The IOTA's Spring Conference was held on February 28th,
and has been deemed by many as a success. The conference was specifically
themed as a "vision conference", and invited speakers from multi-disciplinary
settings. The attendees enjoyed Dr. Scott Sanders as the keynote speaker, who
presented on neuroplasticity in the brain from both a historic and more recent perspective.
Dr. Sanders was able to pull upon an expert bank of knowledge, and charismatic
demeanor to relay to the audience his findings in his practice and
how they related to the attending occupational therapists. The keynote address
was well-received by all who attended.
The keynote address was not the only part of the conference
that was well-received. The day began with IOTA's Dr. Thomas Fisher who pulled
double duty presenting on both OT Practice Framework and Indiana licensure
updates. A presentation which enabled attending practitioners to obtain
clarification on either of the subject matters, both of which have experienced
dynamic changes in 2008. Following Dr. Fisher, Dr. Windsor addressed the crowd
with an update on low vision. Dr. Windsor works closely with occupational
therapists in his practice, and his work has been recognized in the local and
national media. The high-paced, informative presentation covered a number of
nuances in the world of low-vision.
Sarah King, occupational therapist and IOTA West Central district
leader, and fellow occupational therapist Monica Warmoth took the stage before
lunch. The focus of their discussion was the role of the occupational therapist
in treating patients with visual impairments. Adding to the diversity of the
conference, Jill Thomas shared the perspective of an itinerant rehabilitation
teacher in an overview on the topic. To conclude the day, occupational
therapist Lisa Shepherd Pearcy delivered an energetic demonstration on the OT's
role in visual skill development through play.
The Indiana Occupational Therapy Association would like to
thank all of the presenters and attendees for their participation in the
conference. Also, thank you to Sarah King and the West Central district for
organizing and hosting the conference!
