Bay Path OT Doctoral Scholars Selected to Present Research at National Conference

Five Bay Path University doctoral scholars from the inaugural cohort of the University’s $1.25 million federally funded occupational therapy program have been selected to present their research at the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) Children & Youth Specialty Conference in New Orleans this December.

Selected through a competitive peer-review process, their doctoral capstone projects address critical issues in school-based occupational therapy, including neurodiversity, student transitions, caregiver advocacy, social-emotional learning, and professional development.

The scholars are all practicing occupational therapists working in school districts across the country. Jeanette Kunz of Washtenaw Intermediate School District in Michigan will present Occupational Therapy Dismissal during K–12 Education Before Young Adult Transition. Charmaine Millar of Clark County School District in Nevada will present Social and Emotional Learning Through a Holistic Lens: A Continuing Education Course. Christina Rojas of Chicago Public Schools will present Empowering Hispanic Caregivers of Autistic Children to Advocate for School-Based and Community Supports. Adria Van Asten of Sheboygan Area School District in Wisconsin will present Impact of the All IncludEd Toolkit on Educational Support Personnel’s Knowledge and Understanding of Neurodiversity. Saadatu White of Detroit Public Schools Community District will present Equipping Early-Career OTs for Success in School-Based Settings: Evaluation of a Continuing Education Program.

Their achievements highlight the impact of Bay Path’s Improving School-Based OT Practice: A Doctoral Program to Improve Outcomes for Children with High-Intensity Needs, a five-year initiative supported by a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

Now in its third year, the program is designed to address a nationwide shortage of school-based occupational therapists, particularly those trained to support children with disabilities and high-intensity needs. This fall marks an important milestone, as the inaugural cohort prepares to graduate, the second cohort begins its doctoral capstone sequence, and a third cohort prepares to enter the program in January 2027.

Through Bay Path’s fully online, two-year Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, grant-supported scholars receive partial tuition funding, alumni mentorship, AOTA membership, specialized professional development, and conference support, including up to $3,000 in travel funding to present their research. In addition to earning their doctorate, participants complete a Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders and the AOTA School-Based Practice Professional Certificate.

The grant will support 32 doctoral scholars, helping to develop a more highly trained and diverse workforce of occupational therapists equipped to improve educational outcomes for children with disabilities nationwide.

Learn more about Bay Path’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate program.