Mile Markers on the Road to the Centennial Vision

The American Occupational Therapy Association is the frontline for the occupational therapy

profession. Backed by the valued support and participation of our members, AOTA commits its

leadership and resources to advance the profession and promote its role in meeting society’s needs.

Our profession is on the road to the Centennial Vision and we will not be diverted from our path.

The Vision’s goals are vital to moving occupational therapy forward and positioning the profession to

fulfill its potential. As we reflect back on the accomplishments recorded in the 2010 Annual Report,

the Association is proud to report that major progress was achieved through the collaborative

determination and dedication of our members, leaders, and staff.

THE AMERICAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION, INC.2010 ANNUAL REPORT n JULY 1, 2009–JUNE 30, 2010

Fulfilling Our Potential page 4

Articulating Our Value page 6

Linking Research, Education, and Practice page 8

Supporting Our Members page 10

Developing Our Resources page 11

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Mile Markers on the Road to the Centennial VisionIn February 2009, the AOTA Board of Directors prioritized Centennial Vision objectives for fiscal year 2010. n Engage in broad-based advocacy to ensure funding for

occupational therapy in traditional and emerging areas.n Create a national outcomes database.n Develop major image-building campaigns.n Promote dissemination of evidence-based knowledge.n Continually scan the research environment.n Create a research agenda.n Create a research database. n Create the emerging leaders development program.

The FY 2010 objectives were fully achieved or substantial progress was made during the year. The health care reform debate was difficult to maneuver but occupational therapy achieved key victories. Negotiation and licensing for the outcomes database was finalized, creating the bridge to its unveiling in the near future. The professional brand drew greater recognition through our media outreach and member use of brand tools. Evidence-based resources were expanded and disseminated. Research data and information became more widely known for its critical role in the profession. Emerging leaders were provided with training and mentorship to prepare them for future leadership roles.

The FY 2010 stretch of the highway led us past many important mile markers. Thank you to everyone whose contributions are reflected in this year’s annual report. At the end of the road, we made a turn into FY 2011 with another landscape of mile markers to pass. Please continue to support AOTA as we stay focused on what’s next and learn how you can help take the wheel. We’re on the road again!

™

AOTA President Florence Clark

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1 FY 2011 Centennial Vision objectives were prioritized by the AOTA Board of

Directors: create an inclusive and diverse leader-ship pool and support leadership activities among practitioners; develop a major image-building campaign; engage in broad-based advocacy to ensure funding for OT in tradi-tional and emerging areas; engage in advocacy to promote federal support for OT/OTA educa-tion; create an outcomes database; promote dissemination of evidence-based knowledge; promote alignment of OT research with the AOTA–AOTF research agenda and create a research database; build research capacity in the profession; and develop programs to encourage faculty to pursue doctoral degrees.

2 The Emerging Leaders Development Program was successfully launched and

involved a two-day leadership training seminar and a year of mentored relationships with existing AOTA leaders with specific tasks to be accomplished. From 85 applicants, 15 emerging leaders were chosen for the full program, and 15 leaders were selected for the mentorship segment. Participants will complete a post-program evaluation of their experience and growth.

3 The AOTA Student Recruitment Initiative program drew approximately 1,500

prospective students into contact with AOTA about their interest in occupational therapy. In collaboration with the University of Illinois–Chicago (UIC), AOTA posted on its Web site an appealing PowerPoint™ presentation and six video clips created by UIC students explaining why they chose occupational therapy as their career. AOTA also continued its involvement with the National Association for Advisors of Health Professionals (NAAHP) by being part of a panel presentation on health care careers and exhibiting at its biennial conference. In addi-tion, three $5,000 scholarships were also awarded to students by the EK Wise Scholar-ship Fund.

4 Progress was made on the Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) project

for students applying to occupational therapy programs. More than one-third (61) programs committed to OTCAS for the first year. OTCAS became available in FY 2011.

5 Since its inception in September 2009, the Fieldwork Educators Certificate

Program has resulted in the achievement of 702

fieldwork educators. In addition, 38 instructor teams were trained through three AOTA-spon-sored Train-the-Trainer Institutes.

6 The AOTA Participation Review Ad Hoc Committee met consistently to deliber-

ate and form recommendations that were finalized and presented to the President and Board of Directors in October 2009. Although the initial recommendations were not accepted by the Representative Assembly, they estab-lished a foundation for a substitute motion for a new ad hoc committee to look at procedural and organizational changes.

7 The new ASD Steering Committee took office and focused priorities on encour-

aging and educating prospective students, exploring collaborations with MDI groups to increase the diversity of occupational therapy students and practitioners, exploring collabora-tions with the SIS groups, assisting with Stu-dent Conclave planning, and supporting AOTPAC Challenge and advocacy efforts.

8 AOTA was a volunteer leader in the Association of Specialized and Profes-

sional Accreditors to help develop materials for specialized accreditor representatives that were participating in the United States Department of Education (USDE) negotiated rule-making process. The process led to regulations that were implemented on July 1, 2010.

9 Board and Specialty Certification creden-tials were earned by 20 AOTA members,

increasing total certifications to 160. The num-ber of reviewers for certification applications also increased with 12 new reviewers selected and trained.

10 The AOTA Commission on Continuing Competence and Professional Develop-

ment (CCCPD) had two new official documents approved and adopted during the April 2010 RA meeting: Guidelines for Re-Entry Into the Field of Occupational Therapy, and the updated version of Standards for Continuing Compe-tence. In addition, The Board for Advanced and Specialty Certification (BASC) presented “The Ins and Outs of Board and Specialty Certifica-tion” seminar at the AOTA Annual Conference in Orlando.

11 The 2010 edition of the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Ethics Stan-

dards was approved by the Representative Assembly. It was posted on the AOTA Web site and sent to state licensure boards.

12 The AOTA Ethics Commission provided ethics information for membership by

completing and posting four new advisory opinions on OT/OTA partnership, ethical standards in a challenging health care, social justice and meeting client needs, obsolete assessment instruments, and ethics relevant to technology-based interventions. In addition, the Enforcement Procedures for the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Ethics Standards were revised and approved by the Representa-tive Assembly.

Fulfilling Our Potential

AOTA Emerging Leaders

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13 AOTA Special Interest Sections developed six new 2010 fact sheets: Occupational

Therapy for Young Children, Occupational Therapy in School Settings, Universal Design for Learning, Occupational Therapy Role in Pallia-tive Care, Occupational Therapy Role in Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Occupational Therapy’s Role in Health Promotion. The fact sheets were posted under the Practitioners section of the AOTA Web site and several were available at the 2010 Annual Conference & Expo.

14 AOTA broadened its partnerships with key transportation organizations to pro-

mote occupational therapy in driving and community mobility. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) funded the AOTA Program Development Mini-Grants project that resulted in driving toolkit contri-butions from six sites. The CarFit project, in collaboration with Automotive Clubs of Amer-ica (AAA) and AARP, included more than 40 events, 1,000 occupational therapy practitioner volunteers, and seminar tours held in Australia and New Zealand. AOTA also worked with The Hartford and Massachuetts Institute of Tech-nology (MIT) Age Lab to produce the evidence-based brochure Your Road Ahead: A Guide to Comprehensive Driving Evaluations and participated in the Association for Driving Rehabilitation Specialists (ADED) conference.

15 The critical role of occupational therapy in the mental health needs of children

was addressed in many ways, including partici-pation in the Awareness Day Turns 5 Celebra-tion, sponsored by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMSHA) in honor of National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. AOTA also presented at the Annual Con-ference on Advancing School Mental Health in partnership with the Center for School Mental Health Assistance (CSMHA), University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the IDEA Partnership funded by the Office of Special Education Programs and sponsored by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. AOTA produced the Chil-dren’s Mental Health Day podcast and fea-tured OT in mental health in OT Practice, OT Connections, and 1-Minute Update.

16 AOTA strongly supported occupational therapy in school-based practice through

partnerships with key organizations and vari-ous activities. AOTA participated in the IDEA Full Partnership Meetings to highlight collab-

orative activities in school mental health, autism, early childhood, RtI, and transitions; networked with educators at the American Federation of Teachers Quest Conference; participated as a partner and consultant at the National Symposium on Universal Design for Learning; presented on transitions at the Dean’s Signature Symposium at Eastern Kentucky University; and was a panelist on a Response to Intervention video chat at the Annual Conference of the National Associa-tion of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).

17 AOTA promoted the role of occupational therapy practice in environmental modifi-

cation to provide older adults with indepen-dence and safety in their homes and communities. AOTA’s strategic partnership with National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) included participation as a judge in the NAHB/AARP-sponsored 2009 Livable Communities Awards and attendance at the NAHB Certified Aging in Place Specialists (CAPS) Board of Governors meeting. AOTA also collaborated with Rebuilding Together (RT) to match occupational therapy practition-ers and students with local RT affiliates to provide home assessments and recommenda-tions. In addition, AOTA produced the “Mak-ing Your Home Fit” podcast using the AARP Home Fit Guide as its resource for consumers.

18 AOTA addressed the role of occupational therapy in early intervention through

numerous opportunities, including participa-tion in the Early Childhood Outcomes webinar panel sponsored by the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC); a panel presentation with the American Speech–Language–Hearing Associa-tion (ASHA), the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), and the National Associa-tion of Social Workers (NASW) at the Office of Special Education Programs National Early Childhood 2009 Conference, and a new “Early Intervention FAQ” developed by AOTA’s Early Intervention Workgroup.

19 AOTA worked with The Partnership for Health and Aging (PHA), under the

auspices of the American Geriatric Society, to develop multidisciplinary geriatric competencies for entry-level practitioners. The competency project was completed in March 2010 and AOTA endorsed the final competencies.

20 AOTA served as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Rehabilitation

Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Improving Measurement of Medical Rehabilitation Outcomes.

21 AOTA President Florence Clark and newly elected WFOT delegate Susan

Coppola represented the U.S. occupational therapy profession at the 29th World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) Council meet-ing in Santiago, Chile.

Next Steps (FY 2011) n Selection and involvement of attend-

ees in the second Emerging Leaders Program.

n Launch and promotion of the COOL volunteer leadership database.

n Development of governance structure recommendations by The AOTA Proce-dural & Organizational Change Ad Hoc Committee.

n Implementation of the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS).

n AOTA participation, communication, and resources in overarching areas of practice.

How You Can Helpn Recognize and clarify your important

role as an occupational therapy profes-sional to health care professionals and your clients.

n Get involved in AOTA volunteer leader-ship by completing your profile in the COOL database at www.aota.org/cool.

n Participate on OT Connections through SIS forum posts, group discussions, and blogs.

n Become AOTA Board or Specialty certified in a specific practice area to model the achievement of professional competencies and skills.

n Continue to support and participate in AOTA efforts by maintaining your mem-bership and seeking ways to contribute your knowledge and abilities.

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1 AOTA effectively influenced health care reform legislation through direct and

grassroots advocacy on behalf of occupational therapy. Several key victories were achieved in The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), including a one year extension to the Medicare Outpatient Part B Therapy Ser-vices exception process, inclusion of rehabilita-tion and habilitation services in the mandated benefits package, and attention to occupational therapy in workforce, and in other areas as well.

2 Four Capitol Hill Days coordinated by AOTA drew more than 450 attendees

to lobby for occupational therapy as an important part of the solution to health care. Attendees included students, practitioners, program directors, and the Board of Directors.

3 AOTA leadership worked in collabora-tion with several other groups and

successfully opposed a proposal by Congress to require bundled payments for post-acute care for Medicare beneficiaries.

4 AOTA maintained regular contact with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Services (CMS) to keep members aware of CMS activities on proposed changes and new rules that would affect occupational therapy in areas of orthotics, rehabilitation, skilled nursing facilities, and home health. AOTA challenged new payment proposals, arguing for the distinc-tion of occupational therapy. AOTA advocated successfully on student supervision rules for occupational therapy assistants to be able to supervise student assistants in nursing facilities.

5 Occupational therapy expert researchers were successfully nominated to the

American Medical Association’s Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement Dementia Work Group, the Stroke Work Group, and the Adult Depressive Disorders Work Group.

16 AOTA submitted comments in response to several proposed Medicare Local

Coverage Determinations (LCDs) to protect the occupational therapy scope of practice in 23 states. Guidelines that would limit frequency and duration of therapy services were opposed. In addition, AOTA advocated for the value of occupational therapy clinical judgment.

7 The Washington Occupational Therapy Association (WOTA) was alerted about a

proposal by optometric physicians in Washing-ton State to revise the definition of “practice of optometry” in state law and add low vision rehabilitation services and other changes. AOTA and WOTA worked together to success-fully oppose the proposal.

8 State legislation on insurance coverage for autism spectrum disorder services

was supported by AOTA. The “State Health Insurance Coverage for Individuals With Autism (2009–2010)” chart on the AOTA Autism Resources Web page and a Capital Briefing article in OT Practice highlighted these important issues for members.

9 AOTPAC educated members about the critical importance of political action

and fundraising by its members through events at the AOTA 2010 Annual Conference & Expo and state association conferences, meetings, and other activities. The AOTPAC fundraising goal was exceeded by almost 10% and raised $230,500 from 3,671 contributors, which pro-vided contributions to 76 federal candidates.

10 AOTA launched a new annual event in Older Driver Safety Awareness Week.

Kicked off in December 2009, it was endorsed by 10 organizations that included AARP, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators,

American Public Transportation Association, and Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists that helped promote the event on a local, regional, and national basis. Practitioners offered lobby displays, public seminars, free screenings, and distribution of written materi-als. Topics and activities for both practitioners and consumers were made available on the AOTA Web site.

11 AOTA completed a year-long project funded by the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention to promote policy changes to increase Medicare’s attention to falls prevention. The full series of documents was posted on the AOTA Web site at http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/PracticeAreas/Aging/Falls.aspx.

12 AOTA participated in the White House Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the

enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act after receiving a special invitation in recogni-tion of the longstanding support and advocacy of the profession on behalf of people with disabilities.

13 An online Occupational Therapy: Living Life To Its Fullest™ brand toolkit and

podcasts on diabetes management, home modi-fications, arthritis, and children’s mental health

Articulating Our Value

6 MAY 10, 2010 • WWW.AOTA.ORG

n 2010, two states enacted autism insurance reform legislation, and 20 states are still considering legislation that includes provisions mandating that health insurance plans cover treatment for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Kentucky and Maine enacted legisla-tion this spring, with both states includ-ing occupational therapy in mandated coverage provisions for ASD treatment. In addition, Utah enacted legislation that will impact Medicaid autism policy.

Kentucky’s new law states that cov-erage for individuals in the large group and state employee market between the ages of 1 and 7 years will be subject to a maximum annual benefit of $50,000 and that coverage for individuals between the ages of 7 and 21 years will be sub-ject to a maximum monthly benefit of $1,000. Individuals in the small group and individual market will be subject to a maximum monthly benefit of $1,000 regardless of age. Coverage for occupa-tional therapy, along with speech and physical therapy, is incorporated into therapeutic care as a type of treatment for ASDs.

Maine now requires health insurance companies to provide coverage of the diagnosis and treatment of ASDs for individuals age 5 years and younger, and coverage of treatments will be provided when prescribed, provided, or ordered for an individual diagnosed with autism by a licensed physician or a licensed psychologist who determines the care to be medically necessary. Therapy services provided by a licensed occu-pational therapist are listed as a type of treatment covered for ASDs. Speech therapy and physical therapy are also included.

Utah has developed a range of options for a Medicaid waiver that would

authorize the Medicaid program to provide services to persons with autism. The range of options include: (1) an option based on Maryland’s waiver for children with ASD, and (2) an option using applied behavioral analysis for children ages 0 to 9 years. Each option will include the estimated cost of implementing the waiver to the state Medicaid program and to an individual Medicaid client. The Health and Human Services Interim Committee will deter-mine whether to sponsor legislation to require the Department of Health to apply for a Medicaid waiver to provide services to persons with autism by December 1, 2010. No other treatments other than applied behavioral analysis were specified in the Utah bill.

In March 2010 Iowa and Kansas enacted legislation, but at this time they are still awaiting the governor’s signa-ture. If H.B. 2531 is signed into law, Iowa will require coverage for individuals under the age of 21 years, private health insurance companies to provide cover-age for the diagnosis and treatment of ASDs, and a $36,000 annual cap on treatments for children with ASDs. As in Kentucky, coverage for occupational therapy, along with speech and physical therapy, is incorporated into therapeutic care as a type of treatment for ASDs.

In Kansas, if H.B. 2160 is signed by the governor, there will be an annual cap on treatments for children with ASDs who are enrolled in the health insur-ance plan for state employees: $36,000 up to age 7 years and $27,000 between ages 7 and 19 years. For individuals diagnosed with autism by a licensed physician, or a licensed psychologist who determines the care to be medically necessary, coverage of treatments will be provided when prescribed, provided,

or ordered. Occupational therapy is not specifically included as a covered treat-ment; however, reimbursement shall be allowed only for services provided by a provider licensed, trained, and qualified to provide such services or by an autism specialist or an intensive individual ser-vice provider. These service providers are yet to be defined by the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services Kansas Autism Waiver.

Of the 20 states that are still actively pursing autism insurance reform legisla-tion, 17 include occupational therapy as a form of treatment that should be included in coverage for ASDs. The majority of these states include cover-age for occupational therapy, along with speech and physical therapy, as incor-porated into therapeutic care as a type of treatment for ASDs while a handful of states list occupational therapy as a separate qualifying treatment.

Last year, several states enacted autism reform legislation, with the majority these state laws including occupational therapy. In total, 17 states have enacted autism reform legislation: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Caro-lina, Texas, and Wisconsin. Thirteen of these states include coverage for occupational therapy as a treatment for ASDs. As legislators pursue autism reform legislation, new opportunities for occupational therapy practitioners arise through an increase of consumer access to occupational therapy, creating a new demand for services through mandated coverage of occupational therapy. n

Marcy M. Buckner, JD, is a state policy analyst at

AOTA. She can be reached at mbuckner@aota.org.

IStates Enact Insurance Mandates

To Cover OT for AutismMarcy M. Buckner

c a p I t a l b r I e f I n g

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were produced and made available to members through the AOTA Web site.

14 Media promotion of the brand Occupa-tional Therapy: Living Life To Its Fullest™

continued to build recognition for the profes-sion. Forbes.com and U.S. News & World Report identified occupational therapy on their respec-tive lists as one of the “hot jobs where pay is rising during the recession” and “Best Careers 2010.” Other media promotions included The Daily Beast, Money magazine, and National Public Radio.

15 Successful promotion of the research efforts and evidentiary basis of the pro-

fession included the distribution of a research paper published in the September/October 2009 issue of AJOT on the impact of occupa-tional therapy in stroke recovery through HealthDay, U.S. News & World Report, Business-Week, Forbes, The Washington Post, iVillage, Everyday Health, MSN Health, and more.

16 Occupational therapy practitioners and students around the nation hosted

events for the 2009 National School Backpack Day. Media placements for the events ranged from national to local outlets, with over 40 media outlets featuring news on Backpack Day that reached more than 78 million people.

17 The required five-year update of the definition of occupational therapy for use

in state licensure laws was initiated with the intent to incorporate the information and terminology from the Occupational Therapy Framework: Domain and Process, 2nd Edition.

18 AOTA worked with the American Medical Association (AMA) on reviews of new and

revised CPT codes and the establishment of fair relative values under the Medicare Physician’s Fee Schedule.

19 AOTA played a significant role in numerous CMS contractor workgroup

projects to protect occupational therapy under Medicare. The Short Term Alternatives to Therapy Services (STATS) addressed changes to therapy billing/coding guidelines, a review of current assessment tools, and revisions to Medicare policy guidance and manuals, and the Developing Outpatient Therapy Payment Alternatives (DOTPA) project continued as a long-term study looking at alternative payment mechanisms for therapy services.

20 AOTA submitted evidence-based research to support a written request that Health

Care Service Corporation (HCSC) operating the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in 4 states change their policy to use occupational therapy services billed under the self-care and commu-nity reintegration CPT codes.

21 AOTA responded to numerous requests for comments on critical issues in

implementation of the new federal health care reform law—the Accountable Care Act—on issues such as benefits, appeals process, and new system designs. Work also began with the National Association of Insurance Commis-sioners (NAIC) to assure attention to occupa-tional therapy as NAIC develops guidance for Congress, CMS, and consumers on implementation.

22 Advocacy for education reform continued and AOTA remained actively engaged

with the committees of jurisdiction that held more than 15 hearings on the issue. AOTA principles were developed for Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and were submitted to the House Educa-tion and Labor Committee as well as the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

23 Active collaboration with national coali-tions to augment AOTA’s political and

policy voice was achieved through alliances with The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), the Medicare Therapy Cap Coalition, the National Alliance of Pupil Service Organi-zations (NAPSO), the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG), and 5 other strategic partnerships.

24 Great strides were made in educating Congress about the home health issue for

occupational therapy and groundwork was laid for future progress. AOTA’s proposal was included in the House version of the health care reform bill but was not subsequently included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score on the provision indicated that its cost would not be significant over a ten year period, which provided a critical lobbying tool for the future.

Next Steps (FY 2011)n Legislative efforts to achieve passage

of The Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act by the House and Senate.

n Advocacy to change new legislation regarding additional certification for occupational therapy practitioners working with patients who have lymphedema.

n Collaboration with Lighthouse Interna-tional to create legislation that improves access to care for people with low vision and blindness and ensures the role of OT in policy and reimbursement.

n Lobbying Congress to adopt AOTA principles for education reform.

n AOTA Model Practice Act survey feed-back to help draft a revised definition of occupational therapy.

How You Can Helpn Contribute to grassroots advocacy

through the Legislative Center on the AOTA Web site and participate in Capitol Hill Day activities.

n Make a donation to AOTPAC at www.aota.org/advocacy/AOTPAC.aspx to support the profession’s political action efforts.

n Stay alert to state legislative issues that impact occupational therapy at the State News & Information section of the AOTA Web site and actively support the profession.

n Use the Occupational Therapy: Living Life To Its Fullest™ brand logo on your e-mail signature and incorporate the message through interactions with health care providers, employers, and consumers.

n Use media opportunities such as letters to the editor, newspaper articles, Face-book, and others to clarify occupational therapy’s role in health care.

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1 AOTA Press launched AJOT Online through HighWire, a scholarly research

journal platform. The new format allows read-ers to view the full content of each AJOT issue online, including all figures and tables. Text is searchable by key word, and cited references include hyperlinks to Medline and the full text of many other online journals. AJOT Online is accessible at http://ajot.aotapress.net/.

2 AOTA signed a licensing agreement with Cedaron Medical, Inc. to develop the

National Outcomes Database, an electronic patient record and documentation system for the profession. The system is based on the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process. Multiple meetings were also held with content and electronic documen-tation systems experts to assess Cedaron’s system and capabilities and initiate the development of occupational therapy documentation templates.

3 AOTA increased its monitoring and interaction with federal research agen-

cies, including National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), National Insti-tute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Healthy People 2020, and National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR). Comments were contrib-uted or submitted to agencies on disability and rehabilitation, multiple chronic conditions, biomedical research training and career devel-opment, sensory integration research, osteoar-thritis, and stroke rehabilitation.

4 The AOTA–AOTF Research Agenda was developed and approved by boards of

both organizations and publicized in the Janu-ary 2010 issue of OT Practice.

5 A subcommittee of the AOTA-AOTF Research Advisory Panel (RAP) helped

develop a grant proposal for an intervention research conference that was to be submitted to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

6 The survey for the Occupational Therapy Research Database was designed and

will be integrated into the AOTA membership database to be searchable by researcher’s name, federal funders, year of funding, and common clinical populations. The database development began with testing to be conducted in FY 2011.

7 OT Practice published four Evidence Perks that connected practitioners,

students, educators, and researchers to resources and information on health and well-ness, autism spectrum disorders, productive aging, and work and industry.

8 22 Evidence Bytes covering a broad range of evidence-based practice

resources on the six overarching areas of prac-tice were published in the 1-Minute Update. All Evidence Bytes were made available in the Evidence-Based Practice and Research section of the Practitioners and Educators-Research sections of the AOTA Web site.

9 AOTA responded to the National Autism Center on their National Standards

Report, advocating for the role of occupational therapy and providing information to support and validate the theory and practice of sensory integration. The response was published in the November 23rd issue of the 1-Minute Update.

10 The EBP Clearinghouse Pilot Project was initiated to develop a central depository

for evidence-based literature reviews and related resources that focused on various aspects of Critically Appraised Papers (CAPs). Selected SIS committee members participated in self-study training and reviews of CAPs. Results of the project updated guidelines and were presented at the 2010 AOTA Annual Conference.

11 Systematic reviews were initiated on the role of occupational therapy in early

intervention, older adults with low vision, and children with behavioral and psychosocial needs. The review of OT and activity-based interventions related to productive aging was completed. The reviews were done by Academic Partnerships that involved faculty and students and provided excellent examples of projects that link education, research, and practice.

12 The Evidence-Based Practice Resources area of the AOTA Web site was reorga-

nized by the six main practice areas and by the type of resource to make navigation easier and accessible. Resources are organized by The American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) articles, OT Practice articles, Special Interest Sections Quarterly articles, evidence-based resources CATs and CAPs, Evidence Brief Series, Evidence Perks, and Evidence Bytes.

13 The systematic reviews on Occupational Therapy and Children With Sensory

Processing/Sensory Integrative Disorder were published in the May/June 2010 Special Issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT).

14 AOTA Press published the Occupational Therapy Guidelines for Adults with

Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders with reviews of Alzheimer’s symptoms, stages, and pharmacology as well as a detailed description

Linking Research, Education, and Practice

2010 AOTA Annual Conference

2010 AOTA/NBCOT Student Conclave

9

of the occupational therapy process for various approaches and interventions.

15 AOTA held its third annual AOTA/NBCOT National Student Conclave in Baltimore,

Maryland in November 2009 and 564 students and 44 exhibitors attended. A significant num-ber of students also participated in lobbying on Capitol Hill prior to the start of the Conclave.

16 The 91st AOTA Annual Conference & Expo was held in Orlando, Florida, with over

6,000 attendees, more than 1,000 speakers, 630 educational sessions, and six poster sessions. Tech Day sessions drew close to 800 attendees. The 2011 Call for Papers published in the Program Guide drew a record number of 1,207 submissions of which 39% were research-related.

17 AOTA Continuing Education produced eight new CE courses for professional

development and licensure renewal, including two Self-Paced Clinical Courses (SPCCs), one Online Course, and five CEonCD™s. In addi-tion, eleven new Continuing Education Articles (CEAs) were published in OT Practice.n Occupational Therapy in Mental Health:

Considerations for Advanced Practicen Dysphagia Care and Related Feeding Concerns

for Adults, 2nd Editionn Occupational Therapy in Action: Using the

Lens of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process, 2nd Edition

n Model of Human Occupational Screening Tool (MOHOST): Theory, Content, and Purpose

n Occupation-Focused Intervention Strategies for Clients With Fibromyalgia and Fatiguing Conditions

n Ethics Topic—Moral Distress: Surviving Clini-cal Chaos

n Ethics Topic—Organizational Ethics: Occupa-tional Therapy Practice in a Complex Health Environment

n Driving Assessment and Training Techniques: Addressing the Needs of Students With Cogni-tive and Social Limitations Behind the Wheel

18 AOTA Press published 10 new books with revised editions of bestsellers, an AOTA

practice guideline on Alzheimer’s disease, and new topic areas: n Autism: A Comprehensive Occupational Ther-

apy Approach, 3rd Editionn Evaluation: Obtaining and Interpreting Data,

3rd Editionn For the Love of Occupation: Reflections on a

Career in Occupational Therapy

n Living Life To Its Fullest: Stories of Occupa-tional Therapy

n Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: Considerations for Advanced Practice

n Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Adults With Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders

n Screening Adult Neurologic Populations: A Step-by-Step Instruction Manual, 2nd Edition

n Sensory Integration: A Compendium of Lead-ing Scholarship

n The Test of Grocery Shopping Skillsn The Texture of Life: Purposeful Activities in the

Context of Occupation, 3rd Edition

19 Participation in the AOTA Approved Provider Program (APP) increased by 8%.

Full Approved Provider applications were 20% higher than expected. Four-year renewals and addendum applications to add distance learn-ing formats continued to be strong.

20 The Representative Assembly approved Occupational Therapy’s Perspective on the

Use of Environments and Contexts to Support Health and Participation in Occupations to include in AOTA Official Documents. The follow-ing documents were adopted by the Representa-tive Assembly (RA) or Representative Assembly Coordinating Council (RACC) and were posted on the AOTA Web site. n Occupational Therapy Services in the Promo-

tion of Psychological and Social Aspects of Men-tal Health (a revision of the 2004 statement)

n Specialized Knowledge and Skills in Mental Health Promotion, Prevention and Interven-tion in Occupational Therapy Practice

n Driving and Community Mobility Statementn Standards of Practice for Occupational Therapyn Telerehabilitationn The Scope of Occupational Therapy Services for

Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders Across the Life Span

21 OT Practice featured the following Practice Perks to make AOTA Official

Documents more user-friendly: Providing OT Using SI Theory and Methods in School-Based Practice, Rituals vs. Routines, Addressing Sleep, Scope of Practice, The Term Practitioners, Calling All Voices, Disaster Preparedness, Telerehabilitation, and OT Services in Early Intervention and School-Based Practice

22 The National Guideline Clearinghouse, supported by the federal Agency for

Healthcare Research and Quality, posted the following AOTA Practice Guidelines on the NGC Web site: Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, Adults With Neurodegen-erative Diseases, Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury, Individuals With Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, Adults With Stroke, Driving and Community Mobility for Older Adults, and Children and Adolescents With Autism.

Next Steps (FY 2011)n Progress toward development of

National Outcomes Database for benchmarking patient progress.

n Development and testing of the Occupa-tional Therapy Researcher Database.

n First AOTA Specialty Conference with targeted session topics on autism spectrum disorders.

n Alzheimer’s Resources Web site with links to information, research, CE, books, and legislative activity.

How You Can Helpn Submit articles or manuscripts for

possible publication by AOTA Press or in AJOT or OT Practice. Learn more at http://www.aota.org/Pubs/Publish.aspx.

n Use resources available in the AOTA Evidence-Based Practice Directory at www.aota.org/ebp to support your practice.

n Sign up to AJOT Online on HighWire at http://ajot.aotapress.net/ to receive email alerts or submit an online manuscript.

n Submit a “Call for Papers” proposal to present at the 91st AOTA Annual Con-ference & Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana.

n Earn AOTA contact hours and CEUs for licensure renewal at an Annual or Specialty Conference or through con-tinuing education courses.

10

Supporting Our Members

1 AOTA ended the year with its sixth consecutive annual increase in member-

ship. Membership totaled 40,226, up 3.42%, the highest level of membership in ten years. OT membership grew considerably and OTA stu-dent membership was the fastest growing for the second year in a row, tripling from 756 to 2,436 OTA student members.

2 Members were able to navigate the AOTA Web site more easily through the change

to Google search and the reorganization of the Practitioners section. In addition, the new “AOTA Autism Resources” section provided a comprehensive list of fact sheets, articles, books and continuing education, research, legislative updates, and other resources on the subject with hyperlinks to further information.

3 The AOTA 2009–2010 Student Member-ship Circle of OT and OTA academic

programs expanded again this year with a 40.5% overall increase over academic year 2008-2009, and a 21% increase at the Gold Level (100% student membership).

4 The AOTA 2010 Election member votes resulted in 17 new volunteer leaders

elected to the Board, Commissions, Special Interest Sections, WFOT, and Assembly of Student Delegates.

5 The members-only 1-Minute Update e-newsletter with news, information,

and products was revised from a single publica-tion sent to all members to four distinct news-letters targeted at specific practice areas: General, Children & Youth, Productive Aging, and Physical Disabilities.

6 The Special Interest Section (SIS) Quar-terly newsletters available online to all

members featured articles on specialized areas of practice, including n Administration & Management:

Adopting a Professional Learning Continuum Plan

n Developmental Disabilities: Participation of Children With Special Needs at the Aquarium

n Early Intervention & School: Teachers’ Perceptions of School-Based Occupational Therapy Consultation

n Education: Teaching Qualitative Research Methods Using a Simulation Exercise

n Gerontology: Geriatric Obesityn Home & Community Health: Palliative Care

Ethical Dilemmas in a Multicultural Society

n Mental Health: Integrating Sensory and Trauma-Informed Interventions: A Massa-chusetts State Initiative, Part 2

n Physical Disabilities: On the Road: Are We Prepared To Keep Older Drivers Safe?

n Sensory Integration: The Importance of Mentoring for the Professional Involvement of Therapists Specializing in Ayres Sensory Integration®

n Technology: Assessment and Use of Scanning Pens

n Work & Industry: Motivation, Communi-cation, and Change: Ergonomic Program Success

7 AOTA Press worked with global pub-lishers to provide members-only assess-

ment products available on the Online Store— n Asperger Syndrome Diagnositc Scale (ASDS)n Cognitive Performance Testn Conduct Disorder Scale (CDS)n Developmental Test of Visual Perception, 2nd

Edition (DTVP–2)n Dynamic Occupational Therapy Cognitive

Assessment for Childrenn Gilliam Asperger’s Disorder Scale (GADS)n Gilliam Autism Rating Scale, 2nd Edition

(GARS–2)n Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive

Assessmentn Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive

Assessment–Geriatric

8 As her presidential term ended, AOTA President Penelope Moyers Cleveland

was recognized by the Board of Directors for her outstanding leadership at their June 2010 meeting. She was presented with a framed plaque that displayed photos of hallmark events and quotes from her inspir-ing speeches that reflected the impact she made on the profession through her service as AOTA President.

11

Next Steps (FY 2011)n Revamp of the AOTA Web site with a

central “My AOTA” site that simplifies the search process and provides a single login username and password to AOTA, OT Connections, AOTA Online Store, and OTjobLink.

n Update of the membership database for increased demographics, easy profile updates and membership renewals.

n Production of new AOTA Press publica-tions and AOTA Continuing Education products with resources and profes-sional development opportunities.

n Continued investigation of affinity programs that can provide additional Association member benefits

n Publication of OT Practice, AJOT, and SIS Quarterly articles that promote practice, research, and education.

How You Can Helpn Renew your AOTA membership and take

advantage of all your member benefits.n Recruit colleagues that are not yet

members of AOTA and let them know the importance of their support and the tangible and intangible benefits of being part of the AOTA community.

n Read OT Practice, AJOT, SIS Quarterly newsletters, and 1-Minute Update to stay up-to-date on news, trends, research, products, and opportunities.

n Join OT Connections and join AOTA on Facebook to share comments and participate in forums and discussions.

n Provide member feedback to help AOTA communicate effectively and offer customized, relevant member services.

FY 2009–2010 Financial Report

AOTA FY 2010 Revenue

Membership Fees 6,071,322 37.5%Conferences 2,646,769 16.3%Subscriptions and Advertising 1,790,413 11.1%Books and Publications 1,355,823 8.4%Rental Income 1,237,237 7.6%Accreditation Fees 985,137 6.1%Continuing Education Fees 875,615 5.4%Other 494,277 3.1%Royalties 461,627 2.8%Investment Income (loss) 277,644 1.7%

Total 16,195,864 100%

Developing Our Resources

AOTA FY 2010 Expenses

Professional Development 4,588,070 29.9%Publications 3,924,861 25.6%Building Operations 2,692,230 17.6%Advocacy and Awareness 1,789,618 11.7%Membership 1,247,172 8.1%Governance 1,081,776 7.1%

Total 15,323,727 100%

4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814 • 800-SAY-AOTA • 301-652-2682 • 301-652-7711 Fax • 800-377-8555 TDD

We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized,

science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected

and diverse workforce meeting society’s occupational needs.

www.aota.org