Computer Simulation Training in Occupational Therapy Education (Episode 107)

Occupational therapist Allison Sullivan, DOT, OTR/L, was the recipient of the 2017 Catherine Trombly Award for Excellence in Research and Education from the Massachusetts Association of Occupational Therapy and the 2018 Faculty Excellence award from American International College. She is Lead Faculty for AIC’s Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, where she mentors doctoral capstone projects and teaches courses for the PP-OTD in scholarship of teaching and learning in occupational therapy and occupational therapy theory, as well as providing instruction for the entry-level MSOT program in courses on group dynamics, the development of psychosocial occupations and the mental health process in OT. Her research interests include pedagogy in occupational therapy education, cognitive disabilities, and trauma-informed care. Dr. Sullivan’s study, “Impact of a Fieldwork Experience on Attitudes Toward People with Intellectual Disabilities”, is published in the 2017 November/December issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. As an occupational therapist and educator, Dr. Sullivan has dedicated her career toward improving the lives of individuals with cognitive disabilities and health conditions that interfere with social participation and quality of life across the lifespan, working in day habilitation services, school-based occupational therapy, and residential settings in a career spanning three decades. She is the chair of the MAOT Western Massachusetts Mental Health Special Interest Group, a certified group exercise and yoga instructor (RYT), and the co-founder and leader of #OTalk2US, a Twitter chat for occupational therapists with tens of millions of views of tweets carrying this tag.In this interview, Allison shares about the results of our recent study, which describes effects of participation in an innovative computer simulation training in screening and brief intervention and occupational therapy students’ confidence and preparedness in selecting appropriate responses when using this skill in a virtual assessment. In addition, we talk about trends and advocacy on social media, international connections, and mental health as an integral part of the OT profession. We also discuss the book StrengthsFinder 2.0 from Gallup and Tom Rath. To connect with Dr. Sullivan, follow her on Twitter @_allisulli.