Tag Archives: conference highlights

Our therapy conference recaps and previews highlight important sessions, emerging trends, and innovative tools from leading occupational therapy, speech-language, and special education events. These summaries offer insights for professionals who want to stay current and inspired by what’s happening in the field.

98th Annual AOTA Conference & Expo

Events & Conferences,

Salt Lake City hosted the 98th Annual AOTA Conference & Expo this year.  Traditionally, it is the largest gathering of occupational therapy professionals in the world, with 7,000 in attendance this year! The beautiful snow-capped mountains were a magical backdrop for all the conference festivities.

Therapro booth at AOTA Conference 2018We were one of over 375 exhibitors! The Therapro crew we brought included Karen, Linda, Allyson, and me. We enjoyed meeting all the therapists, educators, students, and parents who found our exhibit at Booth1500 in the Expo Hall. It was great to hear shouts from those who strolled by with remarks like “We love Therapro!  Thanks for being here!” We were delighted that so many of our friends and colleagues stopped by to visit, including Jan Hollenbeck, Emily Zeman, Diana Henry, Melanie Potock, Jenny Clark, Tee Stock, and many more. This year we shared our booth with authors, Carolyn Murray-Slutsky, MS, OTR, C/NDT and Betty A. Paris, PT, MEd, C/NDT, along with Carolyn’s husband, Herman. Their publications: Autism Interventions, Is It Sensory or Is It Behavior?, DTI: Laminated Card Series – Sensory Modulation & Positive Behavioral Strategies, and Sleep ‘N Sync materials were extremely popular, even more so because Carolyn and Betty provided a workshop at the conference.

We offered visitors an opportunity to try out some new products we brought, including:

We showcased a new Chewy Tube product called the Sensory Spoon, which Karen and Filomena helped design. It is the first self-feeding tool of its kind that provides a child with tactile input to the palm, a comfortable smooth textured spoon with a natural “stop” to prevent gagging, and a bowl that helps facilitate lip closure to the spoon for easy clearing. The feedback from therapists and parents of children with special needs was very positive.

Three happy winners of the Therapro raffles walked away with Therapro products. These lucky therapists included Ester, Miranda, and Chelsey. They were excited to receive some of our favorite products in their surprise bag: TracKit, Therapy Putty, Reading Guide Strips, Sensory Story Strategy Card Deck, Novenops, and Letter Treasure Hunt.

By Day #4 of the conference, our Therapro team had sore feet, but big smiles on our faces. We had a blast meeting so many great people who loved sharing their ideas, opinions, and experiences with us. They often remarked that it was wonderful to discuss products with us because we are OTs who use the products in our own practices.

I want to leave you with a quote from Lia, an occupational therapist from Philadelphia, as she purchased a Wind-Up Ladybug and a Sensory Connection Self-Regulation Workbook: “Nothing helps self-regulation like a ladybug.”

Thank you, AOTA – Salt Lake City.  We learned so much and can’t wait to see you again next spring in New Orleans 2019!  We’ll be ready for you!!

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L

ASHA 2017: Conference Highlights

Events & Conferences, ,

The 2017 ASHA conference drew over 14,000 speech-language pathologists, audiologists, hearing and speech scientists, and communication sciences and disorders students to Los Angeles for three jam-packed days of educational, networking, and fun events. On Thursday we welcomed the masses into the Expo Hall when they stopped by the Therapro exhibit by asking attendees what parts of the opening session inspired them. They reported enjoying Goldie Hawn’s Keynote Address with her emphasis on mindfulness and self-regulation. She discussed her foundation, the Hawn Foundation, which focuses on a program for schools to teach children the basics of brain science. It was a great kick-off for this year’s conference. Read on for more conference highlights! 

We designed our exhibit this year to focus on various areas we thought would interest attendees. Our “Games Corner” was a beehive of activity with Karen drawing therapists to play Novenops, Trunks, Letter Treasure Hunt, A Fistful of Coins, and Obstacles: A Game of Imaginative Solutions. One therapist loved Novenops so much that she purchased one for herself and several for gifts! The zany sentences players constructed in this game had everyone laughing.

NOVENOP is an acronym created from the words NOun, VErb, NOun, and Phrase and is a board game for children of ages 6 and up- a hit at the ASHA 2017 Conference
Lion In My Way: A Game of Imaginative Solutions
Letter Treasure Hunt game contents including keyboard playing cards wipe off boards Spooner and crayons

 

Another area we set up was filled with wind-up toys that drew a crowd with giggles, exclamations, and stories of creative ways they used the toys in therapy sessions. Everyone exclaimed how unique our collection was, including the Firefighter, Cats, Lovely Farm, Baby Critters, and retro appliances.

Friends we had met in previous years stopped by to say hello and to see what’s new at Therapro. Our auditory processing publications were much appreciated, including Help for Auditory Processing and The Source for Processing Disorders – 2nd Edition. Story Starters Write-Abouts and Silly Starter Write-Abouts were very popular flip books with which students gain valuable writing and expressive verbal practice. Therapists loved the Conversacards, Question Series and Question Set with beautiful photos on one side and easy teaching steps on the reverse side.

Therapists who address feeding problems were excited to meet Kelly VahnDam, MS, CCC-SLP, editor and an author of the Therapro publication Pediatric Feeding Disorders. She graciously autographed the book and took photos with admirers. Several students from North Carolina reported that her book is part of their curriculum. Feeding therapists picked up Textured Spoons, Nuk Massager Brushes, Mr. Juice Bear, and much more. It was fun to help therapists select appropriate materials and brain storm with them on ways to use chewies for their clients. Mary Schiavoni, MS, CCC-SLP, creator of Chewy Tubes visited our booth and introduced the new Sensory Dipper she showcased at the conference. Dawn Winkelmann, MS, CCC-SLP of ezpz stopped by as well – we love their Happy Mats and Happy Bowls!

After three exciting and full days of introducing Therapro to speech and language professionals from the US, Canada, and many foreign countries, we were pleased with the dedication and thirst for knowledge expressed by those we met. We left L.A. satisfied that we had met thousands of devoted and gifted therapists who truly LOVE their profession!

We can’t wait to welcome you to Boston next Fall for the ASHA Conference 2018!

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L

18th Annual Therapies in the School Conference Recap

Events & Conferences

Yoga Spinner Game; a popular product at the 18th Annual Therapies in the School Conference

Therapro was pleased to attend the 18th Annual Therapies School Conference on November 16–17, 2017, held in Framingham, MA. Hosted by Education Resources Inc., this two-day event provided therapists working in school-based settings with expert-led sessions on current best practices, research, and practical tools to better support student success.

Practical Tools for School-Based Therapy

The Therapies School Conference is known for its emphasis on real-world applications. This year’s sessions focused on sensory regulation, executive functioning, and innovative service delivery models. Attendees gained insight into how to improve therapy outcomes within the constraints of school settings, where time and resources are often limited.

Therapists also explored interdisciplinary collaboration strategies and ways to align therapy goals with academic expectations, helping students thrive both functionally and academically.

Therapro’s Table: From Products to Practice

Therapro’s exhibit featured a curated range of tools and resources used daily by school-based occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists. Highlights included:

Therapists appreciated being able to explore and interact with products designed to enhance therapy sessions and improve student engagement.

Continuing the Conversation

The 18th Annual Therapies School Conference was more than an educational event—it was an energizing space for professionals to share challenges, exchange solutions, and feel recharged in their practice. Therapro values opportunities like this to connect with the school-based therapy community and support the delivery of high-quality, student-centered care.

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L