owner of Sequoia School Based Therapy Solutions, LLC a consulting company that supports districts, agencies and therapists in the practice of school-based therapy services by providing mentoring, professional development and
administrative support. Sue was the VP of the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy for 8 years and represented the academy in several national public education coalitions.

Her session: School Based Best Practices: A Guide for Beginning Therapists
will teach you the knowledge needed to navigate the language of IDEA and the IEP process for student who are eligible for special education and related services. The basics of assessment, IEP documentation, creating supplementary aids and services, developing participation-based goals and making dosing decisions will be shared and discussed.

Find out more information here:

Therapies in the School Conference 2021
November 18-19, 2021

Create your own track with 5 afternoon sessions to choose from on each day. 

Download the Brochure Here: Therapies 2021 Brochure

Announcing Recipient of the Annual ERI Award for Creative School Based Therapy

We are thrilled to announce that Chanda Jothen is the recipient of the ERI Creative Therapies Award

She is being recognized as an individual who has made an extraordinary commitment and outstanding contributions to the practice of school-based therapy by enriching the lives of students through creative solutions.

Chanda created Pink Oatmeal to help school therapists with all their ideas and resource needs for promoting physical activity and motor activities at home, therapy, and in the classroom!

Once the pandemic started, she realized there was a great need for therapists to have access to quality videos and activities they could share with their students and their families virtually.  So she created and uploaded even more digital theme activities related to fine, visual and gross motor games. 
She has been an active participant in Facebook groups for OTs and PTs trying to navigate remote therapy, helping individuals navigate the new world of remote therapy and provided a life line to those who were struggling. 

In addition, she heard from lots of therapists who said they needed more customized activities with better visual representation of those activities.  So she enlisted the help of her children and began to grow her video library to help therapists address areas such as core strength, bilateral coordination, balance activities and more.

As one colleague stated “I’m really not sure what I would have done this year without her!” 

Chanda is able to provide relevant and useful tools because she too was school based therapist for many years until she “retired” about 3 years ago to focus on developing more content and spending time with her young family.   

Congratulations Chanda! 

Thank you to all who submitted nominations. We received many compelling applications and it has proven difficult to chose the winners among the many talented and dedicated candidates.

Chanda will be recognized at the 22nd Annual Therapies in the School Conference November 18-19, 2021 – LIVE WEBINAR

Registrations are still be accepted for the popular 2 day conference
LEARN MORE HERE

Don’t Miss Teresa May Benson – Key Note Speaker at the Annual Therapies in the School Conference

ERI is thrilled to welcome Teresa May-Benson to the Therapies in the School Faculty. 

With two opportunities to hear her present:
Key note address: Praxis as a Whole Brain Process: How Neuroscience Informs Function  and 
Dyspraxia: Tools, Treatment & Accommodations

Teresa A. May-Benson, Sc.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, Owner/President of TMB Education and OTR, Inc. and past Executive Director of the SPIRAL Foundation is a well-known lecturer and researcher on sensory integration theory and intervention.

Teresa May-Benson OTR/L, FAOTA, Sc.D.

She has authored numerous book chapters and articles on praxis and sensory integration, and completed her doctoral dissertation on ideational praxis. Dr. May-Benson has a diverse background as a clinical practitioner having worked in private and public school settings as well as private practice. She has been active in conducting research related to sensory integration through the non-profit Spiral Foundation’s Sensory Processing Research Center for over 25 years. She has collaborated with well-known researchers such as Dr. Diane Parham, Dr. Shelly Lane, Dr. Zoe Mailloux, Dr. Sarah Schoen, Dr. Susanne Smith Roley, Dr. Anita Bundy and Dr. Roseann Schaaf through the Sensory Integration Research Collaborative. In her role of educator, she serves as adjunct faculty at Widener University and has been adjunct and part-time faculty at the University of Indianapolis and Tufts University.

She has a special interest in, and extensive experience with autism, particularly older students and adults. Dr. May-Benson received her bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and her master’s degree from Boston University with a concentration in sensory integration and school system therapy. She was a Maternal and Child Health Fellow in the Doctoral Program in Therapeutic Studies at Boston University. She has received the Virginia Scardinia Award of Excellence from AOTA for her work in ideational praxis. The Alice Bachman Clinician Award from Pediatric Therapy Network and the Catherine Trombley Award from the Massachusetts Association of Occupational Therapists for her work as a research, clinician and instructor. She is a fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Praxis as a Whole Brain Process: How Neuroscience Informs Function
Linking the neurobiology of praxis to functional performance. This presentation will facilitate participant’s understanding of the neurological underpinnings of behaviors and skills related to praxis and how those functions and dysfunctions impact on performance of everyday life.

Dyspraxia: Tools, Treatment & Accommodations
Praxis challenges are often overlooked or misunderstood in school-based practice. This session will
provide participants with assessment tools, intervention techniques and classroom accommodations that may be used in a school setting to address praxis-related challenges. The various components of praxis will be discussed along with the relationship of praxis to sensory processing and behavior.

Find out more information here:

Therapies in the School Conference 2021
November 18-19, 2021

Create your own track with 5 afternoon sessions to choose from on each day. 

Download the Brochure Here: Therapies 2021 Brochure

Opportunities to Network and Connect with Other School Therapists

While we may not be meeting in person for our Therapies Conference, ERI is offering new ways to connect, share and learn from each other about the challenges and solutions of returning to school this year. 

In addition to learning from experts in the field about strategies and techniques you can implement in the classroom, ERI is also providing a platform to enable attendees to connect using virtual meet ups based on your interests, social groups tailored to your needs and discussion threads on the topics that matter most to school based therapists. 

We understand the post pandemic struggles and frustrations you are facing this school year and we hope that by sharing both your challenges and successes about what has and has not been working for you in the classroom, you will provide help and support to each other.

Join us!

Learn more here: THEARAPIES IN THE SCHOOL 2021

November 18-19 2021
Earn 12 continuing education hours 1.2 CEUs

Choose your own track from 5 dynamic session each afternoon